Analysis Of The Book ' The Underside Of Paradise ' By Lawrence Otis Graham Essay

Du Bois, further exploring the two sides of the veil and the persistence of the double consciousness entangling Blacks, developed very specific conceptions of equality for Blacks in America. He defined social as not only referring “to the intimate contacts of the family group and of personal companions, but also and increasingly to the whole vast complex of human relationships through which we carry out our cultural pattern” and socially equal society as one where “private social intercourse (marriages, friendships, home entertainment), public services (residence areas, travel, recreation and information, hotels and restaurants), and social uplift (education, religion, science and art) are openly and freely accessible to Blacks, in thought, expression and action” (Du Bois 1995a, 614). The delineation of specific areas needing improvement reflects the inequalities experienced by Black Americans at the time. Such a conceptualization would not be possible without a deep understanding of the experiences of Blacks and Whites on either side of the

John Lewis initiates his claim by conveying that everyone in America should not tolerate racial segregation nor discrimination. In order to reach to his point, he uses the rhetorical device, pathos, in which it causes the “white” audience to feel remorse for what society has become. To illustrate this idea, Lewis reveals African Americans “live in constant fear of a police state”, “have been arrested on trumped charges”, and some faced “the death penalty for engaging in peaceful protest” (paragraph 2). The evidence highlights that they are going through hardships caused by the federal government because they are considered “inferior” compared to the “white” race. From this, readers can infer that white supremacy is being marked on the walls. Lewis is able to awaken Americans so they can realize how their actions are wounding African Americans. In addition, Lewis is representing the African American community so they can feel inspired to join the Civil Rights Movement. Possibly the speaker is trying to drag the African Americans out of their state of oblivion by incentivizing them to defend their rights. Lewis is addressing the problems to both audiences so they can feel the urge to fix them. Therefore, Lewis’ remarks in the first paragraph reveal that he identifies with the concerns of African Americans and how whites, mainly activists, should focus on addressing their issues.

The American Negro Academy, the first Black intellectual society, started the trend of establishing Black elitist groups who valued higher education. Unlike Booker T. Washington, Crummell’s Academy taught others that the race should learn self-sufficiency, not relying on social inclusion from Whites. He understood that Whites and Blacks would probably never peacefully coincide because the “race-problem” encompassed all of American history. In fact, the growth of Black and White populations would only continue to cultivate the problem.

For America present day, the change in race relation has changed, “technically” for no longer are acts of hatred as blatantly open and accepted; while they still do exist they are not as common and frequently exposed as appropriate. The Black Slave Codes, Jim Crow Laws, and Color-Line are within our societies normative cluster cultures. This is where groups of culture habit a vicinity of likeness and share appropriations, such as racial norms, bed rocked by realtor support, financed lender discrimination, city-property tax inequality increases, and school zonings. These are some of the new erected obstacles that “blacks” face when trying to assimilate into a society not made for their habituation. Now don’t take my word for it, but just as a Racist would claim their non-racist ways, so would an individual who bares no observation from the receiving end of inequality. Just take for example the school teacher interviewed during a psychological experiment in Europe on Racism. (Elliot, Jane)

Thurman moves deftly through varying experiences demonstrating the dehumanizing effects of segregation. He reflects upon the structure of a society that was chained and bound like the demoniac of the Gerasenes. The same evil that was necessary to restrict African Americans was the same evil that restricted the oppressors. Thurman recalls looking upon white people as ones without morals. “They were not read out of the human race, they simply did not belong to it in the first place” (Thurman, p. 3). As a boy he recognized that the white boy could express his hostility, but Thurman was not allowed vent his anger. He describes black behavior as being frozen while white behavior remained fluid.

The discriminating social stratification in 1950’s developed a set of servile behavior on the blacks. They were thought to be inferior to whites, and were treated accordingly. Moreover, different parts of the country had various ranges of sensitivities while dealing with the blacks. For example, in Mississippi things were particularly tense after the Parker lynch case. No black man would dare look into any white man’s eyes in fear of the repercussions. On the bus, a man warned Griffin to watch himself closely until he caught onto Mississippi’s ways. In an extreme case like this, it was vital to learn about their roles and behave accordingly.

