The Fate Of The Other In Angels In America

Over time, humans have created weapons to not only defend themselves, but to defend the nation’s security as well. Perry, a seventeen year old, balances his flaws and sympathetic qualities throughout the book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. He is neither evil nor good, but that is why he is morally ambiguous. By looking at Perry during Vietnam War, he portrays mercy, selfishness, and love to light the way back home.

What is the obsession with people’s need of identification? People need to understand that we all are different, not everybody can fit into a group. In her article, “Being an Other,” Melissa Algranati gives a personal narrative of her life and her parent 's life and how they faced discrimination and her struggles about being identified as an “other” even though she was an American born jewish and Puerto Rican. Michael Omi’s article “In Living Color: Race and American Culture” reinforces Algranati’s article since in his article he discusses about people ideas about race the stereotypes that they face. They have the same thought that Americans is obsessed with labelling people, they both discuss people’s assumptions of others based on how

The essay “Being an Other” was written by Melissa Algranati. She is a graduate of the State University of New York at Birmingham and has a master’s degree from Colombia University. The reason as to why she wrote this particular essay was to discuss and describe her experiences of not fitting easily into any particular identity group. Her intended audience are those individuals who seem to have difficulties feeling part of a group. The text was originally published in Thomas Dublin’s “Becoming American, Becoming Ethnic: College Students Explore Their Roots.” Algranati’s identity crisis led her to publish this essay and more importantly show what it was like to be mistaken for another ethnic background. She goes on to make the noteworthy argument,

“The Danger of a Dominant Identity,” discusses what one columnist believes to be one of the largest problems facing America today. David Brooks, a columnist for the New York Times, argues that reducing people to nothing more than a label with a singular identity is one of the largest problems America faces. Through the appropriate use of rhetorical appeals, David Brooks writes an effective article by informing and firmly convincing the reader of the danger in viewing others as one-sided.

Identity and happiness are entwined and dependent on one another, a loss of identity can be one of the most damaging experiences in someone’s life, especially when who they are inside is based on who they are on the outside. Take for example the nom de plum Ms. Soos writing “But what's done is done. And I am done. Looking back, I guess the sorority did do me some good. Having gone through the cruelty, the pettiness, the sometimes illegal activities, I do in a strange way feel stronger—strong enough to put up with the world's biggest pains in the ass.” As well as Glenn when he said “I don't mean my household family; I mean my street family, the Crips, or as the Bloods called us "The Crabs."”

Both parts of Tony Kushner's play Angels in America paint a painfully truthful picture of what gay men go through. In most cases, they suffer either inner anguish or public torment. Sometimes they must endure both. Being homosexual in America is a double-edged sword. If you publicly announce that you are gay, you suffer ridicule and are mocked by the ignorant of society; but if you keep your homosexuality a secret, you are condemned to personal turmoil. Kushner's work attempts to make America take a close look at itself and hopefully change its ways. The fear of public scrutiny forces many gay men into a life of denial and secrecy.

“When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.(2)” In my opinion this statement embodies the meaning of invisibility. At first the narrator believed that he had to be what everyone wanted him to do, not understanding that he needed to be himself. Here was this young man full of enthusiasm, naïve to the world around him and full of hope that he was different. The narrator, so blinded by his invisibility he allows his (current) situations to determine how he acts, what he places value on and his expectations on life, instead of developing his own identity. Here he was a young college student entrusted with a task to give a tour of his school to a high profile associate of the school but instead experiences what I call a spiral of events that prompts a rebirth in the narrator. To me, invisibility thrives on a lack of education. Being an African American in the early 1940’s must have been hard given the rise of organizations such as the Brotherhood, but this was yet another example of an ideology, not welcoming the whole diverse world, whites, blacks and even American Indians.

