The lyrics from the song, “Carry On” By Fun, can be used to help Evan, from the non-fiction novel, who will tell my brother? by Marlene Carvell deal with the pain in his life. The song lyrics would have helped Evan along his journey of trying to change the mascot and during the saddest parts of his life if Evan had listened to the song.
Evan Hill was a senior in high school whose father was Native American. It was during a pep rally that Evan saw the disrespect and ignorance of the Native American culture, and his heritage, and decided to start a campaign against the mascot. The mascot was offensive to Evan because the mascot was portrayed as a savage and a monster, scalping people with a cardboard hatchet in the crowd. Evan had been offended because the way that the mascot was
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portrayed showed the ignorance of Evan’s culture. His choice to change the mascot and his connection with his Native American background caused isolation and violence at school towards Evan. “I walk down the hall feeling pressure build inside me as my smear-splattered locker comes into view. A glob of ugly spit splattered eye level confronts me full-face, oozing slowly downward. Do I tell? Do I tell? Who will listen?” (Carvell 103). Evan had gotten to school and saw that his locker had been spit on. Although he had not shown a reaction on the outside, he had felt alone, and confused on the inside. Out of the crowd that had gathered to witness Evan’s reaction, nobody stepped forward to defend Evan or help him clean the mess off his locker. His friends had not defended him against Martin Bent and Silas McAllister the school bullies. He did not know who would care or who he could even trust who would listen. Evan had brought the subject to the school board and the Principal multiple times. They had completely disrespected Evan when he had tried to discuss the matter. The lyrics, “If you’re lost and alone or you’re sinking like a stone carry on” (“Carry On” 14-16). would have helped Evan when he had saw his locker. The song could have helped Evan realize that, even though no one was stepping forward to help or defend him, he would have to keep going and pushing on through the low parts of his journey to change his school mascot. Evan’s choice to change his mascot had changed how he was treated at school and his peer’s attitudes towards him. His friends had said that trying to change the school’s mascot was a lost cause and he would have no support. Evan had no support to help him face his new challenge or to support him or guide him when he was feeling lost. The song “Carry On” by Fun would have shown Evan that even through the hardest parts of his journey, he should keep pursuing his choice to change the mascot and not to give up because of other people’s reactions to his decision. It would have shown Evan that the hardest parts of his journey would be the parts that he remembers most. When Evan looks back on his journey, he’s going to remember the parts when he felt most lost, afraid and alone. Evan’s journey that he had made alone without the support of friends often feeling, sad, alone, and lost, would have been inspired by the song “Carry On” by Fun. The lyrics “So I met up with some friends at the edge of the night at a bar off 75 and we talked and talked” (“Carry On” 21-24). would have helped Evan deal with the pain in his life because it means that when you have hard times in your life, friends and trusted people will be there to talk to and to listen. Evan had often felt lost because his friends had not supported him in his decision to change the Indian mascot. “You gotta be kidding, Samuel Patterson responds in disbelief, tapping the ends of his fingers on the keyboard before him, avoiding contact with my eyes.
Why would we want to do that?” (Carvell 32). When Evan had brought up the subject of changing his mascot to the kids on the newspaper publishing team, his friends, he was immediately shot down. They did not understand why after Evan’s brother, Jacob, had tried to change the mascot while he was in school, and had failed, why Evan would want to try again. “Your brother tried and failed, he says, “and though you thing the time is right to change the mascot we’ve had for years, are you prepared for what you know, for what I know, for what everyone here knows will occur?” (Carvell 33). His friends had shot him down and had discouraged him against changing the mascot from an Indian. But as the song “Carry On” by Fun says, “Carry on” (“Carry On” 16). If Evan had heard the song “Carry On” by Fun then the times that he felt and was alone, with nobody at school publicly supporting him, it would have helped Evan work through the hard times and the pain that he felt. The song “Carry On” by Fun would have inspired Evan to keep standing up for what he
thought was right and to keep working despite the reactions from his friends. Evan also had trouble knowing who he truly was. He did not know where he belonged in school because he was Native American and had long dark hair. He did not know who he was at home because he did not resemble his father or his brother who both looked Native American. Evan did not know where he belonged he had felt alone and lost because he felt he did not belong with his family whom he did not resemble, and he did not know who he trusted at school. He had not known where he truly belonged. “We are shining stars we are who we are on our darkest day when we’re miles away so we’ll com we will find our way home” (“Carry On” 50-56). If Evan had heard those lyrics, he would have known that even when he was feeling lost not knowing where he belonged, he would know that there was a place where he belonged. “But I know I have made a difference. And I know I am no longer alone” (“Carry On” Fun). The lyrics in the song “Carry On” by Fun would have helped Evan Hill deal with the feelings on loneliness and sadness during his journey to change the mascot from an Indian. The song lyrics would have shown Evan that there are brighter times ahead, and that he is special and that he belongs. The song lyrics would have helped Evan get rid of the emotional pain that was inflicted upon him during his fight to change the school mascot.
