Citizens of the World Essay
Twentieth century author James Baldwin in his speech, “A Talk to Teachers” dissects the effects of education on Americans and their society. As a visionary social critic, he argues that education should foster a sense of identity within children, causing them to question 1960s American society. His attempt to persuade his audience that one of the paradoxes of education allows people to think for themselves and causes them to be at war with their society is effective because those with a perceptive mindset are afflicted by an inner turmoil that provokes them to elicit change externally.
People who learn to live consciously will often find themselves opposing society’s preset conventions. According to author David
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Foster Wallace, this is created by education, which teaches people how to be “conscious and aware enough to choose what [they] pay attention to and to choose how [they] construct meaning from experience” (Wallace 3). People can choose to follow their society’s rules, choose to follow their inherent nature of indifference. Or, they can choose to refrain from their default mannerisms. Once people develop their own perception of the world that deviates from what others typically think, they instantly face the challenge of maintaining this consciousness and utilizing it to revolt against their society’s norms. Such a revolution is exemplified in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, by Cal Trask. He learns, through Lee’s guidance, that he can make a choice to commit good or evil, even if everyone assumed he was destined to the path of evil (544). The former choice would oppose others’ impositions of his fate because he would be in control of his actions, whereas the latter choice would blatantly mimic what others sentenced for him. Ultimately, he chooses to be good and and contritely repents that he doesn’t “want to do bad things— but [he does] them” (595). Cal understands that his nature is not all evil; hence, he chooses to reject the false identity others created for him. This understanding allows him to ignite change and terminate the cycle of evil in his family. Individuals who discover the truth about themselves are prompted to defy their passive, compliant role created by their society. Moreover, those with a keen awareness towards their society, and specifically towards racial discrimination, develop an internal conflict that cause the desire for rectitude.
According to James Baldwin, the ability to perceive these injustices initially buds during one’s childhood— a time when people are not yet aware of the repercussions of viewing things conscientiously, and they are able to “look at everything, look at each other, and draw their own conclusions” (Baldwin 2). Before being thrown into the tangled web of society, children can freely contemplate ideas through their own perception; in other words, their thoughts are not dictated by society. By depicting the consequences of thinking deliberately, Baldwin suggests that society only wants an ideal citizen— someone who indubitably accepts its conventions. Indeed, this model citizen is molded and created by the American educational system through its extensive influence over impressionable children. However, once in school, children, especially black Americans, will almost immediately discover that the malevolence of society create “the shape of his oppression” (3). Admittedly, the underlying purpose of education is to teach an entire generation how to become clones of society’s model citizen. Yet, education does precisely the opposite; it fosters children to pragmatically perceive their society and the racial injustices that are present. As a result of this paradox of education, children question their role and yearn to oppose the fixed system. In particular, once a black child realizes the immorality of the racial discrimination he or she faces and “suspects his own worth” (4), he or she will “attack the entire power structure” (4). Instead of willingly submitting to the predetermined fate society condemns to every black American, those who actively seek and preserve their identity can escape society’s constraints. They will question why society’s hierarchy system causes black people to be inferior to
white people; consequently, they will begin a rebellion to destroy their corrupt society. One’s awareness of the inequities in his or her society will fundamentally prompt an insurgent change.