In the story there are many dynamic characters. One example of a dynamic character is Sara Chickering. “I watched my father swallow his food whole and rush away, leaving my mother with us children to be readied for school, lunch prepared for noon, washing to be done, and the fitting out of a big evening meal”(30). Her father would then “come home late, tired out, falling asleep in the best chair after supper, while mother puts the house to rights, got me, my brother, and my sister and, finally, my father off to bed”(30). In the beginning of the story Sara does not want to be controlled by a man, and therefore chooses to live alone. As the story progresses her opinion on men changes. “it’s not hard putting up with mr. hirsh. he isn’t like my father.”(45). “best man i ever saw.”(45). After living with mr. Hirsh who helps around the house, is respectful, and is responsible for his daughter, Sara realizes that not all men are the

Summary of the Killer Angels by Michael Shaara This book takes place during the era of the American Civil War, more importantly the battle that was the turning point, Gettysburg. Important characters that play major roles such as, Robert E Lee, James Longstreet, and Joshua Chamberlain. Each one’s perspective and thoughts were foretold throughout the book and with some minor characters like Harrison the spy, Union General Buford, Jeb Stuart Lee's’ most trusted cavalry officer, and couple other who's tributes to the war is told.

Differences in race exist. To pretend they don’t is a ridiculous notion and does nothing to bridge division and heal wounds caused by years of exclusion. However, the difference lies in acknowledging one’s racial biases, and having the self-awareness to correct it as General Chamberlain did in the passage, “Chamberlain felt an oddness, a crawly hesitation, not wanting to touch him…he felt it again: a flutter of unmistakable revulsion…He had not even known this feeling was there.” (p. 169 The Killer Angels)

A lot of people in the world struggle with self-identity and understanding who they are, and the people and events around them in their daily life provide a sort of fill-in for the gap that exists inside of them, whether it’s in the form of jealousy or admiration. Instead of relying on themselves and making an impact on the world based on who they are themselves, these people often undermine their own identity and sabotage their lives and those around them by focusing on, obsessing over, and essentially depending on other things that only appear to be a part of them. In the novel A Separate Peace, the author, John Knowles, brings up this subject of the risk of dependency on self-identity through the main character and protagonist, Gene, and

The Killer Angels displays many of the important themes that occurred during the Battle of Gettysburg, some of which including bravery, leadership, and, most of all, friendship. This theme of friendship is represented in many of the characters of this book, and some of these friendships were divided by ranks and, in the case of Armistead and Hancock, by countries. But even with the fighting, true friendship is able to come out of the mess. Two pairs of men that show this friendship are Chamberlain and Kilrain along with Lee and Longstreet.

Hallucinations are also used by Kushner to lead the audience to the premonitions of the future and provoke change to escape existing lifestyles. Prior says ‘Your husband’s a homo.’ (Kushner, 2013) In Angels in America, Harper and Prior meet in a joint hallucination, to highlight the hidden truths to provoke change personally and politically in order to avoid reform back to old habits. Harper says ‘Oh! In my church we don’t believe in homosexuals.’ (Kushner, 2013). This is highlights the focus of conservatism of religion, while Prior proclaims ‘In my church we don’t believe in Mormons.’ (Kushner, 2013). Kushner uses this particular hallucination to show how contracting and rule drive religion is. This demonstrates to the audience that over

Another inevitable reaction that came to me when I was reading this text, was the thought of – Who am I? And most importantly – Who can I be that will embrace my identity, while encouraging the diversity of others? The few identities I do own now is that I am a young African American woman, who comes from a low income neighborhood, and who is not necessarily religious but spiritual. I do not think these specific traits changed from when I was younger, however I do think the external groups I associate with have matured through my morals and values. For example, I consider myself a Democratic and a Feminist – due to the experiences I have had and the knowledge I have gained. I

The idea of salvation or having an awakening moment of one’s spirit is something that is different for every individual. Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” demonstrates how a person can be brought to their redemption by unlikely characters. Hulga, from “Good Country People,” goes from being a woman who states to believe in nothing, to a woman who loses everything and is left at a place of confusion. The grandmother from “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is similar to Hulga in that she also loses everything in order to find her faith. Although both Hulga and the grandmother seem to have their own strong belief systems, they each go through different experiences and eventually find their salvation in the characters they were least expecting.