Harriett Tubman and The Neurologist

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“Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People” was written by Langston Hughes is about the life of Harriet Tubman. This story is an account of a former slave and how Tubman delivered slaves into freedom (The EMC Masterpiece Series [EMC], 2005, p. 388-392). Oliver Sacks wrote the story “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.” The neurologist tells the story to describe how Dr. P, a professor of music, coped with a neurological ailment (EMC, 2005, p. 406-414). These two characters both faced tribulations. These problems were of a similar sort wherein they had to overcome adversities. They approached their conflicts the same way; however, they solved their problems differently. Harriet Tubman and the neurologist find themselves on a journey that leads them on a path against the norm of society. Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave from Maryland, had many obstacles to overcome. She was born as Araminta Ross but when she married her free husband, she took his name of Tubman and later changed her first name to Harriet after her mother. Harriet never liked being a slave and when she and her two brothers were rumored to be sold, they decided to runaway. During the course of their escape, the brothers became scared and returned. Tubman found her way to Philadelphia. Although she escaped so that she would not be separated from her family, she could not see her family after her escape. Harriet had to find ways to disguise herself in order to see her family. Since she learned how to travel without being discovered, she soon helped other slaves escape. In earlier times, people of color, others that were not whole or lacked brain functions were looked down upon by society. Although the neurologist faced a different problem, he was still ... ... middle of paper ... ...gist continues to examine Dr. P even though society would classify P as an invalid that should be placed in an institution and forgotten. Harriet Tubman continues to put her life on the line to save others from slavery. For Harriet, society viewed her as worthless; however, she believed in God and in herself. Works Cited About (2011). Harriet Tubman. Retrieved from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blharriettubman.htm Rahmawati, Y. (2009, February 27). Critical analysis of “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” By: Oliver Sacks [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://pendidikansains.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/critical-analysis-of-%E2%80%9Cthe-man-who-mistook-his-wife-for-a-hat%E2%80%9D-byoliver-sacks/ The EMC Masterpiece Series. (2005). Literature and the language arts: Understanding literature (2nd ed.). St. Paul, MN: EMC: Paradigm Publishing.

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