The Day I Became A N-R Analysis

The word has become a lot since it’s creation, from “to burn or char” to “an ignorant, uneducated, foolish individual” Most of us know the word nigger as a swear word, but it used to mean something completely different than what we know today as a insensitive racial term.

“You’re just another stupid nigger,” says a classmate. I was in the third grade, he [the classmate], felt threatened by my intellectual superiority I realize now. As a child, who didn’t know what to make of the tern nigger, I decided to ask my teacher. Retelling the incident to her, she decides to tell the principal and have my classmate suspended. I thought of it being odd, as this child, like I, was in the third grade, gets suspended for a word, which I didn’t know was a derogatory word at the time. Nigger – a derogatory name for a Black person. As I asked my elder brother to explain what a nigger is, I was informed on the period of slavery, racial segregation, Jim Crow laws, and what the definition of a nigger. Was that what I was to other people? Just a young nigger girl? Is there nothing else that can be used to describe myself besides the color of my race? As a young girl, I was very conflicted and overwhelmed with all of this

When some think about the word nigger they immediately think about negativity and some might even venture to say that it is a "bad" word. It takes you back to a time when blacks were oppressed and demoralized. When blacks were looked at as inferior and not worthy to obtain equal rights in America. But that was decades ago and it is now the 21st century. Not only have we changed the spelling of the word, by dropping the er and adding a, but the definition has changed also. According to Gloria Naylor, we have took our "past history of struggle and present survival against the odds" and transcended the word nigger into a "victorious statement of being". So a word that was used to depict

In the English language, the word "nigger" is an ethnic slur, usually directed at black people. The word originated as a neutral term referring to people with black skin, as a variation of the Spanish and Portuguese noun negro, a descendant of the Latin adjective niger . It was often used disparagingly, and by the mid-twentieth century, particularly in the United States, its usage became unambiguously pejorative, a racist insult. Accordingly, it began to disappear from popular culture, and its continued inclusion in classic works of literature has sparked controversy. In the contemporary United States and United Kingdom, using the word is taboo, and it is often replaced with the euphemism "the N-word". "Nigga" is sometimes used among African Americans in a non-derogatory sense or as a term of endearment. Etymology and history

The word “nigger” is a word of many and various meanings with plentiful purposes. It is like no other word. People use this word to criticize, harm, exclaim, and even to sound “cool” to others. There are so many variations of the word nigger that could seem less harmful like “nigga”, “nig”, etc, that are used to disguise true intentions. To determine the meaning of the word “nigger” it is crucial to look deeply at the scenario because it can be used in so many ways for so many reasons. For instance, overlooking the time period, the geographical location and the acts unfolding could lead to a misunderstanding of the true meaning of the word “nigger”. The two biggest things to consider when determining the true meaning of the word is to recognize who is using the word and who exactly the word is being targeted towards; but failing to recognize other factors also help when determining the connotation.

The use of the term nigger can be used as a amicable greeting between two blacks, or as a “hideous pejorative” (Marriott 94) towards blacks. Marriott notes that the use of nigger is usually condoned and used by younger blacks as a “term of endearment” (98), in hopes to gradually alter the meaning of the word. Their goal is to normalize the usage of nigger between blacks to “dull its edge whenever whites use it” (Marriott 95). This has been proved somewhat efficient, as most whites dread the word and express feelings of disgust whenever it is heard from the mouth of whites. Many younger blacks believe their efforts are stimulating a progression in society, but older blacks and the majority of whites assert just the opposite- it illustrates “anything

People have words they use with their family that would be hurtful had they come from outsiders. Gloria Naylor makes a great point when she articulates, “So there must have been dozens of times that the word “nigger” was spoken in front of me before I reached the third grade. But I didn’t “hear” it until it was said by a small pair of lips that had already learned it could be a way to humiliate me” (483). Naylor grew up hearing “nigger” everywhere she went. It was used as a term of endearment. It was used to describe people with great achievement. Occasionally it was used to describe a small group in the community who were not great people (481). However,

11). Due to his recent revelation to the reality of his identity, he encountered a series of plateaus during which he contemplated whether he should associate with the “colored” race or with the white race. He was now aware of his true identity: partially African-American and partially white. From this point onward, he endeavored to understand whether he is black or white. He did not know where he belonged in society. He contemplated his responsibility to his race versus his responsibility to himself. He tried to embrace life as a ““colored”” man at times, and other times he chose to pass as white. His life was full of contradictions and he could not decide which racial community to assimilate in. He eventually realized that his personal identity did not align with the pre-established racial boundaries.

