My Red Face Hurts By Jan Mercredi

454 Words1 Page

In the poem “My red face hurts” by Duncan Mercredi, the author has conveyed his message through describing the tragic events that are faced by many discriminated races to exemplify that people cannot face human equality because it reveals the horror of the injustices they commit. Mercredi has portrayed his message because he wants to emphasize the racial hatred and inequality various different races are experiencing. To begin with, one of the main subjects that the author has expressed in his emotion-filled poem is racial discrimination, how people torture many races and treat them like animals only because of their color. Mercredi stated “my red face hurts as I watch my brother die before me white bullets riddle my body and I hide my face …show more content…

We all are Gods creation, and no doubt He made us better than we think we are, everyone is equal and everyone has great qualities inside them and this leads to the second point which is about equality. Equality means that everyone in the society is treated similarly, no matter what race they belong to, but after reading this emotion-filled poem, it is declared that the native people are not treated equally. Mercredi states “my red face hurts as I watch a white man hiding his white sheet beneath his suit and tie condemn me because of one man's greed sentencing me to an early death my red face hurts as he smiles (Mercredi: 13-18)” The poet exemplifies that how the white people have more privileges and rights in the country, they have more power because of their color and due to this overwhelmed power they possess, they are extremely greedy. The white people treat the natives like slaves and make them work like animals until their life is close to an end. After this convoluted torture, they still are smiling. The white people have a heart like a stone because they have committed so many injustices that they can’t redeem their

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of Louise Halfe’s Poem, My Ledders

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    As this poem characterizes the view of a native woman expressing feelings of passion relating to her culture, it also criticizes society, in particular Christianity, as the speaker is experiencing feelings of discontent with the outcome of residential schools. It does not directly criticize the faith, but through the use of a heavy native dialect and implications to the Christian faith it becomes simple to read the speakers emotions.

    Read More

  • Broken Lives by Estelle Blackburn

    320 Words  | 1 Pages

    The fourth Chapter of Estella Blackburn’s non fiction novel Broken lives “A Fathers Influence”, exposes readers to Eric Edgar Cooke and John Button’s time of adolescence. The chapter juxtaposes the two main characters too provide the reader with character analyses so later they may make judgment on the verdict. The chapter includes accounts of the crimes and punishments that Cooke contended with from 1948 to 1958. Cooke’s psychiatric assessment that he received during one of his first convictions and his life after conviction, marring Sally Lavin. It also exposes John Button’s crime of truancy, and his move from the UK to Australia.

    Read More

  • Red Scarf Girl, by Ji-Li lang

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang is an inspiring true story about a young girl who is forced to make an agonizing decision of country versus family. In her story of joy, sorrow, lament, resentment, and countless other perplexing experiences, she must decide whether she is her family's child or Chairman Mao's. In Red Scarf Girl, Ji-li is faced with the heart-breaking decision of her future, and finally after years of confounding peer and family pressure, she resolves to love her family. Throughout the book she is a zealous supporter of Mao, though is constantly running into contradicting encounters in the beginning, middle, and end.

    Read More

  • Interpreting Choy's and Taylor's Short Stories: Issues of Modern Racism and Prejudice

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    people of different ethnicities. Such harm is observed in the history of North America when the Europeans were establishing settlements on the North American continent. Because of European expansion on the North American continent, the first nations already established on the continent were forced to leave their homes by the Europeans, violating the rights and freedoms of the first nations and targeting them with discrimination; furthermore, in the history of the United States of America, dark skinned individuals were used as slaves for manual labour and were stripped of their rights and freedoms by the Americans because of the racist attitudes that were present in America. Although racist and prejudice attitudes have weakened over the decades, they persist in modern societies. To examine a modern perspective of prejudice and racism, Wayson Choy’s “I’m a Banana and Proud of it” and Drew Hayden Taylor’s “Pretty Like a White Boy: The Adventures of a Blue-Eye Ojibway” both address the issues of prejudice and racism; however, the authors extend each others thoughts about the issues because of their different definitions, perspectives, experiences and realities.

    Read More

  • Racism In 'I Not Racist But' By Anita Heiss

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    Emotion figures in relations of power and confrontations to change society. Rage over racism is inescapable, necessary. Making that anger known and speaking about pain have been important in the history of marginalised groups.

    Read More

  • Rebellion Against Slavery in Fires of Jubilee by Stephen B. Oates

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, this book shows us that slavery is against mankind and all people are equal concerned of the race. Racism has become an wide-ranging in many of the countries mostly in northern Europe and Russia. Skin colour means nothing but just an identity. Many people use it to discriminate others whereas they got equal intelligence and sometimes the person being discriminated upon could be having sharper brains. This book also written for kids and immigrants to learned more about the past of where they lives. I recommend that every person should see the other as a partner but not as superior than the other and by that there will not be any discrimination in our society.

