Abstract This paper examines how Harriet Jacobs's "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" is a first person slave narrative in which Jacobs herself, a slave girl, accounts for her life under the fictitious name, Linda Brent. It looks at how, in this narrative, the author illustrates what being born and raised as a house servant in the South is like, as well as the abuses and brutal violence a captive slave faces and endures. It analyzes how, with tone, understatement, irony, and metaphors, Jacobs represents the sexual and emotional violence, as well as the tyranny of the enslaved black woman.
From the Paper "Jacobs' creates Linda's sequence of events and experiences through a bitter and melancholic tone, revealing Linda's anger and resentment towards her master and his family. As a reflection Linda states, "I was determined that the master, whom I so hated and loathed, who had blighted the prospects of my youth...should not succeed at last in trampling his victim under his feet" (Jacobs, 1846). The author's use of strong emotions to describe Linda's feelings towards her master further emphasizes the vindictive and merciless character of the master. The resentful shame the author creates through the first person narration of Linda's confessions illuminate the degradation endured by the author as well as the struggles of women."
Abstract This paper looks at the growing acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships in society, as well as homosexual marriages. The author focuses specifically on Toronto's Metropolitan Community Church, led by the Reverend Brent Hawkes, which offers the gay community vast support for the lifestyle, and performs controversial marriage ceremonies.
Tags:brent, church, community, hawkes, metropolitan, reverend, toronto
Abstract This paper relates how Linda Brent in "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" draws in the reader through her own words and experiences of the pains she suffered through her life in the South. The author feel that the writer puts her own emotive attitude into the text to give the words meaning and a passion that only comes from the soul. The author points out that Jacobs begins with a brief apology to the reader, not for her words or her style, but for their own minds thinking that her work may be a fictional piece of writing.
From the Paper "Jacobs? words have had an effect upon me. If by understanding the true account of one slave girl, we can understand the true meaning of slavery. What happened to the slaves in the Deep South was not just a matter of white supremacy but white hatred. This story can be seen to be in its rawest sense an emotional work. If it were written by anyone but an ex slave, it would not have the same effect, the words come from the heart and not from the mind."
This paper discusses "de facto" versus "de jure" racism as related in Richard Wright's "The Library Card" and Brent Staples's "Black Men in Public Spaces".
1,075 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 2 sources, 2004, $ 37.95
Abstract This paper explains that the essay, "The Library Card", by Richard Wright, illustrates a young, black man growing up in Memphis who cannot borrow books from a whites-only library because he cannot obtain a library card. The author points out that the racism experienced by Brent Staples is subtler, but still present in the legal racism of the Northern states of the 1970s. The paper stresses that even if one man experiences de jure versus de facto racism, this does not mean that racism has less of an impact upon Staples's life than it does on Wright?s.
From the Paper "Both contradicting ideas in both essays"the young Black man dangerously striving for knowledge against legal constraints and the adolescent Black man dangerously lacking in knowledge, walking down a city street, are simultaneously held in the minds of racist society. The experiences of both authors, when viewed in consort, shows that there is no way out of the irrational, racist mindset"other than bringing it to the reader's attention. Black education is feared and Black violent ignorance?society fears what it has attempted to generate. It existed in the past, and it still exists today, just as damaging, even if the legal prohibitions that thwarted Wright are no longer in place. In fact, because Wright circumvented the law, perhaps the law matters less than the fetters that exist upon white minds that endanger Black self-esteem."
Abstract This paper examines how the ugly face of racism continues to haunt the United States in many ways, and its effects seem to ebb and flow from one American generation to the next. It reviews the black authors, Debra Dickerson, Maya Angelou, Richard Wright, Brent Staples, and Ralph Ellison, and attempts to show how have all helped to focus national and international attention on the challenges and obstacles faced in America as they sought to overcome the lingering effects of racism. It also explores how, although they all have different approaches to the problem, all of these authors have managed to capture the essence of their struggles and triumphs as they grew up in the United States. An examination of their lives and works is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "In his book, Black Boy, Richard Wright broke new ground as being among the first black American writers to protest white treatment of blacks. The grandson of slaves, Wright's father left home when he was five. "After my father's desertion, my mother's ardently religious disposition dominated the household and I was often taken to a Sunday school where I met God's representative in the guise of a tall, black preacher" (Wright 33). According to one biographer, Wright grew up in poverty and was frequently shifted from one relative to another (Wright, Richard 3). Wright worked at a number of menial jobs before joining the Great Migration northward. After landing a job with the Federal Writers' Project in Chicago, he became a member of the Communist Party in 1932."
Tags: african, american, bird, black, caged, growing, invisible, know, man, parallel, race, relations, sings, time, trueblood, white
This paper compares slavery stories: Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", Harriet Jacobs' (aka Linda Brent) "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" and the film "Gone with the Wind" based on Margaret Mitchell's book.
