The Welcome Table vs Country Lovers Essay Example for Free

The Welcome Table vs Country Lovers Essay Have you ever experienced discrimination and/or racism? It is my belief that, sadly, most of us have; for this paper I have chosen to compare and contrast the literary works, â€Å"The Welcome Table† by Alice Walker, and â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer. Both of these literary pieces give the reader awareness of the pain and suffering endured by the two African-American characters that were subject to racial discrimination and the superior mentality of those that participated in the discrimination. Discrimination and racism is the core issue in both of these short stories; I will address the subject of racism in various ways. A similarity of both short stories is that the narrator reveals the characters through observation which means both stories are told in the third-person omniscient point of view. I will explore how the narrator drew me in when reading each of the stories. I can relate to to each through experiences in my lifes journey, and will explore those emotions a bit as well. The stories authors will also be compared and contrasted and compared. â€Å"The Welcome Table† Storyline â€Å"The Welcome Table† story was intriguing to me because the author describes the old woman as one who does not have emotional ties with the people around her. â€Å"The Welcome Table† theme is racism. I was moved deeply by The Welcome Table, in which an old, dying black woman is evicted by bodily force from a white church, but then meets-up with Jesus on the highway. I believe the old woman is bitter from the days she was a slave to the white people. Because of this, it appears she has focused only on Jesus for some time now; she knows it will soon be time to join Him. The old woman in the story is a spiritual woman, but bitter, and is so looking forward to her day of meeting with her Lord Jesus Christ, it appears she cares little about anything else at this point in her life. For example, in â€Å"The Welcome Table†: â€Å"The old woman stood with eyes uplifted in her Sunday–go–to–meeting clothes: high shoes polished about the tops and toes, a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an elegant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from the many oily pigtails underneath. Perhaps she had known suffering. There was a dazed and sleepy look in her aged blue–brown eyes. But for those who searched hastily for reasons in that old tight face, shut now like an ancient door, there was nothing to be read. And so they gazed nakedly upon their own fear transferred; a fear of the black and the old, a terror of the unknown as well as of the deeply known. Some of those who saw her there on the church steps spoke words about her that were hardly fit to be heard, others held their pious peace; and some felt vague stirrings of pity, small and persistent and hazy, as if she were an old collie turned out to die.†. â€Å"Country Lovers† Storyline The â€Å"Country Lovers† storyline was captivating as well; the theme is racism also. In this story the characters are young; â€Å"Country Lovers† follows the evolving relationship between a white, well to do farm-owners son, Paulus, and the black daughter of a farm-worker, Thebedi. â€Å"Country Lovers† is set in South Africa, and focuses greatly on the product of the star-crossed lovers union. Example in â€Å"Country Lovers†: â€Å"For the first time since he was a small boy he came right into the kraal. It was eleven oclock in the morning. The men were at work in the lands. He looked about him, urgently; the women turned away, each not wanting to be the one approached to point out where Thebedi lived.† Apartheid Regime At the time this story happens, South Africa was under a strict apartheid regime. The white population of South Africa was in charge of the country, and even though they were the minority they oppressed the rest of the inhabitants, mostly the black population. In â€Å"Country Lovers†, we see how distinct the differences between blacks and white were. The fact that Paulus was found ‘not guilty’ of murder, even though there was enough evidence against him, shows how the white people protected each other at all costs. The story also tells how the white children get to go to school, while the black children are not considered when it comes to education. In my opinion, you have to know something about the apartheid period in South Africa in order to understand the short story fully. The educational value is definitely present. And TodayDiverse Opinions â€Å"In post-apartheid South Africa we speak about race extensively. It permeates our workplace, weaves a thread through the fabric of our professional and personal lives, as well as our private conversations and public interactions with others. From within psychoanalytic theory, the thread weaves through the unknown content of our radicalized unconscious. When there is a focus on race in the South African psychoanalytic context it largely takes the form of the struggle to articulate the complexities of working with difference, as Swartz notes, or the struggle to map out issues of race. Such struggles are not localized in South Africa, but strongly reflect a much broader struggle within the global psychoanalytic community, as mirrored in the expanding focus on race.† (Knight, Z. G. (2013)) â€Å"Fourteen years after apartheid, is the ideal of a rainbow nation fading? Not at all. South Africa has come a long way since the days of institutional racism. Its transition to democracy has been remarkably smooth, set against the countrys bitter past. You hear of few incidents of racially motivated violence. The vast majority of South Africans want a non-racial democracy that respects peoples differences. There are laws to punish unfair discrimination, and black economic empowermenta positive-discrimination policyseeks to redress past injustice.† (Knight, Z. G. (2013)) Theme and Characters As you can see already, there are many differences, but there is but one meaningful theme in both stories, racism. In â€Å"The Welcome Table† the main character is an old woman, ready to meet her maker; it is apparent the pain the woman has endured throughout her life just by the description of the condition of her appearance, â€Å"beaten by king cotton and the extreme weather†, the condition of her clothing items â€Å"a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an elegant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from many oily pigtails underneath†, and the emptiness conveyed by her to the outsiders â€Å"a dazed and sleepy look in her aged blue brown eyes.