    Read More

  • Antigone And In The Time Of The Butterflies

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    Maya Angelou’s “Equality” depicts a more patient yet tenacious rebel than described in Dunbar’s poem. “You declare you see me dimly”, she begins, “through a glass that will not shine.” Maya describes the denial of her boldness, of her rebellion; but, she continues to march, chanting “Equality and I will be free. Equality and I will be free.” She identifies herself as a shadow, unimportant to those she opposes— but she intends to repeat the mantra “Equality and I will be free” until she is heard. The sixth stanza left me in literal tears (and I am not an emotional person, thank you very

    Read More

  • The House Behind the Cedars by Charles W. Chesnutt

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    For example, when Mrs. Tryon heard Rena was coloured, she was disappointed. “The lady, who had been studying her as closely as good manners would permit, sighed regretfully.” (161) There, Mrs. Tryon might have a good plan for Rena, but the racial society would not accept; since Rena was a mulatto, Mrs. Tryon could not do anything to help Rena in white social life. The racial circumstance does not only apply to mulattos, but it also expresses the suffering of black people.

    Read More

  • A Deeper Look: Langston Hughes's 'Ballad of the Landlord'

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ites a short 33-line poem that simply shows the barriers between races in the time period when racism was still openly practiced through segregation and discrimination. The poem captures the African American tenant’s frustrations towards the landlord as well as the racism shown by the landlord. The poem is a great illustration of the time period, and it shows how relevant discrimination was in everyday life in the nineteen-forties. It is important for the author to use the selected literary devices to help better illustrate his point. Each literary device in the poem helps exemplify the author’s intent: to increase awareness of the racism in the society in the time period.

    Read More

  • America, by Claude McKay

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    This poem is written from the perspective of an African-American from a foreign country, who has come to America for the promise of equality, only to find out that at this time equality for blacks does not exist. It is written for fellow black men, in an effort to make them understand that the American dream is not something to abandon hope in, but something to fight for. The struggle of putting up with the racist mistreatment is evident even in the first four lines:

    Read More

  • Critical Race Theory Essay

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    Muhammad Ali, a famous boxer, once said, “Hating People because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. I’s just plain wrong” (Goodreads, 2015). For many centuries, ethnic conflict between the humans have existed immortally due the never changing differences of culture and values, spinning the cycle of war. Fortunately, some have ended however some still remain immortal in the eyes of those who have experience struggle to this date. The lack of awareness of problems in a cultural crisis concerning those who fall victim to a system and society that discriminates and alienates. With assistance of Critical Race Theory, this essay will examine how the role of race with has affected has caused consequences within the lives of marginalized groups within society through the lives and their relationship with those in their communities.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Social Identity

    872 Words  | 2 Pages

    People go through many obstacles when they face their social identity. Some can overcome their differences, but others may not have they change to even face them due to the treatment that they get from society. Social identity is the one of many controversial and complex problems that many individuals deal with. Because, sometimes it used to be misunderstood making reference to racism and/or others complex matters. “On Being a Cripple” and “How It Feels to Be Colored” are two essays in which both characters suffer from some kind of discrimination. Indeed, in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston and “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs, each author shows different attitude, endures challenges, and change toward social identity.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis And A Lesson Before Dying

    436 Words  | 1 Pages

    The narrator in the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” refuses to accept his brother, Doodle, despite their close, familial ties. Doodle was different than the narrator, so he was treated as if he was less than those around him. In the eye opening novel A Lesson Before Dying a black man named Jefferson faces racial discrimination within the justice system. Like Doodle, he is thought to be less than the people in his town, for they had lighter skin.

    Read More

  • racism and prejudice

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    Racism is based on the belief that one’s culture is superior to that of others, and this racial superiority provides justification for discrimination. Racism begins with categorising by race, and therefore stereotyping particular cultures. A simple definition of prejudice given by St Thomas Aquinas states prejudice as “thinking ill of others without sufficient cause” (1. pg 21). Racism is a major issue in today’s society, affecting a large number of the world’s population and causing political and social turmoil. To evaluate the true meaning, effects and views concerning racism in today’s world, a number of literature sources were researched including novel, films, short stories, poetry, song lyrics, textbooks and magazine articles.

    Read More

  • The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda is far different from any other novel that we were assigned to read for apartheid in South Africa class. I had quite a love/hate relationship for the book, for it intrigued me, but I had to read it far too fast and don’t think that I got the true value of the book as I speed-read it. The first thing I noticed about the novel was of course the colorful cover, but when I thought about the title long enough I noticed that it sounded vaguely familiar. I had to read the Heart of Darkness while in high school, and not until I researched the book a little on the internet, was I able to actually correlate the title between the two. Apparently, the title Heart of Redness is actually an allusion to the Heart of Darkness by presenting an opposite presentation of the themes.

    Read More

More about My Red Face Hurts By Jan Mercredi

Open Document