Compare and Contrast Essay “You just can't beat the person who never gives up” (Ruth). “Liars Don’t Qualify” written by Junius Edwards and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” written by Maya Angelou are two stories about characters persevering through negative racist attitudes displayed towards them. In both stories the characters get pushed down by the white characters around them, and have to choose how they react to the society around them. Through an exploration of racist attitudes, this essay will demonstrate that perseverance plays a pivotal role in staying true to core beliefs even in the face of systemic racism. “Liars Don’t Qualify” by Edwards follows the story of Will Harris, an african-american army veteran who arrives at the registering …show more content…
Margaret was a slave that had lots of compassion for her owner, Mrs. Cullinan. Margaret worked very hard for Mrs. Cullinan until she felt disrespected by her. Mrs. Cullinan’s friend decided to change Margaret’s name to Mary, which Margaret felt stripped her of her identity. “I was angry all the way to the kitchen” (Angelou 2). Margaret was told to preserve through her discomfort and the slaves around her tried to diminish her feelings by telling her it was not a big deal. In the end of her story, Margaret could not hold back her emotions and decided to break glasses in order to get …show more content…
Harris chose to answer every single question to the best of his ability even though he knew they were being unfair and cruel. He was honest even when he knew it was not the path that would get him to his goal in the simplest way. “‘Yes, sir,’ Will said, knowing that was the wrong answer” (Edwards 8). Similarly, Margaret was told multiple times that she should let go of her negative feelings towards her boss for changing her name. Margaret decided to stay true to herself and try to find a way out of the condition she was currently in. “I had to leave the job, but the problem was going to be how to do it” (Angelou 2). Both Harris and Margaret decided that it was more important to stay true to themselves than impress those around them. If they both did not preserve in the face of the racism they experienced, they would not have stories to tell. What makes them great is that they stood up for