In a generation focused on social justice and the elimination of prejudice from our society, there is still a use of offensive language and terminology in the area of professional sports. In “The Indian Wars” by S. L. Price, Price attempts to make the reader aware of sports teams that use derogatory terms as their team name and their mascot. He does this by highlighting football, and trying to determine whether Native-Americans are offended by team names in sports, or more specifically, the Redskins. Price’s essay is ineffective because although he raises good points, he doesn’t help the reader to form an opinion by adding historical context to the derogatory names used. He also uses inaccurate poll results to make assumptions about the feelings
“Sonny’s Blues” is a short story in which James Baldwin, the author, presents an existential world where suffering characterizes a man’s basic state. The theme of tragedy and suffering can be transformed into a communal art form, such as blues music. Blues music serves as a catalyst for change because the narrator starts to understand not only the music but also himself and his relationship with Sonny. The narrator’s view of his brother begins to change; he understands that Sonny uses music as an outlet for his suffering and pain. This story illustrates a wide critical examination.
In the story, Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses music, jazz, and hymns to shape the story and show how it shapes Sonny’s life and how music is inherent to his survival. All of this is seen through the older brother’s eyes; the older brother is the narrator and the reader begins to understand Sonny through the older brother’s perspective. Baldwin writes the story like a jazz song to make a story out of his father’s past and his brother’s career choice and puts them together, going back and forth, until it creates a blending of histories and lives. He shows how the father’s past is similar to the narrator’s life; the older brother has conflicts with his younger brother, Sonny. Music heals the relationship.
Cultural stereotypes have always existed and while they may have been acceptable to society in the past, that does not compel us to accept them in today’s society. One such stereotype which is used is that of Native American names and imagery for sports teams and in particular The Washington Redskins of the National Football league. While for many people, this is an argument that has just recently arisen, in actuality, the debate over the use of native names and images has been an ongoing issue for over 50 years. The subject of the Washington Redskins name has been debated across politics, media, academia, religious backgrounds and in the public square for many years.
...ers' evolution from mother and student into a leading voice against the merchandising of Native American sacred symbols -- and shows the lengths to which fans will go to preserve their mascots." In keeping all the Native American Mascots in schools, colleges, and professional sports teams we are showing a lack of respect. The Native Americans have voiced the lack of honor these names are bringing to them. "The fact that history has ignored the incredible pain we have inflicted on Native Americans does not now give us the right to ignore their largely muted call." Americans need to take a step back think about how they would feel if there ritual and or sacred tradition was misused. "We feel that we are being put in a position of sacrificing our dignity and pride and will never be treated as equals in white society as long as the use of Indian symbols continues."
Issue of whether to keep Mascots in schools or not, started in late 1970’s and from then this debate is going on. Most of the schools have Indian Mascots in place for half a century and suddenly it become problem to use Indian Mascots. Over 500 Native American organizations also announced their support for the removal of those mascots and over 1200 schools across the United States have changed the name of their sports teams and some school refused to play with those schools using Indian mascots. But some school still think that using mascots are just paying homage to the Native peoples and it’s just another group claiming to be offended. Sports teams used those mascots to promote their team’s athletic powers, like wolf, lion and eagle etc. How portrait of an Indain wearing hat with feather or headdress can be offensive or racist? One thing which never be done up to now that is to view our history from Native eyes. First of all, learn about their culture and their living style from their new perspective not the one which is given in our history books. From last hundred years we taught our generations that this is our country and we had a very long war with Indians which won. We also tell different kind of stories like burning of Fort Pequot Indians because they had trade relationship with British company. Can stories like this possibly be related to mascot issue? Using mascots are really a problem or just a political incorrectness.
