"I wonder what Mama's thinkiing. I hope she ain't mad at me. When summer com i'm go'n pick plenty cotton and get her a coat. I'm go'n get her a red one." (THE SKY IS GRAY)
-It is very wise and mature for a boy at age eight to think about his mother as often as this boy does. He is ablt to at a young age take her feelings into consideration and find ways to make his mother happy, knowing that she is working hard to support him. He wants to try and help support her too which is both admirable and surprising.
Emmett Till
Murdered at 14 years old in Money, Mississippi. The spectacle surrounding Till's murder was one of the precipitating events leading to the Civil Rights Movement.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Where is the pain being felt?
"It was alright to throw cinders. The greates harm a cinder could do was leave a bruise. But broken bottles were dangerous; they left you cut, bleeding, and helpess." (The ethics of living jim crow)
-Was it truly alright to throw cinders? What makes it ok for one child to hurt another, even if it is only a bruise. It is not ok to bruise other children as a form of playing. However, to Richard throwing cinders was ok because HE was the one throwing them and the bottles were dangerous because HE was left "cut, bleeding, and helpless." In actuality none of the children should have been playing wasr, but little Richard was beat not really for fighting with the other kids, but for fighting with the white children in the neighborhood. He needed to be taght that in the time of Jim Crow it was not ok even at a young age to try to fight the whites, it was dangerous hazrdous and forbidden.
-Was it truly alright to throw cinders? What makes it ok for one child to hurt another, even if it is only a bruise. It is not ok to bruise other children as a form of playing. However, to Richard throwing cinders was ok because HE was the one throwing them and the bottles were dangerous because HE was left "cut, bleeding, and helpless." In actuality none of the children should have been playing wasr, but little Richard was beat not really for fighting with the other kids, but for fighting with the white children in the neighborhood. He needed to be taght that in the time of Jim Crow it was not ok even at a young age to try to fight the whites, it was dangerous hazrdous and forbidden.
Not believing what you're supposed to
"you believe in god because a man told you to believe in god," the boy says. "a white man told you to believe in god. and why? to keep you ignorant so e can keep his feet on your neck."
i chose this quote because it struck me that the boy actually stepped out of the box and expressed his ideas this way. He spoke about how african americans believed in god because a white man told them to. It also struck me how he used the metaphor of how he views the grass as being black. He uses his metaphor to support his idea of religion. People believe that the grass is green because a man told them that, but what if you have a different idea like this man does. Why do afrian ameicans have to go by what the white man say, and folow their laws like if it was written on concrete
i chose this quote because it struck me that the boy actually stepped out of the box and expressed his ideas this way. He spoke about how african americans believed in god because a white man told them to. It also struck me how he used the metaphor of how he views the grass as being black. He uses his metaphor to support his idea of religion. People believe that the grass is green because a man told them that, but what if you have a different idea like this man does. Why do afrian ameicans have to go by what the white man say, and folow their laws like if it was written on concrete
Faith in The Sky is Gray
"Let's hope that the ones who come after will have your faith-- if not in God, then in something else, something definitely that they can lean on. I haven't anything. For me, the wind is pink, the grass is black" (Gaines, 102).
The boy in the dentist's waiting room makes this statement after challenging the preacher's unfettered faith in God's ability to restore black civil rights in America. He feels that he doesn't have anything except for his mind to trust, because all other methods of attaining freedom, (i.e., religion, blind trust in justice, etc) have failed to deliver him and his people from the prison of segregation, brutality, and systemic terror. He exists during a time when young men and young women, seeing that their future would be bleak without some kind of societal change, had to make a crucial decision between maintaining the status quo and hoping for deliverance beyond the grave, and risking their lives to question a system they knew was unjust and giving themselves a chance for a better life. At this point, however, there is no foundation on which any of them can stand, because they have not been united... the movement has not yet taken shape. And so, the boy's method of faith in some ways is a reliance on his mind's ability to question his world... and this, he hopes, will lead someday to the creation of a society in which people can realistically trust in other things, like religion and justice to live through difficult times.
