More handpicked essays just for you.
Racial discrimination during the 1920s
Racial discrimination during the 1920s
Racial discrimination during the 1920s
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Little Boy Who Was Not Poor, Just Broke Imagine that you were on the streets and no one was willing to help you. The story of “Not Poor, Just Broke” written by Dick Gregory. Tells a story about a little boy, named Dick Gregory, who lived in the city slums of New York in the 1930s. There are several reasons that cause his hardships and his views of the world The reasons were he does not have a dad to help his mom, his envionment, and his background of being an African American. Gregory’s point of view from the world is simply from the area where he grew up in. He knew as a kid that he did not know the difference between being poor and broke. In the beginning of the story, the idea of not having a father plays a role throughout the story. Many of the kids would have a father who taught them, obedience them, and just help out his wife who is working all time. The idea of a single parent is difficult Dick’s mom has to take care of her kids and maintain her job as a maid for her boss (the white man). Without a husband, she could not do anything but leave leftovers for unwanted guest such as rats that can eat her children alive and a telephone to call them. As said a social worker began the search of the house and his mom prayed they would not be caught by having a …show more content…
telephone. They were welfare folks and they were not allowed to have a telephone at the time. A dad would take time and help the mother to look after Gregory. The second thing was money a huge embarrassment in his life knowing he did not have a father his mom would not be making a lot to suppport them all.
In the passage when the school teacher talked about the Community Chest. The teacher simply ignored him. It was when Gregory raised his hand and stammered out “My Daddy said he’d give … fifteen dollars.” (Gregory390). It was then the teacher who responded “We are collecting this money for you and your kind, Richard Gregory. If your Daddy can give fifteen dollars you have no business being on relief.” page 390, paragraph 4, and line 21–25). He then left the classroom knowing he was called out and was full of shame and never came back to school ever
again. Finally, his background of being an African American an example is the sit assigned to him in school. He stated “It was on Thursday. I was sitting in the back of the room, in a seat with a chalkcircle drawn around it. The idiot’s seat, the troublemaker’s seat. The teacher thought I was stupid.Couldn’t spell, couldn’t read, couldn’t do arithmetic. Just Stupid.” (page. 389, paragraph 4, line 1-7). So here we can see he easily discriminated cause of his color and social status in the pyramid.The teacher had never thought he could not function because he did not have enough to eat and would not give him a chance to learn. All the teachers and others would do nothing and never thought of him as a boy or human for once in his life. He has been distinguished already every time he would walk up and down the street wearing the brown and orange and white plaid mackinaw with a hood. So people will think of him like a poor welfare boy. He tried throwing it away but his mother would hurt him simply because he felt tired of being a welfare one. because he felt tired of being a welfare one and he should be thankful for everything. These three results caused Gregory poverty state and changed his understanding that he does need to grow up
In the ridged and shocking book that follows the lives of impoverished African American children, There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz accurately displays what life can be like for those who are not as fortunate as some. The story is set in the inner city of Chicago in and around 1987, and pivots around drug violence and the nightmare that is living in the Henry Horner housing project. Lafayette and Pharoah Rivers, two brothers who were born into the life of poverty, are followed throughout this true story. The two live with their mother, LaJoe, and their six siblings while some come and go, between jail and other places. Their father, Paul, is seldom around due to his alcoholism and drug addiction.
Tobias Wolff’s “The Rich Brother” is a story of two brothers, Donald and Pete. These brothers have very contrasting lifestyles; Pete is a successful businessman with a wife and kids. Donald, on the other hand, is an outcast. He’s unemployed and irresponsible. He lives his life as a vagabond. Despite these facts, the successful brother, Pete, still lacks the self-esteem he desperately craves. Therefore he tries to make his brother, Donald, feel foolish with every chance he gets.
With a large family such as the Stanleys, financially supporting everyone in the family is difficult with a stable economy, let alone during a period of struggle (Frontline Video, 2013). During this time, the middle class was in poverty, meaning people in poverty originally, are far financially worse (Frontline Video, 2013). The father, Claude, was a pastor (Frontline Video, 2013). The mother, Jacki, made efforts to find work (Frontline Video, 2013). She spent most of her time helping her husband run the church (Frontline Video, 2013).
Shipler, David K. The Working Poor: Invisible in America (Vintage). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition, 2008.