†. The descriptiveness, the symbolism drew me in when reading this story. Racism and Spirituality Black liberation theology is a theological perspective found in some Christian churches in the United States which contextualizes Christianity in an attempt to help African-Americans overcome oppression. Black liberation theology seeks to liberate people of color from multiple forms of political, social, economic, and religious subjugation and views Christian theology as a theology of liberation- a rational study of the being of God in the world in light of the existential situation of an oppressed community, relating the forces of liberation to the essence of the Gospel, which is Jesus Christ, writes James Hal Cone, one of the original advocates of the perspective. African-American theology has come from biblical faith to cultural captivity dogmatic texts from the patristic period to the Reformation. Dogma is a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true Theme and Characters In â€Å"Country Lovers†, the main characters are young, and see the beauty in life for a time. I sympathize more with Thebedi throughout the story; I believe she leaves herself vulnerable when she chooses to give herself to Paulus; I believe him to know more what the outcome of their relationship will be; I believe she secretly wants for her lover to be with her and their child. I see women to be more unrealistic because of their deep emotional attachments. I believe Paulus was a bit full of himself as well. He is heartless to call the baby it, and then to kill her himself? In both stories, there is the knowledge of racism by the characters, but in â€Å"The Welcome Table†, although the old woman is aware, she does not consider what others will think at this point, and in â€Å"Country Lovers†, the threat of what others may think means very much. Heart-breaking Realities In both stories I see the reality of broken-hearts. In â€Å"The Welcome Table† the old woman has been through much because of racism in her day; in â€Å"Country Lovers†, the heart-break is just beginning. Both stories are culturally rich, but in diverse ways. While â€Å"Country Lovers† tells of how it is acceptable to test the waters to see if your wife to be is able to bare your fruit, â€Å"The Welcome Table† implies that the old woman was accepted as grandma or auntie when raising a white mans children, but when it came to entering their church there was no acceptance what-so-ever. To me, these short stories have very different endings. The ending in â€Å"Country Lovers† was absolutely heart-breaking compared to the ending of â€Å"The Welcome Table†, which had a rather happy ending in my way of thinking. Authors Many authors have written essays, stories, and poems about negative judgmental and biased views of people in hopes to understand unfair treatment towards mankind and promote changes in human behavior that will bring solutions of peace. These authors are no different; both authors have been rewarded many honorary awards for promoting peace. Ironically, Nadine Gordimer is a white woman born and raised in South Africa and Alice Walker is an African-American from Eatonton, Georgia, but both authors have kindred spirits and are celebrated for their commitments to fight racism. These authors have a twenty year age difference, and have experienced racism in very diverse ways, in their very diverse lives. Nadine Gordimer grew-up in a privileged family, while Alice Walker grew-up poor. Her mother worked as a maid to help support the familys eight children, while Nadine Gordimer is an only child, whose mother imagined her to be ill, weak, throughout her childhood. Both authors began writing at an early age, each for different reasons I believe. Alice Walker started writing age eight, and Nadine Gordimer at nine. Alice Walker, who also wrote The Color Purple, started writing after listening to her grandfathers stories, who was the inspiration for Mr. in The Color Purple; With my family, I had to hide things, she said. And I had to keep a lot in my mind.. Nadine Gordimers first writings were that of apartheid on the lives of South Africans; Gordimer witnessed government repression firsthand when still a teenager; the police raided her family home, confiscating le tters and diaries from a servants room. Personal Thoughts and Feelings on Racism I have had mostly bi-racial amorous relationships in my lifetime; I am Caucasian, and my romantic relationships have been with African-American and Hispanic men. Even in this day and age I believe many people frown on this. Many of the people of either race whole-heartily approves of this in my opinion. The struggle to eliminate racism from our world is an important one. Understanding what it is, understanding the key role it plays in dividing people, and how to challenge it, in ourselves and others, is central to our understanding of how oppression works and how, ultimately, we can free all humanity from it. Racism is ignorance. There are no rational conflicts of interest between any peoples on this planet. There is not rational need for the artificial borders that have been erected over the years to separate different groups of humans. All people deserve an equal share in and access to food, shelter, education, health care and the other necessities of life. The false divisions created by racism only serve the short-term interests of systems which constantly try to divide us and distract us from seeing the underlying economic exploitation that feeds greed. Some have minds that are full of misinformation and confusions about people who have a skin color that is different to our own. Many have been left with irrational fears about countless aspects of other peoples’ and their cultures. The Solution? Nadine Gomier and Alice Walker both wrote what they lived; both stories are laced with racism and discrimination. Where does the solution to this basic human problem lie? The simple answer is in helping people consider an alternate course of action. How? Here is where it gets complex. Let me present several complementary models. First, a basic premise: Racism in its essence is the refusal to accept the other as an equal. To do so, one will have to share in the societal rewards of social wealth, political power, and structural privilege. If racism has nothing to do with biology, but has everything to do with socially structured beliefs and behavior, then it can also be socially unlearned and unstructured. How people proceed, however, depends on how they see themselves when confronted with evil. The great Karl Marx spoke of â€Å"the haves and the have nots†; I see that to be very accurate still today. In â€Å"The Welcome Table and â€Å"country Lovers We cannot change yesterday, and we cannot predict tomorrow, but we can live today. So, do not allow anyone to make you feel less than or hurt you.

