In the article “The Amazing Powers Of Jen Bricker,” by Kristin Lewis, it talks about A girl named Jen, who had a disability, she was also adopted by the Bricker Family. Also a poem called “Can’t,” by Edgar Albert, talks about the word can’t and what it really means. The quote from Helen Keller, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow,” means that you should always stay optimistic and determined, this relates to both the article and the poem because the both talk about optimism. First off, Jen had a disability that she overcame by being optimistic and determined.
The word power makes some think of leadership, positive role models, and mentors, but sometimes power is a want that can overcome the actions of an individual in a negative way. The novel Unwind is about to runaways, Risa and Connor, who are trying to escape being unwound or dismantled till they are living in a divided state. In the novel UnWholly by Neal Shusterman, Connor and Risa have moved on since running away, and are now running the Graveyard, a safe place for runaways until they turn 17, and cannot be unwound. Both of the stories use symbolism and character archetype to imply the theme that wanting power of something you don't have can be tempting, but might not always be the right thing.
Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.
Love Medicine, by Louise Erdrich, is a fictitious yet life-like book narrated by several Native Americans. Impelling through each distinct character’s voice is Erdrich herself, who attempts to convey the culture of the Native American tribe she belongs to, and the internal struggle each character faces as they teeter between practicing what they know—their Native culture—, or diving into what they do not—western civilization. Love Medicine has profoundly affected my perception of the world, simultaneously making me “mentally alive.” Love Medicine enhanced my intellectual development because educated me about the impact of western civilization on natives. Immersed within the novel are characters who suffer from mental illnesses and alcoholism
“Andrew Bacevich speaks truth to power, no matter who is in power, which may be why those of both the left and the right listen to him”, this is a phrase by Bill Moyers. It clearly indicates that, the limits of power offers an unparalleled and deep look into the political crisis that America as a country is generally facing. The book by Andrew Bacevich argues on several concepts of presidency and the democratic rights that should be followed in coming up with the right governance rules (Bacevich 11). Bacevich was an American philosopher and therefore talked of several issues that affected the political life of Americans. He is best known for the book he did on Limits of power, which addressed a number of topics.
Elizabeth Fenn wrote Encounters at the Heart of the World because she wanted to tell the story of the Mandan people. Her goal was to tell a history story without focusing on telling it from a European perspective which typically focus on traditional settings such as the east coast when describing historical accounts of the United States. This book emphasizes the importance of the Mandan and how they were an important yet obscure part of American history. Fenn wants readers to know and care about the Mandan because it is a story about people, movement and interaction. In addition Fenn’s story challenges the perception of Indigenous people all over America and it allows the reader to get historical summary of important events while viewing
Ever since Christopher Columbus came to the ‘new world’ in 1492 it has been a problem for the Native Americans. However, their resilience has kept their traditions and culture alive despite of adverse circumstances. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie describes the lives and stories of different individuals that live on a reservation in Washington State. The book is a collection of short stories and is it is written very well. Native Americans have been oppressed; however, they remain spiritual, community oriented, and traditional, which helps them maintain their identity.
A Problem from Hell, a book by journalist Samantha Power, delves into the relationship between the United States and genocide. She uses her experience as a frontline reporter, combined with research into the history of the United States's reaction to extreme violence and genocide outside its borders to inform the public of its own country's inaction toward not only the happenings of the Holocaust, but also the Rwandan, Armenian, Iraqi, and Cambodian genocides. In 1995, Samantha Power worked as a journalist under the Washington Post. She had been sent to the Middle East to cover the clash of the Bosnian War, as Bosnia and Herzegovina conflicted.
Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse is a thought-provoking sci-fi short story that explores the tensions and paradoxes inherent in the representation and commodification of Native American culture. Using New Criticism Theory to analyze the ways in which Roanhorse uses language and structure to create these tensions and paradoxes. In this short story, Roanhorse uses a second-person point of view to immerse readers in a “virtual” experience, providing readers with their own Indian Experience™. The story follows protagonist Jesse Turnblatt, who works as a “guide” at a virtual reality company. Throughout the story, Jesse Turnblatt experiences the commodification and cultural appropriation involved in this virtual world,
We are Power by Todd Hasak-Lowy is about non-violent activism. The book explains how non-violent activism is the best way to go about making a change to an unjust law. The book has six chapters all of which explain a non-violent activist's story and how they used non-violent activism to create a change to an unjust law. Gandhi's story about Indian independence is introduced in the book and alongside it is his belief in satyagraha. Satyagraha is the first recorded example of non-violent activism.
Writer Sherman Alexie has a knack of intertwining his own problematic biographical experience with his unique stories and no more than “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” demonstrates that. Alexie laced a story about an Indian man living in Spokane who reflects back on his struggles in life from a previous relationship, alcoholism, racism and even the isolation he’s dealt with by living off the reservation. Alexie has the ability to use symbolism throughout his tale by associating the title’s infamy of two different ethnic characters and interlinking it with the narrator experience between trying to fit into a more society apart from his own cultural background. However, within the words themselves, Alexie has created themes that surround despair around his character however he illuminates on resilience and alcoholism throughout this tale.
In her novel, E. Lockhart uses the abundance of indirect characterization to reveal the theme of power. Throughout the book, Grandpa rules over his daughters to see which one will make an effort to show just how much they want to inherit his island. In chapter 63, you see the children helping their parents win over granddad by flattering him about how great the island is. "When I told granddad how much I adored the house, he smiled and said he knew someday I'd have beautiful children. Then he said Bess was a grasping wench and he had no intentions of giving her my house.
Power in today’s can be used in many different forms such as to show strength, rank, encouraging others, being an influence, being a leader, and much more. The way you use power in a situation can have a positive or negative impact on an individual, community, country, nation, or even the world. In the short story “Miss Temptation” by Kurt Vonnegut, he describe how power can impact an individual way of thinking of others due to past experiences. Power can anything one allows to have a dominance over their lives. It is the ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.
The Power Struggle Between Jane and Mr. Rochester In Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Jane and Mr. Rochester both have some power in the relationship. Jane has power because Mr. Rochester gives in to her wishes because he loves her, while Mr. Rochester has power because he has a lot of the money and Jane doesn’t. For example, the lines “‘What is the matter?’ he asked; ‘all the sunshine is gone. Do you really wish the bairn to go?
Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma written by Camilla Townsend introduces the historical period of seventeenth century Native Americans and the journey of their survival. Townsend is known for her multiple books mostly focusing on the lives of indigenous people and their stories. This book, however, goes through the specific life of Pocahontas herself. The author uses not only tragedy but also romance when recapping Pocahontas’ life throughout the years. The book successfully teaches and emphasizes the struggles Pocahontas and her people went through and educates the audience of the real history behind this time period.
