Barbara Ehrenreich

.docx

School

University of Cincinnati, Main Campus *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

4071

Subject

Arts Humanities

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by MinisterCapybaraPerson802

Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Cultural Baggage”: A Rhetorical Analysis Where do I fit in this world and where do I come from? These are questions we all ask ourselves and one another on a daily basis. I have asked the latter question to many on various occasions as it is the question that I am asked about the most myself. It is a question that tries to focus on someone in order paint a picture of their narrative which millennia ago. In the passage Barbara Ehrenreich discusses her views on cultural ethnicity and the value which it holds in our society. The author’s main argument is that although there is a plethora of different cultures that results in various backgrounds and a lot of people hold these as important in their daily walk-in life, it is okay for others to claim no allegiance to their cultural heritage as they are allowed to just be their own person. We all have allegiances to a particular cultural background and Ehrenreich is proud to belong to the group which she refers to as the ‘’ none’’. This what she responded to when asked about her background." Then she leaned forward and inquired politely, "And what is your ethnic background, if I may ask?" "None," I said, that being the first word in line to get out of my mouth. (Ehrenreich, Barbara. “Cultural Baggage.” The New York Times , The New York Times, 5 Apr. 1992, www.nytimes.com/1992/04/05/magazine/hers- cultural-baggage.html). Ehrenreich labels these people as those who claim no ethnic, cultural, or religious background and do not do things a certain way just because that it how it has been done before. I will be discussing the two audience that Ehrenreich was addressing through this passage as to paint a contrast between the two audiences. The first audience that Ehrenreich addresses are those who claim no ethnic, cultural, or religious background. She paints the picture of how many fall into the practices of their ancestral past without taking a second to question nor decide if they truly want to participate in these old traditions. “The more tradition minded, the newly enthusiastic celebrants of Purim and Kwanzaa and Solstice, may see little point to survival if the survivors carry no cultural freight -- religion, for example, or ethnic tradition. To which I would say that skepticism, curiosity and wide-eyed ecumenical tolerance are also worthy elements of the human tradition and are at least as old as such notions as "Serbian" or "Croatian," "Scottish" or "Jewish." I make no claims for my personal line of progenitors except that they remained loyal to the values that may have induced all of our ancestors, long, long ago, to climb down from the trees and make their way into the open plains.” Ehrenreich , Barbara . “Cultural Baggage.” The New York Times , The New York Times, 5 Apr. 1992, www.nytimes.com/1992/04/05/magazine/hers-cultural-baggage.html). This passage above clearly highlights her thoughts on the subject and she follows this notion with saying that choosing to practice nothing over not to blindly practice and old tradition

Discover more documents: Sign up today!

Unlock a world of knowledge! Explore tailored content for a richer learning experience. Here's what you'll get:

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help