The author Justin Angle says how in a study the mascots and names were shown to people unfamiliar with Native American culture and the sport teams, in the end of the study most of the participants viewed Native American’s as “war like”, which can carry negative consequences in the real world affecting the views of some future employers, creating a view that though Native American’s can be seen as strong and bold they can also have been perceived as violent and irrational. The uses of Redskins also create the belief that it is culturally appropriate for the constant use of Native American culture this has led to thousands of schools and sports teams to have questionable mascots and names. Such as the Savages from Salmon High school and the baseball team the “Indians” whose mascot was a hooked nose red skinned Indian with bucked teeth. Comparing this to the now frowned upon depiction of African American as black red lipped stereotyped popular in the 1920s advertisements does it not show similarities in a cultures becoming a caricature. While one is view as racist the other is view and honorable due to it representing one of the greatest passtimes in America,
In our current generation, the year 2016, one may think racism would be diminished but it has yet to be acknowledged. Most people would have thought discrimination ended with the time of slavery, but it continues to exist in indirect ways. When people think Native Americans, they think about how they were the true Americans and how they aided Columbus’s settlement into the Early Americas. Native Americans experience discrimination to this day, yet nothing has been said about the Indian’s existence and rights. In Kimberly Roppolo’s essay, “Symbolism, Racism, History, and Reality: The Real Problem with Indian Mascots,” constructs the reason and gives us an idea on why this type of racism still exists and why people continue to unknowingly discriminate
Aside from professional sports teams having offensive names, high school and college teams also have offensive names. In Greenly, Colorado at the University of Northern Colorado, their mascot is the Fightin’ Reds. Of course, this name sounds very racists, depicting Native Americans in a very harsh manner. Students on the basketball team renamed their team, The Fightin’ Whites. They were trying to depict the 1950’s style of the average American male. Their slogan for their team is “Every thang’s going to be all white.” By making this new mascot and new slogan, the basketball team was trying to get their city council to talk about the insensitive team mascots that their school, along with thousands of other schools have. In Eaton, Colorado the people who live there are amazed by all the madness that is going on about the school’s mascot. They are perfectly happy with the mascot, and to them it seems like it would be breaking tradition if someone were to change their mascot. Even though there are many people who hate the school’s mascot and vote for it to be changed, there are also some people who love it and do not want to be changed. Some people think it is a honor for a school’s mascot to be named after their culture. But the number of people for the mascots do not even compare to the number of people opposed to the mascots. (Cart, A12)
The narrator hesitates to start but goes to support his brother; while at the club Sonny introduces his brother to a few his band members like, Creole, the band leader. Once they began to perform, Sonny was a little shaky, but eventually adjusted just fine. At this moment the narrator finally saw Sonny doing what he loves, it made him look at his brother and his passion differently; the way Sonny and his band played almost brought his brother to tears. “Yet, there was no battle in his face now, I heard what he had gone through, and would continue to go through until he came to rest in earth… I saw my mother’s face again… I say the moonlit road where my father’s brother died… I saw my little girl again and felt Isabel’s tears again, and I felt my own tears begin to rise”
The story chronicles situations that illustrate the common stereotypes about Natives. Through Jackson’s humble personality, the reader can grasp his true feelings towards White people, which is based off of the oppression of Native Americans. I need to win it back myself” (14). Jackson also mentions to the cop, “I’m on a mission here. I want to be a hero” (24).
For example, in the local school, stereotypes such as the image of the ‘wild man’ are consolidated by claiming that there was cannibalism among the indigenous people of the northwest coast (Soper-Jones 2009, 20; Robinson 2010, 68f.). Moreover, native people are still considered to be second-class citizens, which is pointed out by Lisamarie’s aunt Trudy, when she has been harassed by some white guys in a car: “[Y]ou’re a mouthy Indian, and everyone thinks we’re born sluts. Those guys would have said you were asking for it and got off scot-free”
However, throughout the story the narrator’s thoughts on the music begin to shift to a more positive view. As Sonny explains the ways of coping to the narrator, the narrator begins to understand why Sonny needs music in his life and during Sonny’s performance fully understands the meaning of music in Sonny and his life. The narrator has flashbacks of his life and the feelings that were associated with those events while he listens to Sonny’s Blues and becomes aware of the struggle going on on the stage. In this event, the narrator turns from a negative view on music to an absolute positive view on the importance of music in people’s lives.
The next reason we’ll be looking at are the stereotypical images commonly seen in literature and mascots. Mainstream media such as “Dances with Wolves”, “The Lone Ranger”, and “The Last of The Mohicans” and mascots in professional sports teams like Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Blackhawks all include representations of Native Americans that for some, are offensive. With this in mind, ...
Music is an application of human creativity through instrumental and/or vocal sounds, which express emotions of the writer and are appreciated by others for its beautiful sound. A powerful emotional tool that may enlighten and entice some, as well as mystify and repulse others. Either way it is an art form that invokes a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts for listeners to comb through. In the short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin music plays a vital role in the life of his characters. The story portrays two brothers that grew up in harlem struggling with their environment as well as their emotional detachment from one another. Sonny one of the brothers in the story suffers from a heroin addiction that distances him from his family. The narrator Sonny’s brother, willingly creates a distance between him and his brother