The novel covered so much that high school history textbooks never went into why America has never fully recovered from slavery and why systems of oppression still exists. After reading this novel, I understand why African Americans are still racially profiled and face prejudice that does not compare to any race living in America. The novel left a mixture of frustration and anger because it is difficult to comprehend how heartless people can be. This book has increased my interests in politics as well and increased my interest to care about what will affect my generation around the world. Even today, inmates in Texas prisons are still forced to work without compensation because peonage is only illegal for convicts. Blackmon successfully emerged the audience in the book by sharing what the book will be like in the introduction. It was a strange method since most would have expected for this novel to be a narrative, but nevertheless, the topic of post Civil War slavery has never been discussed before. The false façade of America being the land of the free and not confronting their errors is what leads to the American people to question their integrity of their own
In every culture, there are the strong and there are the weak, the oppressor and the oppressed. Sometimes they are of the same race and sometimes not, but they all rely on a difference in power. Socrates, Frederick Douglass, and W.E.B. Du Bois each experience this power differential through the course of their lives. Socrates experiences this through his experience with the jury of Athens and his trial; Douglass through his life as a slave and his eventual escape. Du Bois experiences it through being a black man in the time of Reconstruction and being well off in comparison to other African-Americans at the time. Each man’s unique perspective on equality can illuminate why authority is so instrumental in the development of equality.
The transition of being a black man in a time just after slavery was a hard one. A black man had to prove himself at the same time had to come to terms with the fact that he would never amount to much in a white dominated country. Some young black men did actually make it but it was a long and bitter road. Most young men fell into the same trappings as the narrator’s brother. Times were hard and most young boys growing up in Harlem were swept off their feet by the onslaught of change. For American blacks in the middle of the twentieth century, racism is another of the dark forces of destruction and meaninglessness which must be endured. Beauty, joy, triumph, security, suffering, and sorrow are all creations of community, especially of family and family-like groups. They are temporary havens from the world''s trouble, and they are also the meanings of human life.
Education is one of the most widely debated issues of our country in this current day and age. Many people feel as though schooling is biased and unfair to certain students; meanwhile, others feel as though the schooling systems are not serious enough in order to properly educate students to prepare them for their futures. The three texts that will be discussed, are all well written controversial essays that use a great deal of rhetorical appeals which help readers relate to the topics being discussed. In the essay “School,” Mori manages to specify her views on how different modern education is in America as to Japan; meanwhile, in “A Talk to Teachers,” Baldwin presents his argument as to how all children, no matter
Chase Mielke’s spoken word piece, “What Students Really Need to Hear”, shines many lights on the purpose of school and how students contribute to said purpose. There are a myriad of important points, although the central idea stands out above all. More specifically, the idea that the point of school is not to memorize facts, but to learn how to deal with difficult times properly. He writes, “It is your resilience in conquering the main event- adversity- that truly prepares you for life after school.” Mielke illustrates this concept using rhetorical devices such as pathos, or emotions. Simply, the author’s use of pathos emphasizes the idea that school’s ‘main event’ is to instruct students on how to keep moving in the face of seemly insurmountable harshness.
The Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April of 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of several civil rights activists who were arrested in Birmingham Alabama, after protesting against racial injustices in Alabama. Dr. King wrote this letter in response to a statement titled A Call for Unity, which was published on Good Friday by eight of his fellow clergymen from Alabama. Dr. King uses his letter to eloquently refute the article. In the letter dr. king uses many vivid logos, ethos, and pathos to get his point across. Dr. King writes things in his letter that if any other person even dared to write the people would consider them crazy.
THESIS → In the memoir Black Boy by Richard Wright, he depicts the notion of how conforming to society’s standards one to survive within a community, but will not bring freedom nor content.
In 1729, Jonathan Swift published a pamphlet called “A Modest Proposal”. It is a satirical piece that described a radical and humorous proposal to a very serious problem. The problem Swift was attacking was the poverty and state of destitution that Ireland was in at the time. Swift wanted to bring attention to the seriousness of the problem and does so by satirically proposing to eat the babies of poor families in order to rid Ireland of poverty. Clearly, this proposal is not to be taken seriously, but merely to prompt others to work to better the state of the nation. Swift hoped to reach not only the people of Ireland who he was calling to action, but the British, who were oppressing the poor. He writes with contempt for those who are oppressing the Irish and also dissatisfaction with the people in Ireland themselves to be oppressed.