The boy in the dentist's waiting room makes this statement after challenging the preacher's unfettered faith in God's ability to restore black civil rights in America. He feels that he doesn't have anything except for his mind to trust, because all other methods of attaining freedom, (i.e., religion, blind trust in justice, etc) have failed to deliver him and his people from the prison of segregation, brutality, and systemic terror. He exists during a time when young men and young women, seeing that their future would be bleak without some kind of societal change, had to make a crucial decision between maintaining the status quo and hoping for deliverance beyond the grave, and risking their lives to question a system they knew was unjust and giving themselves a chance for a better life. At this point, however, there is no foundation on which any of them can stand, because they have not been united... the movement has not yet taken shape. And so, the boy's method of faith in some ways is a reliance on his mind's ability to question his world... and this, he hopes, will lead someday to the creation of a society in which people can realistically trust in other things, like religion and justice to live through difficult times.
"The Sky Is Gray"
"You not a bum", she says. "You a man"
The mom saying this to her son is really powerful because she is showing him a lesson while correcting his actions. She is just clearly telling him that he shouldn't make people feel sorry for him for living under the circumstances he is forced to live in. The mom in that part of the story just wanted the amount of meat she payed for not more. The lady behind the counter just felt like they needed more meat just becuase they looked poor and took this action out of good will. Even though it was a nice gesture of the lady at the store I would have reacted the same way the mother did. I mean just because you are poor and its obvious to others doesn't mean that you should loose your sense of pride and nevertheless your dignity. It's a powerful lesson in my opinion specially during that time.
The mom saying this to her son is really powerful because she is showing him a lesson while correcting his actions. She is just clearly telling him that he shouldn't make people feel sorry for him for living under the circumstances he is forced to live in. The mom in that part of the story just wanted the amount of meat she payed for not more. The lady behind the counter just felt like they needed more meat just becuase they looked poor and took this action out of good will. Even though it was a nice gesture of the lady at the store I would have reacted the same way the mother did. I mean just because you are poor and its obvious to others doesn't mean that you should loose your sense of pride and nevertheless your dignity. It's a powerful lesson in my opinion specially during that time.
uncle tom's children by Richard Wright
"the maid, the hall-boy, and the bell-boy were all smiles. They had to be."
when I think of this, I look back to when he talked about how he and a negro maid were walking together and they passed a white night-watchman. This man slapped the maid's behind, and he could not do anything because the white man pulled out his gun and asked him what was he going to do. At the end of the scene, the maid and him continued walking , but he felt uncomfortable that he did nothing to protect her. This comes back "they had to be" because he has to go back to work the next day or when ever and he has to smile or the white folks may beat him. Either way he has no options.
when I think of this, I look back to when he talked about how he and a negro maid were walking together and they passed a white night-watchman. This man slapped the maid's behind, and he could not do anything because the white man pulled out his gun and asked him what was he going to do. At the end of the scene, the maid and him continued walking , but he felt uncomfortable that he did nothing to protect her. This comes back "they had to be" because he has to go back to work the next day or when ever and he has to smile or the white folks may beat him. Either way he has no options.
what our problem is as people of color....
"We don't question is exactly our problem..." (Gaines 95).
This is exactly true. Sometimes people of color because we are deprived of some resources we just accept what people tell us. we dont go and look for a deeper meaning or to verify what people say. Its like all we do is believe the "white man" or just the system that is above us at a certain time. For example. we learn many things in school but who is to question a teacher to verify thee facts. we assume its correct because we hope that the teacher is educated and that they were given the job to teach us facts and not made up stories. this goes back to the banking concept of education that i believe emerson talks about. in this method of learning the students are not allowed to question the teacher. they are just to remember the facts. they arent given the opportunity to apply the facts and they are not given any tips on how to think for themselves. its just to preserve the society and keep its status quo "things are the way they have always been" type of idea. i chose this quote because i didnt agree with this form education. everyone should be given the opportunity to question everything that they hear because not everything is true. most is propaganda or just some ideas that people try to impose on you that are not really valid or morally correct.