In this particular body of work, Woodson discusses many issues that arose and mistakes made (and appear to still be relevant) in the educating of people of color. One such issue and summary discussed, is the disdain the learned African American develops for his fellow less formally educated African American brother, for himself, and for life in general because “he has been estranged by a vision of ideals…he can not attain” (6). He must exist in a social body that he must not associate with socially, and yet has no alternative. The self-hate that is taught,

Rather than merely examining the affects of racism on people of color, the book turns its attention to whiteness and how a system of white privilege, supported and perpetuated by whites, also damages whites by inhibiting them from making meaningful connections with other human beings. Until I almost reached the end of this book I was uncomfortable and disturbed by the way the book made me feel. As a white male, I am aware of the pain that my ancestors have created for others to advance the free world. I have pain for those who suffered and disagree with actions that were taken by my white predecessors. But I believed that we are now in a much more advanced world where we have chosen the first black president and equality was a focus of most Americans. Identifying with my culture as currently being a white supremacist society is something I have never considered, or would not want to consider. In Neuliep, within the Coudon and Yousef’s Value orientations, we perceive the human nature orientation within the United States with people being essentially rational. This term, rational, can be somewhat subjective. And if we continue with the same value system, and look from ‘the self’ values, we foster our self-identities from the influence of our culture’s values. If we are to reflect truthfully to how our country evolved and what we ‘had to do’ to create our freedom by limiting the freedom of other, how would we then perceive

Disobedience plays a key role in the unfolding of Milton’s poem. Satan disobeys God because God gave him free will, and causes Eve to disobey Adam, to disobey God.

The strong racial divides under which clearly demarcated social, politic and economic power dynamics have been made to evolve into a nation of bigotry, prejudice and discrimination gave place to a birth of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America. Through the violence against specific minorities- more specifically African-Americans- have been pervasive, nonetheless the South came to epitomize the essence of the exacerbated levels of racial discrimination, segregation, injustice and inequality which have plagued an entire nation for centuries. Therefore, as it is often the case in the context of spaces of extremes is where we find that countermovements are formed and emerge as part of an ongoing battle for justice: seeking

Milton is best known for Paradise Lost, broadly viewed as the best epic sonnet in English. Works, for example, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes, he preoved his claim to being a standout amongst other English artists . In his works Milton pushed the abrogation of the Church of England and the execution of Charles I. From the earliest starting point of the English Civil Wars in 1642 to long after the delegated of Charles the II, He appeared in every one of his works a political reasoning that contradicted oppression and a state upheld religion. His impact broadened through the english common wars as well as to the American and French upsets. In his chips away at philosophy, he esteemed freedom of inner voice, the significance of Scripture as a guide in confidence, and religious toleration toward dissidents. Milton turned into the voice of the English Commonwealth after 1649 through his treatment of its universal parallels and his safeguard of the legislature against unfriendly assaults from abroad.

In the early years of Fisk University’s history, the enrolled students considered themselves part of a talented tenth that was primed for positions of leadership among the race. According to historian Joe M. Richardson, “Fisk students were not content just to write about equal rights, they worked actively to retain or secure them (Berry 2005). Before 1924, racial tension at Fisk University concerning white leadership during this time simply foreshadowed future efforts by eager black students determined to emerge from their marginal status in society (Berry 2005). During the administration of Dr. Fayettee McKenzie from 1915-1925, tension over policies grew into conflict. Some of the policies enforced focused more

This paper will argue that the blending of ancient and modern literary ideas is significant to Milton's goal of being considered one of the great poets, as his writing style emulates that of older texts, he repeated references stories written by those great authors, and the fact that his book is about the creation of everything. First, I will talk about the way Milton writes Paradise Lost. This is significant, as his writing style is similar to Virgil, an ancient Roman Poet. Next, I will discuss Milton's idea of the gods of old in the Christian world, and how this idea links the ancient texts to what he is writing. Finally, I will discuss Milton's choice of topic, his choice of plot points, and how it relates to his goal of being among the greatest poets.

During the mid to late 1600s, England was going through a period of change and controversy. This period of change was brought on as a result of the English Civil War and the government put in place afterwards, the Protectorate. Under the Protectorate, Oliver Cromwell, a military commander against the king during the civil war, was able to disguise his military dictatorship as a commonwealth. It was this government that won the support of the writer John Milton. Milton was known for his rhetorical writings against Charles I and for Oliver Cromwell at the time. It would not be until after the fall of Cromwell that Milton would complete his greatest work of literature however. When the Protectorate fell and Charles II rose to power in 1660, Milton was forced into hiding for fear that he would be punished for his involvement with Cromwell. This would actually benefit Milton for it was when he was in hiding that he was able to complete his great work, Paradise Lost, even though he was blind. In Paradise Lost Milton recants the tale of Satan’s struggle, after being exiled from heaven for leading a revolt against God, and the lives of Adam and Eve. Throughout the epic, Satan journeys to both Earth and Eden in attempts to ruin all that God has worked to build. What Satan is unaware of however is that God knows all that he is doing and allows him to continue on his quest. This raises the timeless inquiry as to whether or not we possess free will and if so to what extent are the

John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” tells many stories that include Satan’s expulsion from Heaven, his ultimate success in tempting Adam and Eve, and even the story of God’s Son ultimately punishing everyone. These numerous stories do not just tell the story of the characters but the stories also include the settings where these events took place. Recreating the universe Milton describes in Paradise Lost is not just an adventure but it also tells us the type of world he lived in at the time he lived. While his world was imagined, he still had to use his real world as a source for his imaginings.