In his work, “A Talk to Teachers,” James Baldwin poured out his point of view on how he believed American children should be taught. Throughout the essay, Baldwin focused on a specific race of school children: Negros. Perhaps this was because he himself was an African American, or even for the mere idea that Negros were the most vulnerable for never amounting to anything — according to what the American society thought during the twentieth century, specifically the 1960s when this piece was published. With the focus determined, the reader is able to begin analyzing Baldwin’s main appeal through the essay. At first glance one could argue that the essay has no credibility with Baldwin’s lack of not being a school teacher himself; however, when further evaluated one could state that whether or not he was a school teacher has nothing to do with the fact that he establishes his credibility, he appeals to morals, emotions with authority, and values, which thus outweighs the possible negativities associated with his argument.
Baldwin and his ancestors share this common rage because of the reflections their culture has had on the rest of society, a society consisting of white men who have thrived on using false impressions as a weapon throughout American history. Baldwin gives credit to the fact that no one can be held responsible for what history has unfolded, but he remains restless for an explanation about the perception of his ancestors as people. In Baldwin?s essay, his rage becomes more directed as the ?power of the white man? becomes relevant to the misfortune of the American Negro (Baldwin 131). This misfortune creates a fire of rage within Baldwin and the American Negro. As Baldwin?s American Negro continues to build the fire, the white man builds an invisible wall around himself to avoid confrontation about the actions of his ?forefathers? (Baldwin 131). Baldwin?s anger burns through his other emotions as he writes about the enslavement of his ancestors and gives the reader a shameful illusion of a Negro slave having to explai...
Jonathan Kozol revealed the early period’s situation of education in American schools in his article Savage Inequalities. It seems like during that period, the inequality existed everywhere and no one had the ability to change it; however, Kozol tried his best to turn around this situation and keep track of all he saw. In the article, he used rhetorical strategies effectively to describe what he saw in that situation, such as pathos, logos and ethos.
It is commonly brought our attention, that how we act will often reflect back upon us; it is something that we are taught from the very moment that we are born. As humans, it is easy to let negativity get to us and can cause us to act out against our peers and enemies. In Kimberlee Bonura’s analysis on the theory of Classroom Relationships, she is persuading half of her audience (teachers) how to treat students and the other half of her audience (students) how attitudes can effect their mood and how they make people feel. While reading Classroom Relationships, I analyzed the characteristics’ that Bonura uses in her writing to make it rhetorical. The two tools that she applies to her writing include the problem and solution technique and discussing important issues in our society.
I believe that the purpose of education is to produce the next generation of leaders who are intelligent and have great character. This idea is supported in the article “The Purpose of Education” by Martin Luther King. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who fought for black and white people to have equal rights in America. He writes about the true purpose, and meaning of education in the article by saying, “Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction (MLK1).” This quote from the article explains that being academically educated is very important. It will help people stand up, be a leader, and take charge to make the world a better place for everyone. That gallant leader will argue against the fallacy, lies,
We live in a diverse society. We have a myriad of races, cultures, languages and beliefs. It is natural that we live different lives and we face different hardships and struggles. As human beings it is our obligation to be considerate of our differences and struggles. We have the responsibility to ensure equality and justice within our society. To have a society that ensures equality and justice there must be equal distribution of opportunities. Sadly that is not the case in America; certain groups in our society do not have access to the same opportunities that others do. In our society people of color and minorities are subjects to racism, poverty and discrimination. These barriers are extremely difficult and not a lot of people surpass them. Those who make it out of these harsh conditions must consider themselves responsible individuals who represent the struggle their people face. In the essay “Letter to my Nephew” James Baldwin discusses issues regarding racism and silence. Baldwin makes it clear that people of color are responsible to respond and resist when challenged with racism. Because we are the hope of our own struggle; we are all that we have. We must exploit and break the silence regarding racism and discrimination; and we must do that with solidarity.
Lecture/Rhetorical Questioning: Talk in 7 to 10 minute segments, pause, ask pre-planned rhetorical questions; learners record their answers in their notes.