gay people Essay -- essays research papers

The topic I picked is Homosexual people should have the right and the freedom like what straight people have in this world. I think this topic is very controversial because in the U.S. Most homosexual people especially males, get discriminated because of what they feel: having attractiveness to their same sex. Most people in the U.S. are str8 and most people think that being gay or lesbian is wrong and it is not right to show it off and be proud of it. Another point why this topic is very controversial is when gay people marry each other. Many people believe and many religions believe it is very wrong to marry the same sex person. For example in the Roman Catholic followings. The church is totally against gay and lesbian relationships, because it if you do follow the gay and lesbian side its considered a big sin because in the teachings of GOD and Jesus you have to be with the opposite sex so you can make life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 2 perspectives that are drawn on this topic is that the 1st perspective is that you see the topic as very reasonable. For instance you do agree with the topic and you do want to follow what it says. The 2nd perspective is that you disagree with the topic and say that gay and lesbians should have the rights or as much freedom as straight people because they are â€Å"different† than most people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The side that I want to represent is the one that I am with the perspective that sees that gay and lesbians should have the freedom to do whatever they want and with whom ever they want.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To me I am not gay myself, and I do not have any problems with these kinds of people. As long as they do not touch I’m cool with them. The reason I support the 1st perspective is because in this country the U.S. it is a free country and you can do whatever you want that is not crime committed or have to do anything that kills other people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homosexual people do not have the freedom, yet they still fight for their right to be homosexual. People around the U.S. are against the homosexual concept. What I do not understand is why do you have to be against this gay and lesbian concept in the 1st place? 1st of all what to do homosexuals have to do in your life; they do not interfere into you personal life. So why do you have to discriminate and make fun of the peo... ...ot see the side of whom they are inside, but they only see what they are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A lot of people judge each other by a different number of things. But the most discrimination next to racism is homosexuality. The reason a lot of people think it is wrong because they think it is sick and it is not normal for other people to see homosexuals kissing or engaging in sexual intercourse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall Homosexuals have it hard in the U.S. but not only here but around the world, some countries or religions kill people if they are gay. What I think about that is that I think it’s very wrong and people do not realize that being gay is very hard, and they can’t be put in their shoes to see how it is. The whole problem is that people of different aspects or view have been discriminated because of what they believe in and what they want to act in. So what I want to say is that homosexuals should have the same equal rights and the same amount of freedom as straight people because in this world it does not matter who, what you are, but it does matter how you contribute to this world and how people make it a better place.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Mandigo Should Kids Play Tackle Football? Essay

Football is a contact sport; a fast-paced, hard-hitting game. It is the number one sports Americans love. The American football players in the NFL started off playing the sport they love at a young age. As of 2015, 1.23 million boys from the ages of six to twelve, played football as their sport. Most of America’s youth boys go into playing football with the mindset of excelling into the NFL. However, they should be aware of the dangerous repercussions that will follow while playing football. Every week thousands of men and boys across the country take part in football and every week these men and boys receive violent hits during the game. Frequently, because of these violent hits, the player receives a concussion. However, the long-term effects of concussions on players are not fully understood. New research shows that even a slight concussion in a football game can have lasting effects on a player. As a result of this research, children under the age of fourteen should not pl ay tackle football. There’s no question, football is the most popular spectator sport in the United States. Over one-third of the country tunes in for the Super Bowl. Despite the sport’s immense popularity, many parents are hesitant to let their children play it given the obvious injury risk. While there is a risk of injury — like any other sport — letting your child play football might not be as crazy as it sounds. Football at its core is not a soft sport, and contact is a pertinent aspect of the game. There is a literal and figurative lesson being taught: When you get knocked down, you must get back up. Football also teaches children to have fun; it’s a fun sport played by boys who also are there for fun. Yes, these facts are true. Football can be fun and it is indeed not a soft sport but that’s more reason why children shouldn’t play tackle football. It’s all fun and games until a ten-year-old boy receives a fatal concussion and can no longer pl ay football. Most of the deaths attributed to concussions from playing football are older boys and men. However, David Sumner a ten-year-old from Simi Valley, California died from head injuries sustained while playing football. He collapsed on the field and an autopsy later