My Family Is Like The Phoenix Our Personalities Are Born From Travesties

Within my family tree there are two characteristics that catch my eye; perseverance and determination.“With perseverance and determination anything is possible”( Kelly Landolfi ). Even though my family is small, most of them have the trait of perseverance including my mom, Kelly; my dad, Louis; 5 my grandpa Dennis and last but definitely not least Kylie, me. Determination means to... “continue in a course of action, even in the face of difficulty or with little or no prospect of success.” All the Landolfi family have the same qualities of perseverance and determination.

It is a concept that has been shown to me by my parents’ struggles throughout their lives. My dad persevered to get where he is today. He grew up fairly poor and was determined to make a better life for himself, so he didn’t let anything get in the way. Even when he was eighteen living in a dilapidated nine dollar hotel and hanging power lines in the bitter Iowan winter, he didn’t give up. He said that even though he felt hopeless, he knew he had to preserve. Perseverance is not giving up when facing struggles and my dad is the embodiment of that concept. By my dad persevering through his struggles, he showed me that I cannot let obstacles be my demise. Another person who has displayed perseverance in my life is my mom. When I was about four, my loving, caring grandma died. This greatly affected my mom, but even though she was in pain she put on a brave face for me and my brother, and I think that this is a great example of perseverance. This also makes me want to be brave and have perseverance when I face challenges in my own life because if she got through hard times in her life then I can too. The people around me have shaped my idea of perseverance by the way that they have displayed it in their

It was a common fear among the African-Americans. The Younger Family knew that the discrimination would hold them back from their dreams and goals, but because they believe in prosperity and pride, that was the last thing on their mind. The “want” in their spirits, is what sets them at place of tranquility and hope. “In fact, here’s another fifty cents… buy yourself some fruit today - or take a taxicab to school or something! (1.1.1840) Walter is letting his son know that there is no problem when it comes to their economic status. One of the difficulties that the adults faced was their self-righteousness. The discrimination was really enabled when it came to anything in their life. Whether it be buying certain houses, jobs, or even sitting in a restaurant, it was something so common; they learned that it is far more important for their child to know how to live with no fear and worrisome in life. When it came to Walter, he knew that keeping the innocence in Travis’ life was the right thing to do, where for Ruth she was far more upright. The self-doubt they displayed was becoming a burden in their lives, but that transformation and growth is what helped them come to a better understanding of themselves. The Younger Family’s moral development would be their sense of pride, and Mama’s destiny was to continue that pride. Mama’s development within herself had grown to great measures, but when it came to her

An older boy remembered his father, a hardworking blue collar man. He remembered how his father would walk into the home each evening with scraped hands and perspiration stained shirts. His father was a tough man. He was the kind of man that refused to go to the doctor and rarely hugged his children. Yet, he was a good man. The boy remembered how his father provided for the family and often times his smallest actions proved his paternal love for them. One particular memory stood out among the rest. His father had returned home from work late one evening. He had been out celebrating his pay raise with some of his co-workers down at the local pub. He waltzed through the door bursting with

During the 1950’s, many African-Americans were crushed by society, a direct result of the failure of Reconstruction. However, many African-Americans were able to rise past the barrier of racism and segregation with large amounts of success during this time period. In Southside Chicago, the Younger family struggles with being subdued to the life style of the average African-American. They work hard for little money that they spend on bills and live in a two-bedroom apartment with five people. As Walter battles with being a chauffeur and feeling like he is not good enough for his family, his sister Beneatha is going to school to be a doctor, which costs a lot of money they currently do not have off hand. However, after their father died, his

He decided to go off on his own to achieve his dreams just because he wanted too, and he wasn’t

Dr. Bledsoe believes that black people must lie and act like stereotypical black people in front of white people in order to gain power in society; likewise, Dr. Bledsoe believes that black people should act with the upmost respect in from of white people in order to gain power. However, the narrator’s grandfather believes that black people should stand up and defy white people in order to gain rights and fight oppression.

worked long hours in a warehouse to earn enough money to attend college. Once he had attained

Both parents preached to their children about the importance of self-reliance, pride, and self-respect, values directly contradicting the “customary” values that African Americans were expected to assume (Evers-Williams, Marable, 30). As a Child Medgar was told how, his great-grandfather had killed two white men in a dispute an had managed to avoid white retaliation by escaping from town (Evers-Williams, Marable, 30) Myrlie Evers-Williams now relates James Evers would constantly preach to his children: “My family will be able to walk on the sidewalk. Whites will treat them with dignity. They will be able to register to vote.”

several different schools where they were open for him. He also had a hard time finding jobs because

The young man’s grandfather was a wise man who dispenses words of wisdom to his son to aid him in his survival. His last words are a revelation of the humble life that he has lived. They point towards the inequality between Blacks and Whites and state that the only way to survive is to pretend to be agreeable to social injustices and the status quo but secretly work for change (Ellison,

Reading this autobiography I've learned what life was like for a black child in the early 1900's and the realization that even with racism and poverty a person coming from nothing can

The book begins with a Young kid named Hiram, who is from Greenwood, Mississippi, Most of his childhood was spent with his grandfather. During his childhood, after after eating breakfast, he would usually go to Lefore Courthouse so his grandfather could do a “Little Business.” he would usually give him 5 cents so he would go to Mr.Paul’s stand in the lobby. After a while, they would return to his Pickup Truck and return to the Cotton Fields as he would sit down, watch the negroes pick up cotton in his Cotton Field. One of the negroes was chopping the cotton fields, as Hiram went up to him curiously. The negro man asked him a question, but Hiram didn’t respond because he was taught to “never talk to a Negro man.” The negro understood about why he didn’t respond, as then he asked why were

As my parents grew further apart, my siblings and I grew closer together. Having grown up in a rural community, my father was greatly supported emotionally, as our family and friends could see how the pressures of being the sole-provider weighed on him.

My father passed away in 1991, two weeks before Christmas. I was 25 at the time but until then I had not grown up. I was still an ignorant youth that only cared about finding the next party. My role model was now gone, forcing me to reevaluate the direction my life was heading. I needed to reexamine some of the lessons he taught me through the years.