‘Hush, Rufe.’ I put my hand on his shoulder to quiet him. Apparently I’d hit the nerve I’d aimed at. ‘I didn’t say you were trash. I said how’d you like to be called trash. I see you don’t like it. I don’t like being called nigger either.’ (61)

After reading the responses, I took note that for many people in the city, the word "nigger" is a regular saying. In the responses I've read from Data Collection 1, there were many narrators that resided in the big city area that claim the word is perfectly safe to use by any race. In passage eight a narrators writes "the word can be heard anywhere around New York City." "In New York City the word is used so much, but in a positive way" (Passage nine). This was a continuous pattern in the responses. But why do so many people of different races use the word so frequently in New York City? In Passage Seven, the narrator wrote "people in New York City along with myself has transformed the whole meaning." Once again, because it is not used destructively it is an acceptable term. New York City is a place where many different cultures come together. The usage of this word by people of different races is common. Age is also a component of the usage of the "n" word. Most of the people using the word "nigger" are young, mainly because older people are more accustomed to its former meaning which, as we know, was used to demean black people. "People in New York City, along with myself have transformed the whole meaning". This provides an explanation of why the word appears to be used so much and by so many people. Author Randal Kennedy explained in his book entitled nigger that young people

Kennedy proclaims a similar argument for using the word nigger. He argues that everyone (including whites) can use nigger, as long as the context of its use is clear and appropriate.

“The Word “Nigga” Is Only for Slaves and Sambos” was written by Rob Nelson and first published in a university newspaper in North Carolina. Later on, the article was so meaningful that it was re-published in the academic journal, the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. In the article “The Word “Nigga” is only for Slaves and Sambos”, Rob Nelson uses ethos, logos, and especially skillful pathos appeals based on the history of slavery and the illustration about the future of African American, to prove why he thinks the “N-word” is not acceptable. By using ethical argument and those clever appeals, Rob Nelson definitely persuades his young African American audience.

Nigger. A word formed from the Spanish word “niger” and “negro”, meaning black. A word that was often used as a racial slur and insults against black people. This word has been used in a derogatory way since the 1800s. It is a term of exclusion and a verbal justification for discrimination. Nowadays in the 21st century, people use the slang word nigga which stems from nigger. Over the years there has been some controversy about who should be allowed to say the slang word nigga. The connection between The Fire This Time and this topic is in Carol Anderson’s excerpt from her book, White Rage, Ronald Reagan’s key political strategist, Lee Atwater says, “You start out in 1954 by saying ‘Nigger, nigger, nigger’ By 1968 you can’t say ‘nigger’

     This article was hard for me to decipher. In the first paragraph it talks about calling some one a “Nigger”. To me the word nigger is degrading. I don’t like to use this word because I am no better than you. Therefore, you are no better than me.

Being the fan that I am of the series, when I got to episode three, titled “(Don’t) Say Anything”, of my binge watching, I noticed something very disturbing. In this episode, there is a scene in which the Asian-American character, Brook Soso, and the African-American character, Poussey Washington, are having a conversation as they stroll across the prison’s basketball court together. In this conversation Brook says the following line to Poussey, “Even though I do think labeling is a total sham, I see the power of reclaiming an epithet. Like you guys have with n*gga.” Brook’s pronunciation of this word was neither censored, or even hesitant. I couldn’t help but feel that this line was more ventriloquized than natural to the actual scene. The biggest reason why this is so disturbing was because Orange is the New Black’s writing team is almost entirely caucasian. This