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The importance of American literature
The importance of American literature
Effects of racial discrimination in education
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In American society, receiving an education leads to higher probabilities of achieving economic success and social acceptance. While many believe that education consists of strictly academic learning, they forget that people must also learn morals. American literature repeatedly expresses this idea. For example, in Huck Finn, a young, uneducated boy learns to thrive in the world around him by receiving a moral education as he learns life lessons through his interactions with other people and experiences. In A Lesson Before Dying, Gaines utilizes various story elements and literary devices to illustrate the importance of not only academic education, but also moral and social education to allow different people to contribute knowledge about life …show more content…
and its values to one another through their interactions. Grant’s race prevents him from achieving higher levels of social and economic status, despite his superior academic education.
An example of the limitations placed on Grant by his society includes his occupation as teacher being the highest-level job he can get with his level of academic schooling. He says, “I had told her I was no teacher, I hated teaching, and I was just running in place here” (Gaines 15). In this community, Grant feels he cannot make a difference as he continues to teach children who are also prevented from using their education to rise up in society. By using the metaphor of running in place, Gaines explains how Grant feels trapped, and as he tries to use his academic education to advance in life, he is unable to do so because of the limitations of his society. As a result, Grant’s education acts as more of a burden to him than a helpful tool. Another example of this occurs when Grant speaks to white men. In this situation, Grant plans his actions, thinking, “To show too much intelligence would have been an insult to them. To show a lack of intelligence would have been a greater insult to me” (47). The parallel sentence structure used here greater emphasizes the predicament Grant constantly has to deal with in his society. Consistently, Grant feels the need to hide his education, the very thing that makes him feel special and important. Because of this, Grant’s academic education seems cumbersome to him and does not contribute to his individual growth …show more content…
in his society. Education receives an entirely new meaning when Tante Lou and Miss Emma ask Grant to teach Jefferson moral lessons.
Though Grant knows much academically, he does not know the important values of life, including how to be a man. “Do I know what a man is? Do I know how a man is supposed to die? I’m still trying to find out how a man should live” (31). Grant realizes for the first time in a long time that he does not understand something and must learn it. By his use of parallel structure, Gaines stresses Grant’s new realization of his lack of knowledge about manhood as well as his dilemma for passing that absent knowledge on to Jefferson. Grant, in the end, teaches Jefferson about manhood and morality, including exemplifying a hero by being brave and “do[ing] anything for people he loves, because he knows it would make their lives better” (191). Grant’s academic education contributes little towards helping Jefferson become a man. Therefore, Gaines utilizes the story elements of Grant’s task to educate Jefferson morally in order to show the significance of understanding life values in addition to
academics. Gaines also portrays the importance of social education by using the interactions between Grant and Jefferson to show how both teacher and student can learn from one another in a symbiotic relationship. Grant successfully teaches Jefferson the values of friendship and bravery after being asked to make him into a man before his execution. When Jefferson was the strongest man in the room and said the final words, “Tell Nannan I walked” before his execution (254), his actions directly reflect the lessons Grant teaches Jefferson about pleasing Miss Emma, being a hero, and standing strong to disprove white superiority. In addition to Jefferson’s newfound manhood, Grant also learns from his interactions with Jefferson. Soon after Grant tells Jefferson to stand up to white men to disprove the myth of white superiority, Grant realizes that he has not had the courage to do that very thing himself. This realization becomes apparent soon afterwards when Grant gets into a fight with two mulatto men who were talking about Jefferson because of their “prejudiced attitude” toward blacks (198). Therefore, as Grant teaches Jefferson moral lessons, which he did not know prior to this relationship, he also teaches himself what it means to be a man, and the relationship between the two contributes new knowledge into the lives of both men. Education, though popularly recognized as academic schooling, can expand to include the need for people to obtain a rudimentary knowledge of morals, and this can only be taught through experience and interaction with other people. Grant and Jefferson learn lessons about manhood, friendship, and bravery through their relationship. Through his use of literary devices, such as metaphors and parallel structure, as well as story elements, Gaines emphasizes the importance of moral and social education, in addition to academic schooling, in order for one to truly thrive in a community and excel in life.
