Black Rage-Book Report Essay Example for Free

Black Rage-Book Report Essay The pages of human history daubed in bloodshed and thickly coated with ethnic, racial conflicts ask a crying question. How to make this Planet Earth heaven -like? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, heart full of love and the life that refuses conflicts—these alone are enough! When an individual or a people of a particular race are constantly nagged and abused, condemned and ostracized by the society, they become bitter and cynical individuals. Heartfelt care and concern, an understanding approach and tender regard for their feelings are necessary pre-requisites to heal their inner wounds. Adequate opportunities need to be created for their ‘reformation’ and ‘rehabilitation’ into the mainstream of the society. The authors feel that it is not an easy task. Each and every molecule of the Negro race is surcharged with the hidden grudge as for the inhuman treatment meted out to them in all walks of life, from the cradle to the grave and from the womb to the tomb and this process continued for centuries. They were branded from birth as ‘niggers. ’ This insult on their personality is difficult to condone. Brief summary of the book: This is a classic work on black identity. This is also criticized as one of the sexiest books. Slavery is no ordinary crime against humanity. The book explains the race relations and its dynamics in the day to day living of the blacks vs. whites. How at each step of the ladder the blacks were pulled down, how they were made to stumble at deliberately created hurdles by the whites, how slavery dynamics deeply impact the cross-racial sexual relationships etc. It is one thing to have freedom and protection for the essential human dignity of the individual legally. It is good to have uniform constitutional rights for whites and blacks. But what mattes is the interpretation of the laws and their applicability to the ground level situations, concerning the blacks. The book is an authentic source of inspiration to the educated younger generation of blacks, and for the African psychologists of the day. The book cites case studies and they are properly dealt with. The point by point analysis of the â€Å"intra-psychic† dynamics of Black life in every day America is extremely informative and an eye-opener. Blacks, in many parts of the world where the whites were the dominating community, suffered, and in USA they suffered intensely. The authors are psychiatrists by profession and they are eminently suited to treat this subject. The inner conflicts and the desperation of back life, how they carry on with their back to the wall existence—all these have been highlighted, with the zeal of pursuing the truth. As the black race is exposed to various social situations related to the individual growth through education, employment, achievement of status in life, the intra-racial problems have begun to crop up with great intensity. The authors cite the case of an educated school teacher, marrying a laborer. They explain: â€Å"†¦She was embarrassed by his poor education. He felt that she and her friends were phony and that she was preoccupied with maintaining senseless appearances. Their mutual hostility led to verbal and later physical assaults. Divorce was the result. This pattern is so common in Negro marriages that it deserves special study, which might shed light on the broader problems of how in America choice of mate and marriage in general is influenced by a persons blackness. †(p. 75) The authors put forth strong arguments that black people living in a racist, white dominated society have suffered and are suffering psychological pressure by the effects of racist oppression. This sometimes, has the telling effect in on the day to day disposition and black people act in unpredictable manner. The thesis of the book: Will the country ever awake in to that heaven of freedom, and when it will be free from the division of narrow domestic walls created by race prejudices? What you do to mitigate the mental barrier of racial discrimination on so many counts is not important. How you do, what you do is indeed important. More acts and legislations have helped to create a stir in the minds of whites and blacks. But the problem eludes permanent solution. This is so, because the feeling of superiority within the minds of the whites has to change. When the thought process will change, the action process will also change! When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mind is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed; when the society is changed, the Nation is changed. Then only we can way that plenty and prosperity engulfs USA, not otherwise! The contents and arguments in the book contain too much sex, much more than required by the literary standards. But some times, these issues are beyond the control of the authors. Firstly the book must sell. This is the prime objective of the publisher. Fortunately or unfortunately, sex sells. If it is handled well, it sells well. This could be one of the reasons for the extra dose of sex in the book—this may not be as well! This book has about 230 pages with 10 chapters, Who’s angry, the shadow of the past, achieving womanhood, acquiring manhood, marriage and love, character traits, the â€Å"Promise† of education, mental illness and treatment, and how come there’s so much hate and black rage. In a nutshell, the contents of the book discuss and analyze the bitter past of slavery in USA, the tension-ridden race relations in USA today, and the future of black and white race relations which have the possibilities to turn worst, on the slightest provocation, when the black race is making its presence felt strongly, in political, social, and economic spheres. In sports, blacks are dominating! The blacks accepted the domination of the white race-will the whites accept the domination of the black race in times to come? Will the law of divine retribution work in this context? Identify the evidence used by the author to support his/ her thesis That which is evident requires no introduction, elaboration, or appreciation. Light is bright and it is evident. Milk is white and it is evident. Simply say black race in America, and everything is evident. The saga of suffering of the Negro race, the era of slavery, violence and cruelty to subdue their legitimate aspirations rotates on the curtain of one’s mind. The authors of Black Rage do not mince words when it comes to condemning the atrocities committed on the black race. â€Å"The voice of black America has been heard in the explosions of Watts, Newark, and Detroit,† they warn. (p. 3) They assert their aspiration in strongest terms. â€Å"Black people continue to revolt against laws and customs that are deadly and humiliating†¦Aggression leaps from wounds inflicted and ambitions spiked. It grows out of oppression and capricious cruelty. †(p. 3). The younger generation of Negroes is not willing to wait and accept ‘the tactful handling of the situation’ by the whites when their interests matter. The white race is not willing to travel in the boat where the rudder is controlled by the black. The blacks are aware, by their bitter past experiences that the whites will go to any extent when their own interests matter. This causes more frustration and apprehension in the black community and adversely affects their psyche. The example cited in the text is that of Jimmy, a twelve year old boy. â€Å"His face was jet-black, and his expressions ranged from somber to sad. Whether relating stories of home, school, or the streets, he disguised his true feelings. At twelve he had learned one of his first lessonsalways play it cool. As much as possible, he worked to hide his inner life. One day he stared long and hard at his fist and said: I want to hit a white man. †(p. 59) State your own opinion and ideas about this book. The book contains tough opinions about the white race. To tell a black youngster to forget the past, say that he is constitutionally protected and enjoys equal rights as applicable to whites or any ethnic group is as good as telling him a story. The suffering of the Negro race is something very special and closely linked to the destiny of America. The black can condone the past; they can not ignore or forget it. The whites are not obliging the blacks by the present stance of understanding them. They have no other alternative. They must accept their newfound social position—equal in every respect as compared to the black people and it is their duty to say that the black-brother is first among the equal. They must attempt and secure the transformation within. The writers put it crisply and authoritatively. â€Å"After all, the thoughts begin, the Negro is also an American and if he is different it is only matter of degree. Cliches are brought forth and there is a lengthy recitation of the names of famous Negroes. Long association has bred feelings of familiarity which masquerade as knowledge. But there remain puzzles about black people; all is not understood; something is missing. †(p. 23) â€Å"It is better to have a world united than a world divided; but it is better to have a world divided, than a world destroyed,† said Sir Winston Churchill at the time of II World War. Presently, does this quote apply to the solution for the race problem in USA? USA will never be divided in geographical terms, the Constitution of USA is strong enough, the political leaders have enough foresight, but the example given in the book is shocking and is the definite pointer, how the division of the hearts is complete. How Come Theres So Much Hate? â€Å"When the man died, his wife of forty years was pitied by her friends. The widow was a stern New Englander; her dead husband was a black. In spite of strong social disapproval of their marriage, they had raised children and prospered. There had been some discord between them, but they handled it discreetly and the children had never heard them comment on racial matters. Even when a racial incident was prominent in the news, not a word was said about it. The children assumed that their mother had long since accepted the realities of marriage to a black man. They were completely unprepared for her words when her husband died: Thank God that nigger is gone! (p. 181) Spirituality, not religion, seems to be the only answer to this vexed problem of race relations. Once a human being crosses the mind barrier, all differences all tensions, cease! Mind is a bundle of negative and positive thoughts. The usual methods of suppressing the thoughts and emotions are not going to bring permanent peace. If the Negro race has to surrender at any point, it has got to be the dynamic surrender, of a supreme and brave human being. They should not accept the supremacy of the white race, nor demand the pound of flesh for the historical misdeeds of the whites. If the revengeful attitude persists, it will take them and the Nation nowhere. If the Nation does not survive how will the black and white races survive?

