Sharon Olds poem, On the Subway, brings up the topic of race and the views of both different cultures. She presents an abundance of discriptive terms displaying a story in your head. Olds explains these different views of how other individuals see people who are white or black. She sets the tone of judgement of the two different races. Beginning the poem with the discriptions of what the boy wears showed the contrast of herseld as well who was wearing a more poshe attire. She had on a fur coat while the boy was dressed in a more rough, raggy attire. “I am wearing dark fur…” where as he is wearing “black sneakers laced with white in complex pattern.” These examples show the contrast of the two individuals sinse of stylw and their
In "The Train to Crystal City: FDR's Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America's Only Family Internment Camp During World War II" (published 1/5/16) Jan Jarboe Russell recounts the Crystal City in Texas which is one of the many detainment facilities we had. Within her story she goes on to perceive the Crystal City as a cover-up of racial scare, explained how foreign American citizens we’re treated during the war, and showed insight on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s(1882- 1945) Secret prisoner Exchange program. Crystal City was the main family camp among the U.S. detainment facilities, and the INS Supplied the basic housing requirements: family homes, schools, salons and a doctor's facility. It could be compared to most other American towns at that time the only difference was that the occupants we’re forced to live there.
When examining “Crash” and “7 Seconds in the Bronx” we observe the injustice the injustice individuals face resulting in unforgivable offenses. When examining both stories it becomes apparent that between stereotypes, authoritative discrimination, and economic hierarchy, it is tough to be of a minority background. Stereotypes are an unfair representation that has been developed about a person or a race. In “Crash” we see the struggle of being a minority. We see this in the beginning of the story when Anthony and Peter, both young adults of colour, could see Jean clenched onto her husband and purse when passing them in the streets as she pre disclosed the assumption they
The section of “White Woman, Black Man” further delves into his views of white women and the role that society has in shaping gender relations between black men and white women and also in influencing masculinity and femininity.
In the historical fiction novel Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, the main character, Etta is a violinist prodigy living in present day New York City until on the night of her first solo debut when she is thrust, by a stranger named Sofia, into a bright, mysterious portal that brings her onto a boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean during the year of 1776 with no apparent way to get back home or to her mom. Later Sofia tells her that she was sent by her grandfather, Cyrus Ironwood, to bring Etta to him in New York City for an unknown reason and that Etta inherits the gene of being able time travel through time by portals that have designated times and destination from her mother who was also a time traveler; Etta also meets a few people aboard the ship like Nicholas Carter, the person in charge of their current ship and another time traveler. When they arrive at New York City, Cyrus Ironwood forces Etta to find an astrolabe, which can create portals of any desired year so that Cyrus could save
Sharon Olds is the author of the poem "On the Subway." Sharon is trying to make a historical point of view by showing a contrast between whites and blacks. We see the protagonist of the poem seeing a difference between herself and the stranger. The stranger is different to the protagonist. "
Racism is portrayed in an interesting way in Their Eyes Were Watching God. For example, Janie and Tea Cake encounter Mrs Turner, a black lady who is racist towards other blacks. Whether white or black, everyone in this book seems to have been affected by racism in some way; many different perspectives of racism are investigated in this book. Naturally, this is intriguing because the reader discovers a three-dimensional aspect to a topic that has always seemed very black and white. Zora Neale Hurston paints a picture of racism in an odd manor, bringing a different perspective to a global conflict at the time.
On the Subway Sharon Olds depicts the harsh realities of our world. Some may believe whites have privilege over other races; however, Olds tells the story in a way that challenges that notion. Old’s use of imagery and simile help the reader understand the contrast between the white and black world. Olds uses imagery in describing the (black) male. “Casual cold look of a mugger… hooded lids.”
