The Goldfeinch Analysis

In her 2012 TEDx Talk, “How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion”, Peggy McIntosh discusses how race is a privilege system and how white people are given an advantage without even realizing it. In her lecture McIntosh says, “These privilege systems, which locate us above and below the hypothetical line of social justice, were invented and we were born into them. And we all know both sides and that is the reason for compassion, about the sadness of having been born into systems that gave us such… such different ‘politics of location’”. Here, it seems that McIntosh’s main goal is to inform people that we are born into a privilege system because of our skin color and the only way that we can prevent a social hierarchy we must be able to recognize that we are all different. I think that the human population should be able to identify that people are different and have compassion for the differences in society our world today could have little to no race issues. After listening to McIntosh’s arguments, I support the ideas she makes throughout her works and I find that privilege systems are still prominent in today’s society.

Dave Chappelle talks about how many different types of people in society today benefit from racism and other social constructs whether or not they know it. While minority groups toil under racism, sexism and classism the majority groups benefit. While blacks were heavily oppressed from times of slavery all the way until the Jim Crow era whites benefited from the system of oppression. Back when women had no rights and sexism was rampant men were benefactors and while life gets harder and harder for the poor it gets easier and easier for the rich. In the books we read race and class are major themes in all of them. Many characters get the short end of the privilege stick while others benefit greatly from different types of privilege whether or not they are aware of it. Most of the characters are either too young or too ignorant to do anything about the privilege gap in these books. Chappelle talks about opportunities given to those with privilege. Whether it’s having the knowledge that getting kicked out of one prestigious prep school just means enrollment in another or simply being able to freely go wherever a person wants knowing they won’t be questioned or beaten unequal opportunities based on privilege are plentiful in our novels this year. While several characters exemplify the benefits of privilege Kevin, Scout and Holden best illustrate what privilege, whether known or unknown, can do for a person.

A privilege is any unearned advantage available to a particular person or group of people. As McIntosh had described, privileges are invisible, weightless knapsacks containing special provisions, maps and passports (White Privilege). The privileged rarely see themselves as the oppressor, but instead take the majority of their rights for granted, which protects them from many kinds of hostility, distress, and violence. In the following paper, I describe the hardships associated with disability and homosexuality through the perspective of Connie Panzarino, as portrayed in her memoir The Me In The Mirror. I will then relate her experiences to class readings and describe how able-bodied and heterosexual privileges are threats to those who do not fit into either category.

The meaning of the corrupted of power is still seen today as it’s an endless cycle that does not stop as people come into power. Corruptions link to greed, dishonest, fraud and illegal acts of a person. When a person is given power, some tend to abuse the trust that people

Seghal begins her article by discussing the definition of ‘privilege’. She acknowledges how privilege has changed, but she does not omit the current perspective. Seghal claims that people “refer to the unearned benefits afforded a group of people”( Sehgal 1). Thusly evoking shame when one is claimed to be privileged by others. Although just an introduction into the topic, there is a great paradox from this. How can one be ashamed of their success? Seghal demonstrates the confusion and mixed emotions involving privilege. She continues on to define privilege not only as money, but also and a mental state. From her research, “poor whites felt that they outranked poor blacks” (Seghal 2). She strongly entertains the idea people are more privileged

Power and corruption are concepts that are difficult to fully understand. Several controversies occur within these topics. There are both conventional and unconventional ways of viewing power. In an attempt to make a claim contrary to common belief, David Brin stated, “It is said that power corrupts, but actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible.” This statement is not accurate because power is the corrupting device responsible for a plethora of downfalls leaders have experienced.

Privilege is defined as a special right, benefit, or immunity, the quality of having resistance, given or obtainable only to a specific person or group. While it is human nature, a shared psychological attributes of humankind, to want to be privileged, it is also human nature to resent when one is not part of a privileged group, a group with special rights and advantages. This is true when related to society, a large social group with a distinctive cultural organization, as a whole and it is true when it relates only to a small group such as a family. This inequality, the difference or the state of being unlike, seems to have existed since time immemorial, with cave women delegated to doing most of the work while – once the man, an adult male,

In my way of defining power corrupt it means that things go out of hand to those who are in a high position; For example: Mayor, President, Governor, Chief, and to those who are in high power. So, as I go through my reasons you should realize real-life events that took place and also people that are involved.

A society cannot thrive without both power and powerless, but whichever is more corrupt depends on each case. With power and powerlessness, each person has a different perspective on how they might handle that situation.

Power is wanted by many people across the universe, and those that gain it are privileged to many advantages in life. Power can be a good thing and a bad thing, mostly depending on what type of person gains the power, but in the end, everyone is the same. Great power has the potential to lead to corruption of the individual, leading to great overlooked weaknesses.

According to the English author and philosopher, Edmund Burke, “The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” (Burke) This often proves to be true in Thomas Mofolo’s novel Chaka. Power is often a corruptive concept. If you do not have a genuinely selfless heart, you will become corrupted by your own power, which often happened to those of power in this novel. Power can be expressed through controlling others, but it can also be expressed by disabling others from controlling you by rebelling. Powerlessness occurs when you lose the determination to stop others from controlling you. In Chaka, Thomas Mofolo distinguishes between the powerful and powerless by making the powerful easier to relate to than the powerless, while also showing how very few of the powerless were able to acquire power.

The question of what is moral and what is not is a question that constantly plagues the human conscience. The human must either choose to do what is right or what is wrong. The human mind is ordered to the good, so then why does one choose to do wrong? The choice to do wrong is usually due to an outside source, whether it be personal gain, self-fulfillment, or power. H.G. Wells addresses this issue of power and morality in his novel the Invisible Man. Through the use of his main character, Griffin, Wells demonstrates how power can interfere with the man’s tendency to pursue the good, but more so how power can lead to man’s pursuit of the immoral.

Power is wanted by many people across the universe, and those that gain it are privileged to many advantages in life. Power can be a good thing and a bad thing, mostly depending on what type of person gains the power, but in the end, everyone is the same. Great power has the potential to lead to corruption of the individual, leading to great overlooked weaknesses.

As an individual's life is constantly progressing throughout a variety of perspectives, the conflicts of the person's life becomes greater and these issues can be very complex. In the terms of injustice and hardships, it is quite difficult to address these issues and to cope with them. Privilege is a term that is described as an unearned right that is given to an individual for the purpose of a specific power solely on a basis of one's culture, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc. It is important to acknowledge privilege as many people have entitlements in some kind of way and they can misuse it and use it to their advantage in negative ways, which can be the cause oppression against another individual. I am going to discuss the content of 'invitation' and reflect aspects of my life which I have greater power and privilege than others. The questions corresponding to this article is why are you interested in exploring these issues related to privilege? and is your interest connected in any particular hopes for your work, for your life, for the world in which we live.

the privilege not to be oppressed You have the privilege not to be dealt with seriously in light of being a lady or a man, dark or white, having an incapacity or for whatever other reason.