Critical Analysis of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Essay

What The World Has Done... In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" the author, Joyce Carol Oates, essentially asserts that the nuances of one's personality are not generated from within, but rather shaped by external circumstances. This is an argument whose justification is abundantly clear in the inner conflict of Connie, the protagonist of the book. The source of that struggle is her unstable relationship with her family, which ultimately results in her identity conflict. As one who always been deprived of father-figure, she feels the need to acquire attention from boys in order to fill that void. The realism and characterization with which Oates makes this point in the story have garnered much praise. Connie is presented as the quintessential teenage girl. Like any other female adolescent, she is preoccupied with make up, boys and music. Great characterization is seen in Arnold Friend - described by Oates as one who appears at first glace as "a boy with shaggy, black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold"(427) - who employs manipulative conversational tactics to gain psychological control of Connie. Later, he even changes his apparel in order to draw Connie to himself, an act which makes him reminiscent of an enticing devil. Connie is a girl whose perception of the world has been shaped by her family and "culture," causing her life to be literally split into two. At home, she acts as if she were an Zabakolas 2 innocent child that is unconcerned with the dynamics of the opposite sex. But once she ventures into the "real world" she screams for male attention. In her domestic life, she has virtually nobody and nothing upon which to depend (a fact that she e... ..., shows what happens to the psyche of the individual who is shown no love in the larger environment or in the "safety" of her own home. Connie was influenced by many damaging sources that prohibit her from achieving a proper self-identity. As a result of being neglected by her father, denigrated by her mother, compared to her sister and her desire to be loved by her family and others, she developed an identity problem that ultimately led her to the devil. It is not until the very end, through her acquaintance with Arnold Friend, that she is able to achieve some sort of happiness. Even then, her happiness is a tragedy as the devil wheels her in. Works Cited Oates, Joyce Carol. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Literature and the Writing Process. Eds. E. MacMahan et al. 7th Edition. Upper Saddle River(NJ):Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.