Clive Barker, the author of The Thief of Always, writes a fantasy about Harvey(the main character) taken into into a place full of illusions. Soon he finds out that there was this horrible Hood that had taken his precious time and almost has eaten his soul. So, Harvey then tries to destroy this evil Hood who ends up to be the oh so perfect house. Hood is evil and different ways he is evil. There are many things that makes someone or something truly evil. Hood is ultimately evil. These are the things that make him who or what he is. Evil is significant to most stories because that is the major conflict. The antagonist, Hood, does a really good job of being the bad guy. Usually it’s a person who is has some kind of kindness inside,
Twain makes the reader look at society in a different lens. When reading Huckleberry Finn the reader is transported back in time to America during the 1840s. The reader meets Huck and Jim, two unlikely friends who are both in bondage with society. Olsen says that literature shapes the way people view the world by exploring different viewpoints. These viewpoints include society’s view about slavery at the time, and Hucks changing view about Jim even though he is a slave. High school students are mature enough to think about the points Twain is trying to make about racism and society through his themes and satire. Simmons states in his article that, “It seems fairly obvious to me that as students mature, they benefit by thinking critically about literary texts.” DelFattore says in her article, “Being required to confront difficult, embarrassing, and controversial matters and learn how to deal with them does not constitute a hostile learning environment. It constitutes an education” (DelFattore). Through reading Huckleberry Finn students begin to develop and question society and the prejudices that still exist. Students need to be given the opportunity to read this book and think about it critically so that they can learn to address important issues and how to work through
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain includes characters that have varying views on the importance of education. Both Huck and Jim seem to value learning through experience, rather than learning from books and school. Also Jim cannot read or write so that inhibits Jim from going to school. Jim is a slave which means he is not allowed to get an education. Tom also enjoys learning from experience rather than books, but he reads more than Huck and it seems that he sometimes values learning from books rather than learning from experience.
When one is young they must learn from their parents how to behave. A child's parents impose society's unspoken rules in hope that one day their child will inuitivly decerne wrong from right and make decisions based on their own judgment. These moral and ethical decisions will affect one for their entire life. In Mark Twains, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is faced with the decision of choosing to regard all he has been taught to save a friend, or listen and obey the morals that he has been raised with. In making his decision he is able to look at the situation maturely and grow to understand the moral imbalances society has. Hucks' decisions show his integrity and strength as a person to choose what his heart tells him to do, over his head.
It is undeniable that human struggle is relative. It is relative to one’s background, life experiences, and strength- and at some point everyone is faced with an obstacle that they feel incapable of overcoming. In Surviving Hell written by Leo Thorsness, the author is captured after a mid-flight ejection in the Vietnam War. He spent years undergoing torture and solitary confinement, not knowing if he would make it out alive. Physically shattered, his spirits remained strong. Several events take place throughout the novel that ultimately kept Leo afloat. The significance of the church service, walking home, and Mike’s flag lies outside of their surface meaning, but in the mental battles won that propelled Leo and the other soldiers to do more
Most people think that education only happens in a school, but there are other ways to be educated. The adventures of huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, illustrates lessons learned by a young boy, Huck Finn. Huck has met many people on his travels and many of them taught him at least one thing he could use in his life; Huck’s most important educators are Pap, Tom, and Jim; these men have taught him more than anyone else. First off jim, a slave at first but after his owner died she set him free
Thomas Paine once said “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Conflict is an obstacle that many characters in books go through. It is what drives the reader to continue reading and make the book enjoyable. Additionally, authors use symbolism to connect their novels to real life, personal experience, or even a life lesson. In “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines, both take place during a time where colored people were being looked down upon and not treated with the same rights as white people. However, both novels portray the conflict and symbolism many ways that are similar and different. Additionally, both of these novels have many similarities and differences that connect as well as differentiate them to one
“As I Lay Dying, read as the dramatic confrontation of words and actions, presents Faulkner’s allegory of the limits of talent” (Jacobi). William Faulkner uses many different themes that make this novel a great book. Faulkner shows his talent by uses different scenarios, which makes the book not only comedic but informational on the human mind. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner is a great book that illustrates great themes and examples. Faulkner illustrates different character and theme dynamics throughout the entire novel, which makes the book a humorous yet emotional roller coaster. Faulkner illustrates the sense of identity, alienation, and the results of physical and mental death to show what he thinks of the human mind.