What is America? The land of opportunity or degradation, people can't decipher the true origins of a country of diversity that upholds the fathom sanctums of segregation. Instead, literature conveys the era of brutality and unconstitutional silence of the growing minorities. In addition, “On the Subway” by Sharon Olds portrays the idealistic point-of-view of the privilege, imagery of injustice, and the attitude of the speaker from her experiences. The aspects of superiority has been ingrained in the minds of humanity since a country fuels the flames of nationality and strengthens the matter of pride and prejudice.
Sharon Olds describes two people on the subway. She is comparing the two by how different they are. In the poem, Olds wonders about the difference between skins of both the people. Olds identifies the contrasts of both the persons through the use of imagery, organization of compare and contrast, and similes. Olds describes the way the boy is dressed.
Society in today’s world is very alike to society years ago, with different social classes and stereotypes. In “Just walk on by” by Brent staples, a variety of rhetorical devices are used in order to convey the message of how a black man is trying to show society that he is so much more than the color of his skin. The author explains how the character was characterized as violent and dangerous because he was black. Staples continues on a sort of journey with the character to show how he overcomes that stereotype, by whistling classical music to give the idea that he is mature and less threatening. Throughout the piece, Staples uses devices that will help the reader better understand the struggles that the character has to face on a daily basis.
Author and editorial writer, Brent Staples acknowledges this issue as well as experience many situations in which people distinguish him from others. Brent Staples message in his essay titled “Just Walk On By” is conveyed to the audience through many rhetorical devices in which he suggests that stereotypes of race and gender can impact someone 's life in the easiest ways. Brent Staples use of pathos creates an emotional connection and pulls the reader into his essay, through his anecdotes and diction. His intro paragraph tells an interesting story, in a way that readers often forget what type of passage they are reading. Staples uses of phrases such as “my first victim”, “seemed menacingly close” “picked up her pace” and notably “running in earnest” (1-2).
Although miscegenation is not a new topic, the effects that this phenomenon has on people’s lives has been the source of inspiration for many literary works. “Miscegenation” by Natasha Trethewey is an autobiographical poem that expresses the difficulty that mixed-race people face in accepting their identity in a society that discriminates people who are different. That is, this poem expresses how racial discrimination can affect the identity of those people who do not identify as white or black. Besides, in this poem, Trethewey narrates her origin, as well as how her parents were victims of a society that did not accept their relationship. Therefore, the speaker starts by saying “In 1965 my parents broke two laws of Mississippi” (Trethewey 1); those two laws that broke the Trethewey’s parents were that they were married and had a daughter.
Throughout his essay, Staples is able to make the audience understand what he has to deal with as a black man. Staples does this by using words and phrases such as, “...her flight made me feel like an accomplice in tyranny” and “... I was indistinguishable from the muggers who occasionally seeped into the area…” (542). By writing and describing how he (Staples) feels, the audience is able to get an inside look into how black men are treated and better understand why society’s teachings, play a vital role in how we see each other. Staples’ powerful writing also allows the reader to take a step back and see how as a society, people make judgements on others based on appearance alone.
It’s been 53 years since President Lyndon Johnson enforced the Civils Rights Act of 1964, but racism is still an ongoing issue to this day, whether it’s intentionally or inadvertently caused by the people in our society. Cornelius Eady evaluates the concept of racism through his poem, “The Cab Driver Who Ripped Me Off,” which focuses on the views of a prejudiced cab driver. Eady’s literary works focuses largely on the issue of racism within our society, centering on the trials that African Americans face in the United States. “The Cab Driver Who Ripped Me Off” from Autobiography of a Jukebox is an influential poem that successfully challenges the problems associated with racism, which is a touchy, yet prevalent problem that needs to be addressed.
In “On the Subway” by the author, Sharon Olds, she uses a set of terms to keep a deeper understanding of the poem. The devices included from many are imagery, symbolism, and metaphors. Through these devices Sharon puts the level of her poem at an extreme interpretation of daily life. In the first device, imagery, she uses “wearing dark fur” illustrating something dark and dead in our imaginations. “Skin of an animal” is another quote with the recent one where we imagine a mysterious animal that only a rich person could use.