Goffman’s Dramaturgical Sociology Essay

The article by Brown elaborates on traditional symbolic interactionism. Goffman was mainly interested in social self in the society that constitutes of individual personality formation. His notion of self involves engaging in purposive forms of activities and impressions. According to Goffman’s dramaturgy, there are various schools of interactionist analysis. People try to manipulate themselves and the situations in which they interact. Goffman’s interests were more to the ritualized forms of social interaction. There are various wings of interactionism; we have the social psychological, social of construction and social ritual wing. The difference in these wings allows one to create bridges between elements of symbolic interactionism and other types of social theory (Brown, 290). The article states that in order to teach Goffman well, instructors should put emphasis on social rituals, symbols and sacred representations so as to produce emotional attachment that enhances solidarity in groups among students. Students will be encouraged to see the difference in strands of symbolic interactionism, conflict theory, classical and contemporary theory. This will result to students’ capabilities being increased and they will maintain themselves creative synthesis. Students should know that the facts of symbolic interactionist are just fictions. However, they carry conspicuous effects of social life. In macro-sociology, Goffman observes given situation as a reality that is on an equal footing with human preference (Brown, 294). This is unlike other traditional interactionists. Additionally, Goffman uses the concept of frames to show the incomparability of situations in everyday life. These frames include elements of symbolic meaning, social roles, norms and hierarchies of power that represents participants’ behaviors. Finally, Goffman puts into considerations disruptions, ambiguities, and reparations of social routine as part of everyday life. They are called breaking frames and they cause an embarrassment in life situations. Work cited Brown, David. Goffman’s Dramaturgical Sociology: Developing a Meaningful Theoretical Context and Exercise Involving ‘ Embarrassment and social organization’. American Sociological Association, 2003, pp. 288-299

The Influence of Malcolm X on United States History Essay

There have been many people throughout United States History who have greatly influenced the nation, including Malcolm X. Malcolm X both positively and negatively affected American society. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history, while being a tremendous public speaker and human rights activist, specifically advocating for the rights of African Americans. However, numerous individuals view him as controversial figure due to the widespread portrayal of Malcolm X as a violent and racist character often considered to be the opposite of Martin Luther King, Jr. Overall, it is clear that Malcolm X is one of the most significant people in United States history because of his various positive†¦show more content†¦Essentially, the group believes in the racial superiority of blacks, a notion supported by a complex genesis fable, which includes an envious and evil white scientist who put a curse on blacks. The faith became a focus fo r Malcolm’s fury about his family’s treatment at the hands of whites (specifically the Ku Klux Klan), the lack of opportunities he had as a young black man, and the psychological damage of systematic racism (Ferran, 1992). There, in prison, he converted to the Nation of Islam (McGill, 2011). This group is commonly considered to be an extremist radical group of African Americans. In order to educate himself, Malcolm spent extensive time reading books within the prison library and even, memorizing a dictionary. Additionally, he sharpened his legal skills by participating in debate classes. Following tradition, he replaced his last name with an â€Å"X,† a custom among Nation of Islam followers who considered their familial names to have originated with white slaveholders (Mamaiya, 1). After his release from prison, Malcolm helped lead the Nation of Islam to its greatest growth and influence (Brazil and Reed, 2004). Significantly he met Elijah Muhammad in Chicago and began organizing temples for the Nation in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. He was extremely devoted and even founded the Nations newspaper, Muhammad Speaks, which he printed in his home basement (Mamaiya,Show MoreRelatedMalcolm X And Mia Mckenzie1035 Words   |  5 Pagessociety and ethics have existed in America, among these problems, many great thinkers have emerged, but two of the most influential of this century are Malcolm X and Mia McKenzie. Malcolm X was one of many civil rights leaders during the 1960’s, who alongside Martin Luther King Jr. was able to bring an end to the segregation laws of the United States. 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