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Ralph Ellison On Being The Topic Of Discrimination Summary

1500 Words6 Pages

Trent Dietrich
Megan Arlett
ENGL 1310 22 September 2017

Analysis of “On Being The Topic Of Discrimination”
Ralph Ellison's “On Being The Topic Of Discrimination” is an article meant to have an emotional impact on its readers in a variety of ways. It is made to encourage victims of injustice that their situations are not permanent. It shows how we can always rise up no matter what fraction of society is against us. It also serves as a reminder of past injustice, through which we can see that our situations are not as bad as they seem, and furthermore it shows us that there is always some humor in our suffering, and there are healthy ways to cope by using your own thoughts. Ellison established himself by describing some of the trials he faced …show more content…

Ellison writes primarily from an encouraging standpoint, nudging people to stand up for what they believe in and to not cower in fear when things blow up in their faces. Ellison encourages his readers not by giving them a look at the bright side, but instead giving them a close look at the dark and shameful side, showing people that it is possible to rise up and become great, even when the majority is against them. Ellison’s heavy use of ethos, pathos, and descriptive detail serve to instill the values presented in this story into the minds of readers. Even readers who have not been down the road of racial discrimination can relate some of the examples presented here to their own lives, and can take courage knowing that people like Ralph Ellison have had it much worse and have come out much better. The author’s own personal story has a direct correlation to writing’s purpose, and that is to rise up... Ralph Ellison shows a primary example of exactly what he is encouraging readers to do with en excerpt from his own life. This piece also serves to be a token of remembrance to past times of harsh, illogical, ill-willed, discrimination. It teaches us many valuable lessons about how we should live our lives, while also being a reminder of the past, lest we forget the horrors that were a product of people not unlike

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