revealed he suffered an acute subdural hematoma. An acute subdural hematoma in football is rare, but it does happen. Children are more susceptible because of the size of their head and because their brain is still developing. Tackle football is dangerous and children are the most venerable to concussions received in the game. In recent years, a large quantity of research has been conducted on head injuries and concussions. Dr. Robert Cantu, the director of Boston University’s Center for the study of Traumatic Encephalopathy has been a leader in this research. He describes a concussion as, â€Å"shaking of the brain inside the skull that changes the alertness of the injured person†. A concussion can range from rel atively mild to very profound. Until recently there were very few guidelines to help players and coaches diagnose a concussion. In fact, a football player was encouraged to just shake it off and go back in the game. But with the new understanding of what happens to the brain when a player receives a concussion, a player must be removed from the game after sustaining a concussion. Concussions can seriously affect a football player’s health. Especially a child under the age of fourteen – their brain is still developing – can be the most dangerous thing for them. Football doesn’t just cause dangerous outcomes for the players but, it can cause the players to be dangerous. Take Ray Rice for instance. He was a beloved running back football player for the Baltimore Ravens. He had millions of fans going to games to watch him play against other teams. He was even soon to be married to his fiancà ©e Janay Palmer. Yet, everything came to a halt when he physically assaulted her in an elevator. Ray Rice beat his wife-to-be. It was disgusting, abhorrent, and unforgivable. NFL players suffer repeated blows to the head every Sunday. A star player like Rice will get tackled hundreds of times every year. And there is evidence to suggest that all those hits to the brain may increase the propensity to commit domestic violence. Brian O’Connor o f Futures Without Violence told Forbes Magazine, â€Å"NFL players are taught to be aggressive; they deal with all kinds of high-pressure stressors and triggers†, O’Connor pointed out, from a career that plays out on national TV to the possibility of getting cut from a team without a guaranteed salary. There’s no debate that football itself changes the brains of its players. The NFL has admitted to it. The sport’s head injuries have long-lasting consequences — and may even alter personalities in the short term. NFL players are about four times more likely to be arrested for domestic abuse than you’d expect, based on their overall arrest rates. Counting Ray Rice, more than two-dozen pro football players have been arrested for domestic abuse in the past five years alone (FiveThirtyEight.com). Children aspiring to reach the NFL, and those who do get into the NFL, are at a possibility to be domestically violent. Football is teaching children to be aggressive and not in a good way. The smallest thing could trigger them, like nagging, and it could cause them to physically lash out at someone. It’s better to prevent a child from being domestically violent now than being too late and they become like Ray Rice. Football is a great sport to watch, but not to play. Children under the age of fourteen should not play tackle football. Evidence has been shown that they are prone to get little to fatal concussions, and could become domestically violent if they still aspire to go into the NFL. The brain is still developing for children under the age of fourteen. Having them play football is dangerous for them. They could simply sprain their ankle or die at a young age. Or, even worse, get arrested at twenty-seven for beating their significant other in an elevator. Parents of children who want to play tackle football, take these factors into consideration. These factors will be the result of your child’s future if you let them play tackle football. Save your child from the dangerous repercussions of sport and do not let them play tackle football.

The Debate On Global Warming - 1239 Words

There is much controversy concerning global warming. The controversy takes the form of public debate that centers on five issues (Mazo 30). The first issue is whether or not global warming is occurring. The second issue is whether global warming is real and extent it has occurred in the recent decades. The third question relates to the causes of global warming. The fourth question centers on the effects of global warming. The fifth question is whether any action needs to be taken to contain global warming. The author concurs that global warming is real. Hence, the focus of the paper will be on causes of global warming. Discussion on what causes global warming has led to a significant split between scientists. However, both camps agree that global warming and climate change are occasioned by both natural and human or anthropogenic factors. The opposing views occur when it comes to the relative importance they assign to each set of factors (Mazo 35). This paper acknowledges that while both natural and human factors are responsible for global warming, much of global warming that has occurred in recent times is largely attributable to human activities. The following paragraphs support this position, although a small portion of the paper is also devoted to the opposite view that claims that global warming is largely due to natural factors. Many scientists around the globe have conducted research that has demonstrated that that human activity contribute the most to contemporaryShow MoreRelatedThe Debate Of Global Warming894 Words   |  4 PagesThe Debate of Global Warming Climate change is a hot-button topic in politics, conversation, and education. Both sides of the ongoing debate claim disastrous consequences. On one hand, the view of an economic focus could make the market worse. On the other, the end of life as we know it. 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