This is exactly true. Sometimes people of color because we are deprived of some resources we just accept what people tell us. we dont go and look for a deeper meaning or to verify what people say. Its like all we do is believe the "white man" or just the system that is above us at a certain time. For example. we learn many things in school but who is to question a teacher to verify thee facts. we assume its correct because we hope that the teacher is educated and that they were given the job to teach us facts and not made up stories. this goes back to the banking concept of education that i believe emerson talks about. in this method of learning the students are not allowed to question the teacher. they are just to remember the facts. they arent given the opportunity to apply the facts and they are not given any tips on how to think for themselves. its just to preserve the society and keep its status quo "things are the way they have always been" type of idea. i chose this quote because i didnt agree with this form education. everyone should be given the opportunity to question everything that they hear because not everything is true. most is propaganda or just some ideas that people try to impose on you that are not really valid or morally correct.
Quote from "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow"
"When I told the folks at home what happened, they called me a fool. They told me that
I must never again attempt to exceed my boundaries. When you are working for white folk, they said, you got to "stay in your place" if you want to keep working."(pg. xviii)
This quote stood out to me because although Wright felt that he was brutalized and treated unfairly, everyone told him, black and white alike that he's pushing his luck. He should consideer himself lucky to be alive. In those days, being beaten half to death is almost like being able to walk away unscathed.
I must never again attempt to exceed my boundaries. When you are working for white folk, they said, you got to "stay in your place" if you want to keep working."(pg. xviii)
This quote stood out to me because although Wright felt that he was brutalized and treated unfairly, everyone told him, black and white alike that he's pushing his luck. He should consideer himself lucky to be alive. In those days, being beaten half to death is almost like being able to walk away unscathed.
The Sky Is Gray
"You trying to say these people don't believe in God?"
" I'm sure some of them do. Maybe most of them do. But they don't believe that God is going to touch these white people's hearts and change things tomorrow. Things change through action. By no other way."
" I'm sure some of them do. Maybe most of them do. But they don't believe that God is going to touch these white people's hearts and change things tomorrow. Things change through action. By no other way."
The function of the heart- The Sky is Gray
" Me, I don't listen to the heart. The purpose of the heart is to pump blood throughout the body, and nothing else."
The Sky is Gray- Forced Adulthood
" I love my momma and i want to put y arm around her and tell her. But I'm not supposed to do that. She say that's weakness and babycry stuff and she don't want no babycry stuff around her. she don't want you to be scared, either. Cause Ty's scared of ghost and shes always whipping him. I'm scared of the dark too, but i make tend i ain't. I make tend i ain't cause I'm the oldest, and i got to set a good example for the rest. I cant ever be scared and i cant ever cry". pg 84 of The Sky is Gray.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Welcome!
Hey guys,
Just wanted to send a shout out to all of the SEO participants! I hope you had a good trip up to Vassar, and that you're looking forward to this week. My name's Danielle, and I'm the writing intern. I'll be helping out with your writing assignments, and posting prompts for you on the blog every night. I'll also be living on your hall for the week, so feel free to drop by if you need anything. I'm in Rm 427:).
For tonight, you should read the two stories in your welcome packets. The first is Ernest Gaines' "The Sky is Gray," and the second is Richard Wright's "Uncle Tom's Children." After you read these, each of you should post a quote from one of the stories, with a brief explanation as to why that particular quote/quotes interests you. We'll have a discussion of the readings in our workshop tomorrow (Monday) morning. Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions!
Danielle
Just wanted to send a shout out to all of the SEO participants! I hope you had a good trip up to Vassar, and that you're looking forward to this week. My name's Danielle, and I'm the writing intern. I'll be helping out with your writing assignments, and posting prompts for you on the blog every night. I'll also be living on your hall for the week, so feel free to drop by if you need anything. I'm in Rm 427:).
For tonight, you should read the two stories in your welcome packets. The first is Ernest Gaines' "The Sky is Gray," and the second is Richard Wright's "Uncle Tom's Children." After you read these, each of you should post a quote from one of the stories, with a brief explanation as to why that particular quote/quotes interests you. We'll have a discussion of the readings in our workshop tomorrow (Monday) morning. Enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions!
Danielle
Friday, July 27, 2007
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