Abstract This paper explains that the fictional world of Tara in "Gone with the Wind", where slave are well-treated and loved, just like family, even though they aren't free to come and go as they please and are forced to work, is grossly inconsistent with the slavery stories of Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" and Harriet Jacobs' (aka Linda Brent) "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl". The author points out that Douglass graphically and appallingly, better than any other narrative, shows the cruel and inhumane treatments of slaves; Jacobs describes the soul of a slave by demonstrating how she holds herself in high esteem, despite the fact that others see her primarily as property. The paper concludes that, when one knows what truly happened in the days of slaves, it becomes clear that "Gone with the Wind" was made to justify slavery and glorify the actions of the South with pretentious nonsense that glossed over the true reality of the situation.
From the Paper "The hard details of life as a slave begin with the realities of childhood. Slave children were taken from their young mothers at birth and placed in the care of an elderly slave that no longer could work as efficiently in the field or house. As such, Douglass never saw his mother more than four or five times in his life. In fact, she was hired out by a man who lived twelve miles from Douglass and when she did make the journey she did so in the middle of the night, on foot. His mother knew the penalty for not being in the field at sunrise, and slaves were rarely given permission to not be at work during the daylight hours (Douglass). For children it was just as brutal."
Abstract This paper reviews and critiques "Just Walk on By", an essay about black men in America, written by Brent Staples. In the essay, Staples asserts that Americans are inherently afraid of an unknown black man. The author of this paper summarizes Staples' arguments and provides several examples from the text. The author concludes that Staples is such an effective, persuasive storyteller, that the reader becomes convinced to not only stop fearing unknown black men, but to feel sympathy for them.
From the Paper "The dark images used in the first half of the essay to explain the fear his presence instilled on society now turn against him and become methods to produce sympathy towards him. Although others fear him, Staples is the one who, in a hunted animal-like chase, must run for his life among a maze of halls that conjure up images of a rat in a trap. Instead of walking by, around, or from him, women now take on an offensive hunch posture, something akin to the arched back stance a cat takes before attacking a small animal. The world has taken action and braced itself against his timid, innocent presence. Staples has taken himself from the overwhelming predator role he assumed in the beginning of the essay to becoming a soul shut out from the freedom of taking a simple stroll, all because citizens fear the unknown black male."
Abstract This paper examines how some of the greatest prose ever to come to light was written by impoverished and abused slaves and how following directly in their footsteps, their African-American ancestors put together still more works that became absolute national treasures in the literary community and beyond. It looks at how as a result of this literature, the civil rights movement was born and how rather than using scare tactics and hatred, propaganda and violence, the vast majority of America's African American community took up a non-aggressive stance and set about to change the very face of the U.S. It uses quotes from Langston Hughes's "Harlem", and Brent Staples's "Black Men and Public Space."
From the Paper "The poem, "Harlem," by the much revered black author Langston Hughes, despite being rather succinct in nature is absolutely invaluable when looking at the American civil rights movement. It is most valuable in the sense that it was written prior to the beginning of the movement, and it gives us an insight into what Hughes believed would happen in the Negro community at the time. The splendid imagery used by Hughes describes a vast multitude of scenarios that might have sprung up had the civil rights movement taken a different spin. "
Abstract The paper discusses Brent Scowcroft and James A. Baker, who were two of the top foreign policy advisors for the current President's father when he sat in the oval office. However, the paper discusses how these two men have strongly disagreed over the question of whether or not the United States is on the right course vis-a-vis Iraq. The paper briefly outlines the central point of disagreement between the two men, the strengths and certainly in the case of the less-convincing argument, the weaknesses of each argument put forward and notes why one of the cases is more compelling than the other. The paper concludes that Scowcroft presents a more thoughtful argument than does James A. Baker.
Abstract People react to discrimination in different ways. Some let it discourage them, some run away form it, and others hate it so much that they become bigots themselves. There are, however, positive ways of reacting to discrimination. Discrimination can motivate people to survive and become successful so that they can try to prevent it in the future. This paper explores works by Langston Hughes, Brent Staples, Richard Wright, and Alice Walker, authors of short stories concerning different African-American characters facing issues of race and discrimination. The paper shows that, by reading their stories, one gets a clear understanding that when faced with discrimination, it is best to keep a positive attitude rather than a negative one. In these stories, the characters that do keep a positive, more realistic attitude toward racial issues and discrimination tend to turn out more successful, mentally, than the characters that react to these issues negatively. Works analyzed include, "One Friday Morning" (Langston Hughes), "Black Men and Public Space" (Brent Staples), and "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker.