Greg values his independence over conforming to what others want him to be, although he feels a tremendous amount of pressure from his family. When Greg asks Sharlene, “Do you think I’m nothing? Do you think you’re nothing?” he demonstrates that he does not want to be what society deems as successful. He does not want a job like a doctor or lawyer, but instead, wants to stand up for a cause he believes in and do what he thinks is right. In a way, it is ironic that Greg is going to school to become a lawyer, yet he protests against the government. Protesting is a way Greg shows his independence to his father, it is a way that he knows he is in control and he can advocate for a something he believes in, instead of doing what he is told. Greg’s confidence suffers after being yelled at by his father for deciding to drop out of university. “Is that all my family can ever do? Point out what’s wrong with me?” Greg says to Sharlene as she follows him out of the house, which shows how he feels that his entire family is against him, but despite the fact that he does not do what his father wants he still leaves the house positive. Giving up on his dreams and going back to school are not options for Greg, so he does not waver in his beliefs and does not allow anyone to push him
George Saunders, a writer with a particular inclination in modern America, carefully depicts the newly-emerged working class of America and its poor living condition in his literary works. By blending fact with fiction, Saunders intentionally chooses to expose the working class’s hardship, which greatly caused by poverty and illiteracy, through a satirical approach to criticize realistic contemporary situations. In his short story “Sea Oak,” the narrator Thomas who works at a strip club and his elder aunt Bernie who works at Drugtown for minimum are the only two contributors to their impoverished family. Thus, this family of six, including two babies, is only capable to afford a ragged house at Sea Oak,
In the novel Poor People, written by William T. Vollmann asks random individuals if they believe they are poor and why some people are poor and others rich. With the help of native guides and translators, and in some cases their family members, they describe what they feel. He depicts people residing in poverty with individual interviews from all over earth. Vollmann’s story narrates their own individual lives, the situations that surround them, and their personal responses to his questions. The responses to his questions range from religious beliefs that the individual who is poor is paying for their past sins from a previous life and to the rational answer that they cannot work. The way these individuals live their life while being in poverty
The tenement was the biggest hindrance to achieving the American myth of rags to riches. It becomes impossible for one to rise up in the social structure when it can be considered a miracle to live passed the age of five. Children under the age of five living in tenements had a death rate of 139.83 compared to the city’s overall death rate of 26.67. Even if one did live past the age of five it was highly probable he’d become a criminal, since virtually all of them originate from the tenements. They are forced to steal and murder, they’ll do anything to survive, Riis appropriately calls it the “survival of the unfittest”. (Pg.
Lareau’s main argument in the text is that when children grow up in certain environments, parents are more likely to use specific methods of child rearing that may be different from other families in different social classes. In the text, Lareau describes how she went into the home of the McAllisters and the Williams, two black families leading completely different lives. Ms. McAllister lives in a low income apartment complex where she takes care of her two children as well as other nieces and nephews. Ms. McAllister never married the father of her two children and she relies on public assistance for income. She considers herself to be a woman highly capable of caring for all the children yet she still struggles to deal with the stress of everyday financial issues. The Williams on the other hand live in a wealthier neighborhood and only have one child. Mr. W...
Charity handouts did not necessarily help feed a poor family, but aimed to “... produce most beneficial results to [the] community” (Shi 60). This meant that the wealthy didn’t directly give citizens money, but built free public utilities. Among these free services were libraries and and centers for scientific research. Without a doubt, these buildings do not help put food on the table. They do, however, create a sense of hope for educational and social improvement for the working class.
Hughes's "On the Road" explores what happens when a powerless individual takes action on behalf of his conditions. The short story illustrates the desperation and consequent violent actions of one man's homeless plight on a snowy winter evening. "He stopped and stood on the sidewalk hunched over- hungry, sleepy, and cold- looking up and down." (Hughes 90) Here, Sargeant is without the basic necessities of life- shelter and food. Sargeant, hopeless and starving, wanders the lonesome streets and happens upon a church. However, the reverend of the church denies Sargeant access. Mullen explains further- "And in "On the Road" an unemployed black man, given a quick brush-off by a high-toned preacher, breaks into a church" (81) When the Reverend refuses to house him, Sargeant's desperation and powerlessness leads him to commit a rash action- tear down the church door to a street of on-lookers. Shortly after, Police come to take Sargeant away and put him behind bars, where he reminisces on his actions. Had Sargeant simply had the basic means of survival, food and shelter, he would not have had done out of desperation. In other words, Sageant's lack of security- food, shelter, and warmth, lead him to take violent actions in attempt to obtain it.
If your Daddy can give fifteen dollars you have no business on relief” (Gregory 638). This quote expresses the shame that Gregory feels because he is poor especially since because his teacher is embarrassing him in front of his classmates. There is no doubt that he was being singled out and that no other student had experienced similar treatment from the teacher. She yelled at him because she was impatient and angry with him. It is also suggested by this time that she had completely given up on trying to teach Gregory anything because of his behavioral problems. It is not implied that Gregory’s teacher tried to encourage or help him. Gregory never referred to his teacher as his favorite which is quite the opposite to that of Wilkins. Gregory wanted to get away from her. “I waked out that day and for a long time I didn’t go back very often” (Gregory 638). Gregory was so embarrassed by what his teacher had said to him in front of his classmates, and most importantly to Helen, as a result he did not want to go back to school because there was shame
The book is set in the time of the depression. There was no work, no
Working for a dollar a day as a water boy, Richard always wants to be a writer and writes short story called “The Voodoo of Hell’s Half-Acre” while in eighth grade. Stubborn Richard refuses a speech that principal wrote for him to give at graduation. Instead, he gives his own and feels support by some people. Working at the clothing store, he witnesses whites beating on a black woman for not paying her bills. Being called “nigger” he tries to understand how to act and get out of white people’s way. He could not show his hate towards white people because he was afraid they would kill him. Whites have him quit another job and then he decides to get out of South. Richard constantly switches jobs because of racism or where he does not get paid enough for him to move north; he starts stealing. In November of 1925, Richard moves to Memphis and every day he wants independence more than ever. He finds an interesting book that opens his life to a whole new life and
By handing out money to a beggar, you are “only saving yourself from annoyance…” (Pg. 15) Carnegie states that nobody improves by almsgiving for you will only aid the person’s addiction. As an advocate of Social Darwinism, Carnegie believed in competitive natures within his workers. He believed in a definite separation of classes and it was not only needed, but also