Oprah Winfrey And Ellen Degeneres Character Analysis

Oprah Winfrey, the first African-American television correspondent in Nashville, Tennessee, was born into poverty and struggle and lived a childhood of abuse and neglect. Everyday, Winfrey had obstacles to conquer, similar to how everyday “from the time the Joshua tree was a tiny sapling, it had been so beaten down by the whipping wind that, rather than trying to grow skyward, it had grown in the direction that the wind pushed it” (21) because of it’s rooting. Winfrey's capacity to remain humble all through each and every crack and crevice of her life show how much of a hard-worker and how determined she is to grow and prosper, which earned her the title of being one of the richest women in the world with a net worth of three billion dollars. This compares to the Joshua tree’s toils of how it stayed alive and prospered for many years which, in the end, symbolizes perseverance and diligence to accomplish peace and balance in one’s

Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons, is a realistic fiction novel that introduces the life of Ellen and how she has overcame her childhood of hardships. That including: her mother undergoing domestic violence from her alcoholic father and then eventually leading to the death of her mother. This had all went down when she was merely a child. Although, it was a lot to handle for her, she still has that resilience in her that she was not willing to give up no matter the obstacles that she has come across.

The fiery mindset we carry throughout our life is often times sparked by our father and mother. This simmering ember of ideas and theology of social structure can remain singed in our minds and on our hearts. It can be difficult to unravel such woven fibers, but Ellen Foster shows us just how strong experience and influence can rip the veil in two. Born of prejudice and hardship, the story of Ellen Foster casts a light on the mindset of racism, her experience and growth with people of color, and the redemption it can bring.

In Lofton’s book, she addresses that there is more to Oprah than meets the eye. Her thesis statement, “What is Oprah? Oprah is an instance of American astonishment at what can be” (Lofton 1), shows the reader that the author clearly sees Oprah as a significant figure in America and will proceed to show us how so throughout the book. Through several examples, Lofton conveys her point by pointing out the influence Oprah has had on others to help them live life to their full potentials religiously, economically, physically, emotionally and socially.

Imagine being taunted for having to wear potato-sack dresses because of poverty, or growing up in impoverishment American housing projects. Two of the most famous people had to go through those trails in their life, but made it out VERY successfully. Oprah was raised being taunted for having to wear potato-sack dresses because of her poverty. Oprah now has a television network called OWN. She is a talk-show host, a book club president, an actress, a producer, a magazine owner, a satellite radio station owner, a philanthropist, a lifestyle guru, and a single-handed president picker. The other is an African-American born into impoverished American housing projects, Jay-Z. He is now the current CEO of Roc Nation and his net worth is an estimated $450 million. Even though neither of these people hadn’t come from lovely backgrounds, they had various trials, and tribulations, but they made it through and became some of the most successful people in the world. Growing up in a rough environment can be extremely hard. It can either make or break a person. From home life, to schooling, to jail systems, and the streets being an easy backup. growing up in this environment can be huge deals in the success of young African Americans.

For instance, Harriet Tubman and Hillary Clinton are two examples of women who chose to become leaders in America’s society. They both were very bold by stepping up to what they wanted to pursue. Not only does the modern society today holds women who have become great leaders, but it also holds strong female leaders from the past. Just by helping many slaves who have been under the ruling of their owners, Harriet Tubman becomes one of America’s most legendary abolitionists because of her action of freeing more than 700 slaves. On the other hand, a woman who lives in the modern society today, Hillary Clinton, is known for attempting to run for president, but finishing in second place in the election. Because of her success, she has become a person who is not only respected from having a bold character, but also an inspiration to future generations of women who also dream of being known as the first woman president of America. Furthermore, a woman that is stereotyped by society but is trying to break the unreasonable label is almost like being conformed in a glass box trying to escape. The reality for a women could consist of being faced with criticism. The strength of one can only bring them far enough to reaching success. Specifically for women, in some cases, having motivational support from others can influence them even more than before, and will help them achieve even greater accomplishments.

And now, twenty something years later, her and her husband, have 2 children in ivy league schools, live in a $900,000 home. Quite an impressive story would like to have that kind of ambition, to be so successful.

As I listened and re-listen to my interview with Adeena, I was constantly reminded how lucky I was to have the privileges that I do. I am a White woman who grew up in a middle class family with parents who unconditionally love me. However, I am a woman and although I have never been discriminated because of my race, I have been treated differently than my male counterparts. It took a long time for me to become the person I am today, someone who would speak up for herself if she was put in the situations that I went through in High School, but it is hard for me to imagine how much more difficult my life would’ve been if I happen to be born a different color. This sickening reality makes me admire women of color like Adeena who speak out against interlocking systems of oppression.

The ability to handle hardships in the world can come easy to some and to others it may be so completely out of their own grasp that they give up without even trying. During the time frame of Kaye Gibbon’s novel Ellen Foster, the world was divided; the rich verses the poor. Others could view the nation as the whites verses the blacks. Ellen Foster is right along the middle of this division. Ellen is a white eleven year old child who faces hardship one after another. A main theme in Ellen Foster is how she deals with her pain by distracting herself with self-determination as well as comedic relief.

During the women’s movement in the 60s and 70s, although women in general were determined to end male privilege and empower their fellow women, white middleclass women were the only ones having their voices and demands heard, which undoubtedly meant that all other women of color and poor women were either forgotten or ignored. While some may argue that this was simply an unfortunate coincidence, it is certainly not a mistake that those who were heard and privileged were white women with money and those who were routinely ignored were poor women of color. Therefore, because race and class literally and simultaneously determined who were ignored and oppressed and who were heard and privileged, it can be argued that intersectionality is very much present and at play in this example. This idea of oppression and privilege within the context of intersectionality is further reinforced in May’s piece when she explains that, “…intersectionality scholars and activists repeatedly have shown that privilege and oppression are experienced and structured simultaneously: this means that addressing

Beginning with the first canon, invention, we can lay out the main arguments contained within Oprah’s speech. Oprah’s logos, or logical element, is that history has proven that women who speak their truth; regardless if it has the intended affect at the time, creates a story that transcends time and culture. Because these stories stay with us as a society, they effect change at some point. Oprah shares the story of Recy Taylor and Rosa Parks as evidence that speaking

One of the shows that comes to mind when it comes to inequalities of social status in American society, is Orange Is the New Black. This show is mainly about women and their experiences in a minimum-security women’s prison.

Both oprah winfrey and ellen degeneres are succesfful business women that have a powerful impact on society through a personal connection. They both host their own

As a young child Oprah entertained herself by ¨playacting¨ in front of an ¨audience¨ of farm animals. When Oprah was 2 ½ years old she began to read. She addressed her church when ¨Jesus rose on Easter Day¨. Oprah skipped Kindergarten after writing a note to her teacher saying she should be in 1st grade. She was then moved up to 3rd grade after that year. At 6 years old Winfrey was sent north to live with her mother and two half-brothers in a Milwaukee ghetto, a very poor and dangerous neighborhood. At 12 years old Oprah was sent to live with her father in Nashville, Tennessee who was a businessman and a barber. She

This essay will compare and contrast Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres based on their lives before fame, their talk shows, and their impact on society.