From the Paper "Brent Staples? reaction to discrimination and racial profiling is what gives him a better attitude and outcome. In "Black Men and Public Space", Staples discusses how he is a victim of these every day. Walking down the street at night, white people, especially women, would quickly walk away form his direction. In subways, white people would sit nervously as if waiting for him to attack. Even merchants in retail stores would give mean glares when he entered their store. Staples describes feeling "surprised, embarrassed and dismayed, all at once". This sort of environment could quickly erode a person's spirit. In his situation, most would become angry and resentful. Staples, however, realizes that he cannot allow this to happen."
Abstract This essay is about the African-American woman's struggle for freedom as portrayed in the two novels. Both narratives deal with the central theme of trying to find one's way to a free life through challenges and personal setbacks and what happens when you get what you want. The essay compares the goals of the two protagonists, the reality of the portrayal, the characters? social ideals, the ending and the tone of the novels.
From the Paper "I feel that the two authors had a similar intent in mind when writing - to show both the tragedy and triumph of getting what you want. Both women are striving for something that they see as their gateway to happiness. Brent's is to buy herself and her children out of slavery; Johnson's is to be financially independent. Their entire lives are wrapped around and intertwined with these goals, and every occurrence in their lives relates in some way. When they obtain these goals in startlingly different ways, each pays a similar price in their lives and the lives of their children. While both women's goals are seemingly unrelated to each other, I see a great line of commonality between the two. Lutie Johnson (from "The Street") is constantly fighting for her American dream, which is financial independence from "the street" where the "street" represents all the evils in the world - drugs, prostitution, poverty and hardships. She wants to keep her son from being like "the rest of these little niggers" when she finds him shining shoes and lashes out at him. (Petry, 67) Brent wishes to buy her children out of slavery, which she has found to be a life of constant pain and turmoil. It is most important to her to do so, and to get back some of her innocence that has been lost through slavery in the hopes that she will live a good enough life to be in heaven."
Abstract This paper discusses the book, written under the pen name Linda Brent, first published in 1861, in which Jacobs tells of her years as a house slave before the Civil War. The paper's author describes the sexual exploitation and the incredible sacrifices Jacobs made to gain her freedom and that of her children. The author feels that it is difficult to think that anyone could read Jacobs's description of slave owners and not feel utter shame that humans could treat humans in such manner.
From the Paper "Jacobs's description of New Years Day was heart wrenching. Mothers and children separated amid pleas for mercy. It was indeed a day of sorrow as slave mothers. Jacobs describes them, "watching the children who may al be torn from her the next morning"she wished that she and they might die before the day dawn?. The desperation and helplessness these women felt, "mother clinging to her child, when they fastened the iron upon his wrists, could you have heard her heart-rending groans"pleading for mercy?. Their pleas were in vain, for slaves were property and therefore undeserving of compassion."
Abstract This paper looks at how the Nushawn Williams case presented society with a new way to look at social deviance and behavioral, placing a particular emphasis on the labeling theory. The author illustrates how the Williams case in many ways supports the labeling theory, which has received its share of criticism over the last 20 years. This paper examines the labeling theory and also points to specific instances in the Williams case which support the theory.
From the Paper "The labeling theory makes an attempt to explain deviant behavior by how the behavior is perceived by others and how once the deviant is perceived by others and treated as such, or labeled, they continue to behave in the way that is expected of them. Labeling often segregates the deviant from society, widens the gap between the deviant and any hope of living a normal life, and perpetuates an endless cycle of deviant behavior.
The story of Nushawn Williams, a 21-year-old who may have exposed more than 100 people to HIV, is a prime example of the labeling theory in action. In an in-depth article, Brent Gregax overviews the life of this young man leading up to his incarceration. One could argue that Williams was a victim of the labeling theory since the day he was born. According to Gegax, "Williams" grandmother smokes crack. He has no idea who his father is. His mother has prostituted herself and even made his little sister turn tricks in front of their apartment in order to support her drug habit (Gegax,1)."
Abstract Describes how Harriet Jacobs? book "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" uses water and in particular, the river as a motif of death and freedom.
From the Paper "The river is a major motif in Harriet Jacobs? autobiography Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The narrator finds kindness, freshness, and change on the waterways, as she travels from place to place in search of peace and freedom. The river also serves as a geographic and political barrier between her and her captors; even when she is in danger of being caught, Linda can once again embark on a river boat for safer havens. The river is a physical means of escape in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, but it is also a means of symbolic or spiritual escape."
Tags: Harriet, Jacob's, autobiography, river, imagery, Linda, Brent, slavery
Abstract This essay examines racism from the perspective of a black man through an analysis of Brent Staples' essay "A Black Man Ponders His Power To Alter Public Space".
