Free Essay on Ecology of a Cracker Childhood

646 Words2 Pages

Free Essay on Ecology of a Cracker Childhood

By reading Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, it is safe to assume that Janisse Ray, the main character, author, is one who doesn't conform and has a stubborn nature. For instance, when Ray wants to play football with the boys in her class at recess she gets angered when they tell her no she can not play with them; so instead of accepting their reply she jumps in the game anyway and tackles the boy with the football. The boys angry with the fact that their friend, a guy, got tackled by a girl went chasing after her. Why did Ray feel the need to make a statement by taking down the boy with the football? Perhaps it was her feminist nature, driving her to show the boys that just because she was a female didn't mean that she was not able to do as they did. Whether or not it was feminism, Ray, still has the heart of a revolutionary.

Ray suspected that the boys' rejection was due to the fact that she was a girl, but her suspicions were repudiated when she saw a girl playing with them. The only difference between Janisse and the other girl was that the other girl was not wearing a dress. The Ray family's religious convictions required the females of the family to wear a dress, providing for the boys uneasiness when it came down to allowing her to play with them. Janisse, dress or not, felt capable of partaking in the sport. It is women like Ray, who will not take no for an answer, that has brought equal rights to their gender in sports, jobs and even around the house.

America was founded, and has been very successful because of people like Ray, who want to leave their backgrounds or use them to learn from them in order to better their lives in the future; the kind of people that will do anything, whether it is leaving their homeland for a foreign soil in search of a new life and freedom, or tackling the boy with the football. Things have been changed, invented, and made better by people that will not take no for an answer.

Show More
Related

  • "Rapid" Ray Lewis

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    Raymond Lewis was born on October 8, 1910 in Hamilton, Ontario. He was the youngest son of Cornelius Lewis and Emma Green. Living in that era, Lewis faced racism in many forms, such as kids his age calling him names, or teachers treating him poorly because of his skin colour. While this may have been upsetting and demotivating for most, for Ray it was actually helpful, as all the negativity just motivated him to do better and work harder. Apart from that, he was also known as “Rapid” Ray Lewis, as he could outrun anyone his age. From that moment, anyone knew that he would outshine his peers in the future.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of I Won I M Sorry

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    The want to appear vulnerable can be demonstrated, through the quote, by Sylvia Plath’s mother when she says, “It was nicer, she felt, to have a boy first”. The submissive behavior, Plath depicts, allows the reader to assume that women are naturally accepting of having a man be depicted as the better gender. This can further be seen through the use of the word “nicer” when describing how Plath felt when loosing the contest to a male, describing it almost as an honor to lose to the young man. This type of submissive behavior can further be seen in commercials such as in the Avon commercial, as Jackie Joyner Kersee states, “You don’t have to worry about the shirt coming up or the skirt being too tight. It’s cooler, and it’s so feminine”. Femininity remains a concern for female atheists, which allows the reader to obtain a sense of vulnerability. This is because female sports wear has been modified in order to sculpt the female body, making female athletes’ main concern be to appear attractive to males. The reader can then assume, that the wearing of the skirt allows the athletes to obtain a more vulnerable appearance as they appear smaller, more constricted, and elegant. This concern for femininity in term takes the viewers’ attention from the sports away and focuses it on

    Read More

  • The Suicide of Eva Smith in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    and Arthur Birling, a man who has worked his way up from being one of

    Read More

  • An Inspector Calls by J.B.Priestly Who killed Eva Smith?

    2276 Words  | 5 Pages

    had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go'. I don't see that

    Read More

  • Gender Inequality In Sport Essay

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Girls are told to stay indoors and play with their dolls or bake, while boys are encouraged to go outdoors, get dirty, and be adventurous. Wade and Ferree also state “sports are squarely on the masculine side of the gender binary” (Wade and Ferree, 174). Hence, we are brought up with the understanding that playing and talking about sports is a boy’s thing, which further promotes the notion that sports are a very masculine thing. Furthermore, as playing sports is competitive and is a way to show excellence, young boys are considered as “real boys” and “real men” later on. However, when boys do not talk about or play sports, they are considered feminine or “not real men.” The same rule applies for young girls. If young girls are too into sports, they are considered to be “too masculine.” This is true for me too. When I was younger, I was told to not play too much outdoors and to behave “like a girl.” The stigma that only boys should be allowed to play sports and it is not a feminine thing needs to be erased for us to welcome a more gender-equal

    Read More

  • Dreams of Trespass and In the Eye of the Sun

    4917 Words  | 10 Pages

    ...ionalists’ quest for women’s rights. The Mernissi women figth against a physical barrier showing solidarity toward each other, and teaching their children to stick to those of their gender. She is taught to be strong and to never depend on anyone of the opposite gender to save her, while at the same time she is taught that ultimate happiness happens with a good man, in a good relationship. The opening of the harem is gradually coming to the Mernissi household. Fatima is young enough to not be radically affected by the close doors, in great measure thanks to her mother who makes sure she is never measured any lower than anyone of the opposite gender. The effects of gender subjugation and the haremnization of women persist through out the decades even after the doors have been opened. Asya is a perfect example of seemingly open freedom but severe psychological damage.

    Read More

  • Ecology Of A Cracker Childhood Analysis

    247 Words  | 1 Pages

    In “Ecology of a Cracker Childhood” by Janisse Ray, the junkyard became the huge part of Janisse’s life. She was raised in the junkyard, which had an enormous effect on her personality. Janisse never experienced the same life like her peers did, because, unlike others her life was connected to the junkyard. At first, she was a kid and the only problem that junkyard caused to her was her peer’s negative reaction to it. But, by the time she got older, new difficulties had arisen.

