Washington

Question: How is Washington providing an answer to the “go north” or “stay south” debate we looked at in Frederick Douglass’s Life and Times?
Answer: Washington suggested staying south. Washington is saying basically to save the economy in the south and to use each other to do so. He tells the whites to help the blacks, and in return blacks would help whites. He says “ cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded”. He is speaking to the white man and telling them make friends with the blacks. Later Washington says, “Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, ad heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories” Washington is saying that if whites befriended blacks or gave them a chance then they could help better the economy. Washington also said, “ in all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” During Washington’s first half of the speech he emphasized casting down the bucket, and now he has provided another reason why to cast down the bucket and why to give blacks a chance. He basically has said that it is not necessary to be separate because it will get not get anybody anywhere but that all people know to progress everybody needs to be on mutual terms. He told them that are the only way to progress.

Compare Equiano & Smith Narratives
Victoria Holland

Venture Smith focused on the American dream more, and Equiano focused more on sharing his life story. Venture was in the pursuit of money, whereas Equiano wanted to tell his story of how hard it was being a slave and how immoral it was. Venture talked about how bad slavery was and that money was being used the wrong way, but after he bought his freedom all he focused on was money. He even wanted slaves himself! Before he was emancipated all he was more concerned more so with family, but when he was freed all he cared about was what his masters had been focused on. Also Ventures narrative was not as vernacular because he had someone write it for him. Equinao’s narrative was in its purest form because he did not have someone write it for him. All were his truest thoughts. Equiano also never changed, after slavery he still cared about family. Also, Equinao’s narrative went more in depth, in Venture’s he was not as detailed. Equiano wanted to better himself after being emancipated but not by being controlling like Venture Smith.

Why is it difficult not to care about what others think of you? Do we control the way other people see and think about us?

Question: Why is it difficult not to care about what others think of you? Do we control the way other people see and think about us?

It is difficult not to care about what others think because if a person perceives you the wrong way then they will tell another person which then becomes your reputation. For example, if you are a new kid at University High school and a kid calls you weird, then the group that person hangs around will consider you weird. They will consider you weird because they have accepted what another person (their friend) has said instead of getting to know you personally. That kid gets a bad reputation because one kid perceived them the wrong way. Also, it is difficult not to care what others think because everyone wants to be accepted. Everyone wants to be understood as an individual and when perceived the wrong by another individual that person is not given the chance to express him or herself.

To a certain degree we control the way people see and think of us but only by our actions. We control how they see us by actions, but we cannot control how they see us within social class. For example, in India people are born into a poor, average, and rich class depending on what class there parents were in. A kid that is poor in India can grow up to be rich but is still looked upon as poor. People can control the way others perceive them by their mannerisms. If they are a polite and respectful person others see them as polite and respectful. We do not have control over how people see us physically, and externally. People will always judge a person on the way they dress, and they way they speak, etc.

Freedom or survival?

Question: Is freedom or survival more important?
Answer: I believe freedom is more important. Slaves were surviving and I saw how somber they were. I believe with freedom comes happiness and the choice to change how one lives their life. With freedom a person can say what the want, and act, as they want without being restrained. Slaves were not able to voice their opinions. Freedom gives a person a sense of dignity. When I think of the word survival I think of a robot just doing what it needs to do to survive. I believe freedom came before survival. All people we once free and happy that way, and then when they were held in bondage they went into survival, which as I said earlier is doing all they need to stay strong mentally and physically. When people get in survival mode I do not think that they are mentally right. For example, in Mr. Pres class (5th period) he gave an example of him and Charston. He talked about if he and charston were on an island and there was a pineapple and he needed that pineapple to survive that he would kill charston. That is obviously survival mode. Mr. Pres would not be in his right mind. Freedom is the ability to change you and adapt to different environments. Freedom is much more pleasurable than survival. Survival is usually when people are held in oppression and because they have in that situation so long they are not mentally right, which means they are not able to think or see anything else beyond their situation.

Question: Continue the ideas of values. What ideas are being presented in these protest songs that echo back to the older works we’ve looked at?

Basically, the people are saying how they will not let anyone bring there spirits down. In Aint nobody going to turn me around the people singing the song represent a tough spirit. In the strange fruit its talking about basically although all this bad stuff happens they will keep pressing forward. It in the strange fruit its talking about how being a black person in this society is like being a strange fruit. In we shall overcome its represents perseverance because they still hope and believe that they will be free one day. All three of these songs display perseverance and how courageous the people singing the songs are. These songs were used to help motivate the people and to give them encouragement and also so let them know to not give up in theirselves.

What values are preset in that ballad that may have influenced songs like “The Message” or “N.Y. State of Mind?

Answer: The main are values I found in John Henry’s ballad were work hard (be the best or achieve better than what they have) , and to maintain perseverance. The value of being industrious starts with an idea, or a dream. In the ballad he John Henry says in the beginning, “ When I grow up I’m gonna be a steel-driving man.” This is significant because he is saying that he wants to have an occupation rather than doing nothing his whole life. The same value of being industrious was soon in “The Message”. They rap about how the child says that he does not want to go to school, and all of the foolish things they have witnessed. Then they rap about how that is not smart. When I heard and read that part of the song, it let me know that they wanted out of their life style and that they wanted better. In “N.Y. State of Mind” Nas says, “ Investments in stocks, sewing up blocks.” He is saying that he wants better and he uses they way he does that is by using his writing lyrics and rapping. The other important value shown in the ballad and the songs is perseverance. In the ballad John Henrys lady shows perseverance because although he was killed she took the hammer and still went to work like a man. This value is shown in “The Message” because he says “Don’t push me’ cause I’m close to the edge.” He then explains his life and the this unsafe environment and we see his perseverance because he has not gone over the edge and he still endeavors for better. Also in “N.Y. State of Mind” Nas raps about a similar situation , but he talks about how his writing helps him to contend and that he knows he was made to write.

Question: Is war ever a good thing? Is there any cause for which you would go to war?

Response: Yes, war can be a good thing. For instance, war could be good if another country threatened to bomb America with a nuclear bomb that would wipe many states off the map. Another example is if another country attacked us first; then we would have no choice but to fight back. Those are my only beliefs why there should be war. Whereas the positive side of war would be the glorious feeling people get from defending their country, there are a plethora of negative reasons that overshadow the few good ones. First, war separates families. I believe the goal should be to bring families together, and other citizens together not to separate them. Secondly, war corrupts people’s minds. They live in fear. A prime example of this would be in Fahrenheit 451; the people did not think they just did, and ultimately they we driven by fear. When war is happening most people do not think because they are overwhelmed with all that’s happening; and slowly they begin to lose themselves and begin to succumb to that fear. Fear that the war won’t end for a while and fear that their loved ones won’t return home. Personally, I would never go to war. I believe that there is no need for violence. If people would learn how to communicate and agree on good terms then there would be no war. War can only be good when the cause behind it is good, but although the cause is good the outcome is always going to be painful. I say that because war always results in death.