A Comparison Of 'Shame,White Lies', And Salvation?

In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the main character is constantly being told what she is and is not able to do such as “But he said I wasn’t able to go, nor able to stand it after I got there;… (Gilman)” This is an excellent example of her feeling oppressed, because her husband feels that he knows her capabilities better than she does. Another example of this is “’What is it little girl?’ he said. ‘Don’t go walking about like that—you’ll get cold.’ (Gilman)” This is an example of John thinking that her condition is so bad, she has to be treated like a child, constantly telling her what and what not to do. In “The Story of an Hour” the shows she has felt depressed with “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. (Chopin)” After receiving news that her husband passed away in a train accident, she felt as if the burden of doing things for her husband was lifted, and that she could do the things she wants to do.

This pattern is a reflection of the narrator’s hidden feelings of depression and oppression which expose a different side of herself that isn’t accepted in society’s

It is common to reflect on events that occurred at an earlier stage of life and feel regret and guilt for decisions that were made at that time. In Langston Hughes’ “Salvation” and Sarah J. Lin’s “Devotion” both recall situations in which they felt regret for actions they took as adolescents. However, they should not feel guilty about their actions as they were young and influenced by outside forces.

Everyone knows that poverty can lead to feelings of shame and humiliation, but what many people don’t realize is that sometimes overwhelming feelings of shame and humiliation lead to poverty. In her article “In the Search of Identity in Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street,” Maria de Valdes goes as far as to refer to shame and poverty as a “syndrome” because she believes they’re so closely associated. “It is a closed circle,” Valdes asserts. “You are poor because you are an outsider without education; you try to get an education, but you can’t take the contrastive evidence of poverty and ‘it keeps you down.’” In other words, poverty and shame are an endless cycle because a person will be ashamed to be impoverished, but won’t be able to move up because shame will always hold them back. This can be seen in Esperanza’s mother, who didn’t finish school because she was too ashamed that she didn’t have nice clothes like the other girls. “Shame is a bad thing, you know,” she warns Esperanza. “It keeps you down” (91). Shame kept her down by preventing her from finishing school, and in turn her lack of education kept her from pursuing her dreams. Instead, she settled into the housewife life, which she still regrets: “I could’ve been somebody, you know” (91). She says it sadly, like she’s mourning the loss of what

Imagine: A young boy scavenges for food to provide for his impoverished family which was composed of his ill mother and starving siblings or a homeless, single mom desperatley seeking for shelter. These synopses from "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt and "The Street" by Ann Petry share a common theme: perseverance through hardships. In "Angela's Ashes," a memoir by Frank McCourt, he stells about the harships he endured through his childhood, such as, struggling to assist his family in the midst of poverty by stealing food to provide for them. Futhermore, in "The Street," a novel by Ann Petry, tells the story of young Lutie Johnson, a homeless single mom who is seeking shelter for herself and her children. In these two excerpts, the authors use the characters, settings, and events to develop the theme, which I've identified as perseverance through hardships.

And lastly, an example that reveals Tim’s struggle is evident when he says, “For more than twenty years I've had to live with it, feeling the shame,[...].” (page 1) and “I survived, but it's not a

After reading both “Self Reliance,” by Ralph Waldo Emerson and “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” by Frederick Douglass, one might notice a trend in what both writers regard as the key to happiness or self-fulfillment. Emerson and Douglass both imply that acquiring knowledge is what people should strive for throughout their lives. However, their perceptions on the kind of knowledge should be attained is where their ideas diverge; Emerson is the one that encourages one to develop the soul whereas with Douglass, it is the mind.

As humans, we take heart in subscribing to certain beliefs, and we do this with great ease and alacrity; after all, vague ideals seem easy enough to adopt when merely on paper. We experience difficulties, however, when forced to translate these beliefs into actions. In Frederick Douglass’s 1845 The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, the self-agency Douglass utilizes to escape the bondage of slavery seems similar to the actualization that comes through trusting one’s own interior instincts Ralph Waldo Emerson urges readers to cultivate in his 1841 essay on “Self-Reliance”; and the similarities and differences between key passages in both texts ultimately help characterize the nature of the link between the