After he went and obtained a college degree, Grant Wiggins goes back to live with his grandmother. Being that he is a very educated person, Grant was elected by his grandmother to try and get Jefferson to realize that he was a man and not an animal like the white people had led him to believe. Throughout the entire novel, Grant is battling this idea in his head because he doesn’t feel that even he knows what it is to be a man. He doesn’t believe that he is the right person to talk to Jefferson. But by the end of the novel, he figures out what it is to be a man.
Grant's task is to affirm that Jefferson is not a hog, but a man. The mission is doubly difficult because Grant isn't sure he knows what a man is. Besides not knowing what a man is, Grant doesn’t feel that he, a well educated man, should have to go and make Jefferson believe that he is not a hog; which shows the amount of arrogance Grant has about himself. Eve...
In addition, childhood has been described by the author, as an important factor in the theme of moral education: only a child is open-minded enough to undergo the kind of development that Huck does." It was a close place. I took...up [the letter I'd written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I know it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: "All right then, I'll go to hell"--Em dash intended here? and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming..."It, describes the moral climax of the novel. Jim has been sold by the Duke and Dauphin, and is being held by the Phelpses spending his return to his rightful owner.
Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through much criticism and denunciation has become a well-respected novel. Through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy, Huckleberry Finn, Twain illustrates the controversy of racism and slavery during the aftermath of the Civil War. Since Huck is an adolescent, he is vulnerable and greatly influenced by the adults he meets during his coming of age. His expedition down the Mississippi steers him into the lives of a diverse group of inhabitants who have conflicting morals. Though he lacks valid morals, Huck demonstrates the potential of humanity as a pensive, sensitive individual rather than conforming to a repressive society. In these modes, the novel places Jim and Huck on pedestals where their views on morality, learning, and society are compared.
In The Way to Rainy Mountain, the author Scott Momaday uses the theme of a journey to drive this story. He begins his journey after the passing of his grandmother, the journey to reconnect and rediscover his own culture. He shares this moment on page 10, “I remember her most often in prayer. She made long, rambling prayers out of suffering and hope, having seen many things…the last time I saw her she prayed standing by the side of her bed at night, naked to the waist, the light of a kerosene lamp moving upon her dark skin…I do not speak Kiowa, and I never understood her prayers, but there was something inherently sad in the sound, some merest hesitation upon the syllables of sorrow”. The passing brought a realization upon him to have to keep the culture going. He can barely speak Kiowa, while his grandmother was one of the few members who were completely fluent. I believe this book is a call out to his tribe to take the same journey Momaday took.
Grant Wiggins is a highly intelligent person. He is the person who helped Jefferson in becoming a man even though he thought it was hopeless. The first example is when Grant visited Jefferson; he put on a hog act which discourages Grant in helping him. Grant still kept going even though he did not want to. He made his first breakthrough to Jefferson. Grant was a happy that he went through to him. The second example is when he decided to spend 20 dollars on a radio for Jefferson. He borrowed money for Jefferson’s radio even though he could not even pay for his own food. He did this because he felt that if he did not get something, Jefferson will assume that he gave up on him. The last example of Grant is that he decided to buy a pen and a notepad for Jefferson. Consequently, Grant made Miss Emma, his aunt, and the minister wait for him but he did not want to give up on Jefferson because he knew if he gives up now, Jefferson will never become a true man.
Death can both be a painful and serious topic, but in the hands of the right poet it can be so natural and eloquently put together. This is the case in The Sleeper by Edgar Allan Poe, as tackles the topic of death in an uncanny way. This poem is important, because it may be about the poet’s feelings towards his mother’s death, as well as a person who is coming to terms with a loved ones passing. In the poem, Poe presents a speaker who uses various literary devices such as couplet, end-stopped line, alliteration, image, consonance, and apostrophe to dramatize coming to terms with the death of a loved one.