    Read More

  • Masculinity In Sports

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Children learn the differences between men and women’s roles in society from a young age. It is not something that is biologically instilled; rather it is something it is taught by observing the roles each gender partakes in their respected fields. When it comes to employment, children distinguish jobs like nurses and teachers are usually for women and firefighters or presidents are for men (Jacobs 2008). This may because they see members in their family holding these positions or being taught in school that certain genders usually hold certain positions. The same is true for children and associating gender roles in sports. Men usually become basketball, football, or soccer players. Women are not the first gender children think about when it comes to being athletic in competitive sports. Boys start to understand what masculinity is because of participating in sports and do not want to be called “fag” or “sissy” (Douglas Hartman 2008). They may kick the ball around with a male family figure, like a father, who instructs and criticizes...

    Read More

  • The Social Construction of Childhood

    2204 Words  | 5 Pages

    While all societies acknowledge that children are different from adults, how they are different, changes, both generationally and across cultures. “The essence of childhood studies is that childhood is a social and cultural phenomenon” (James, 1998). Evident that there are in fact multiple childhoods, a unifying theme of childhood studies is that childhood is a social construction and aims to explore the major implications on future outcomes and adulthood. Recognizing childhood as a social construction guides exploration through themes to a better understanding of multiple childhoods, particularly differences influencing individual perception and experience of childhood. Childhood is socially constructed according to parenting style by parents’ ability to create a secure parent-child relationship, embrace love in attitudes towards the child through acceptance in a prepared environment, fostering healthy development which results in evidence based, major impacts on the experience of childhood as well as for the child’s resiliency and ability to overcome any adversity in the environment to reach positive future outcomes and succeed.

    Read More

  • Coming of Age in Alice Munro’s "Boys and Girls"

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Alice Munro’s “Boys and Girls,” there is a time line in a young girl’s life when she leaves childhood and its freedoms behind to become a woman. The story depicts hardships in which the protagonist and her younger brother, Laird, experience in order to find their own rite of passage. The main character, who is nameless, faces difficulties and implications on her way to womanhood because of gender stereotyping. Initially, she tries to prevent her initiation into womanhood by resisting her parent’s efforts to make her more “lady-like”. The story ends with the girl socially positioned and accepted as a girl, which she accepts with some unease.

    Read More

  • The Structural Perspective Of Childhood

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    When you are focusing on the structural perspective of something you are mainly examining the role they play in society and how they are looked at by society. In this instance, childhood and children are the trending topic but their image has changed over time. Childhood went from being a time that for the most part was used to prepare for adulthood to being a stage in life that is most important. Today in society children have a say so in what goes on and their lives affect the world daily. The structural perspective of childhood refers to the individual role children play in society. It looks at their personal experiences as children and their memories once adults. By looking at the role children play in society gives an outlook on how big

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Hosanna And Top Girls

    1489 Words  | 3 Pages

    They had to sacrifice their motherhood in some form or another in order to gain success in other aspects of their lives. Joan, a young girl wanted to have an education and so she ran away from home under the disguise of a boy to gain higher knowledge which was not an option for a girl in her time. Joan stated, “I dressed as a boy when I left home”… “I was only twelve. Also women weren’t/allowed in the library. We wanted to study in Athens” (8). Joan having to disguise herself as a boy, showed that women were not allowed to have an education; they had limited opportunities. However, under the disguise as a male, Joan was given the opportunity to be a pope, a role generally reserve for a man. Nevertheless, it was discovered that she was a female when she gave birth in public and hence, she was stoned to death. Even other women who did not have to choose between motherhood and career, were unable to get promoted even if they were more qualified than men. This is due to the gender gap and the historical male domination. Louise, who came for a job interview at Marlene’s employment agency stated, “Nobody notices me, I don’t expect it, I don’t attract attention by making mistakes, everybody takes it for granted that my work is perfect” (52). This illustrates that even though the feminist movement had made significant advances in gender equality, there are still limitations in inequality concerning

    Read More

  • Childhood Play And Development Essay

    1526 Words  | 4 Pages

    Childhood play is an important part of every child’s development. This behavior starts in infancy, they begin to explore their world through play. Play behavior serves as an indicator of the child’s cognitive and social development. Research on play and development is essential to helping caregivers understand the importance of childhood play. I will be focusing on the psychological aspects of childhood play behavior and its relation to cognitive development.

    Read More

  • The Weimar Republic

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic was created in Germany in 1918 as a result of widespread socialist unrest. A liberal constitution was drawn up in 1919. There was extensive instability in Germany around this time. The Weimar government had trouble pleasing right and left wing parties because, at this time, Germany was very polarised politically. Hitler dissolved the republic in 1933.

    Read More

  • Early Childhood Essay

    1345 Words  | 3 Pages

    The preschooler child displays a variety of physical, cognitive, and social abilities that are quite unlike any other age group. To understand this development fully one must first understand how humans come into being. All human life begins with the single interaction of sperm and ovum. This simple collision springs forth new life. One cell becomes two, two cells become four, and so on throughout the organism’s life span. The human life experience is broken down into nine periods of development. These include: the Prenatal Period ranging from conception to birth, Infancy and Toddlerhood ranging from birth to three years, Early Childhood or Preschool ranging from three to six years, Middle Childhood ranging from six to 12 years, Adolescence

    Read More

More about Free Essay on Ecology of a Cracker Childhood

Open Document