Self-Reflection seems to be one of the bigger inner conflict that people of all ages seem find themselves struggling with. No one wants to genuinely look inside themselves and challenge their character, motives, and their actions. It seems much more tempting to run away and hide from all of our faults then to come face to face with them. Writers do a phenomenal job of exposing the struggle a person goes though trying to grasp an understand of a group of people from a different culture or society when they have yet to figure themselves out. A person can not answer why for someone else or for a group of people until they can answer the why in their own life. Both James Baldwin author of “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What

Often times, you may find that individuals are forced to adjust to the expectations of society and find themselves giving into the demands that society placed on them. With that being said, in the text "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "The Man Who Was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright, these protagonist are faced with having to deal with their issue in an isolated way. These stories are focused on the main characters who were humiliated and learned to beat their oppressors. These two text compare to each other in a subtle way. While the protagonists have many differences, they both found a way to free themselves from bondage.

Within a slave narrative, the identity of the writer greatly affects the perspective of the story and the message that the author wishes to convey. For a narrative of this nature, to send its meaning directly and efficiently it must be able to illustrate the individual struggle of the writer as well as create a clear line between what it means to be a slave and what it means to be free. These identities of the author not only conflict with the image of self but also help to illuminate the struggles of the author. Each identity plays a part in constructing the narrative to depict both the hardships of slaves as well as the capabilities of those freed from enslavement to achieve more. Within Frederick Douglass’ narrative, he depicts both his

In exploring the problem of identity in Black literature we find no simple or definite explanation. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that it is rooted in the reality of the discriminatory social system in America with its historic origins in the institution of slavery. One can discern that this slavery system imposes a double burden on the Negro through severe social and economic inequalities and through the heavy psychological consequences suffered by the Negro who is forced to play an inferior role, 1 the latter relates to the low self-estimate, feeling of helplessness and basic identity conflict. Thus, in some form or the other, every Negro American is confronted with the

The two realizations that Slaney experiences proves how important the opinion of others is when it comes to the way one may think of themselves as a person. It also has a bigger impact on one’s sense of identity when the opinion is coming from people who are influential like the nun or who have a lot of meaning in one’s life such as

Consequential experiences in life, be they good or bad, because of right choices or wrong, often determine who a person is or who they will become. These experiences can shape the person and either destroy them or make them more resolute. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger” (3). These words ring particularly true in the remarkable case of Hester Prynne. The Scarlett Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in 1850, is a tale of sin, secrets, retribution and redemption. Hawthorne’s work follows the story of Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman living alone in the early 17th century settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony after the presumed death of her missing husband. Convicted of the crime of immorality when she has an adulterous affair and conceives a child as a result, she has been sentenced to wear a Scarlett “A” on her bodice for the rest of her life. The letter, meant to be a form of prison for Hester, is an obvious symbol of shame and a constant reminder for her as well as the town’s people of her impurity and indiscretion. The letter is designed as a punishment beyond her own guilt. Fortuitously and without her realizing it, this suffering, due to societies demand for self-proclaimed justice, awakens in her a more independent, courageous and determined woman; a woman able to ultimately change how she is viewed by others and shake the stigma that surrounds the wearing of the infamous

According to Nietzsche genealogy of Christian morality has become a tale of shame – wherein the weak promote the propagation of a lie and foster a mistaken explanation for suffering. By overlooking the will to power that occurs naturally in all the people, Christianity cages, and dulls the will preventing it from expressing itself. This in turn creates problems by removing the individual’s ability to master their own life – turning them into puppets under the guidance of the government. From the Christian perspective, nihilistic views empower the people – giving them hope and a belief in internal strength. From Nietzsche’s view point Christianity and its by-product – democracy - in fact remove any sense of power or self from the realm of the weak. There is no room for advancement until death. Nietzsche points to alternative sources of suffering and punishment – noting a sadistic expression of will to power that in some ways is reminiscent of sociopathic tendencies. The best human life uses will to power as a motivator. The weak and the strong seek to fulfill their desires and the expression as such can be varied. It can be the source of punishment as expressed in the past and modernity. According to Nietzsche, man should murder and taunt to fulfill his needs. This all became restricted with the advent of modern society creating only a space for internal suffering and anger. In moments of public suffering, will to power is expressed – but is still primarily constrained by