Racism

Article 1 Racism in the West

In the first article, it talked all about how racism started in the west. It said how racism is more recent than we believe it to be. In ancient days they wanted the other races to be more like them because they thought they were greater. They just wanted them to believe in the same things and do the same things. They did not put them down because of who they were but rather tried to make them more like themselves because they believed they did it the right way. Because it was the west that started doing this to the darker skinned people, it soon evolved into today’s racism because people started thinking that they were less intelligent because they were not like them and made them lesser to the whites. Soon after the whites started using people with darker skin as slaves. They thought that did not have much of a purpose. This began spreading throughout the whole western world. Racism is a huge problem in today’s world. It has been the root of many wars in the past, including the Civil War between the American people. Racism was also the root of WW2.

Article 2 How Racist Are We?

This article starts out by them stating all of the racist thoughts that they have had. They tell us that no matter what, everyone is racist to a certain extent. Some of the racism we have is just stereotypes that we hear from people growing up.  Sometimes it is just because we do not think that they do as well as someone else could do it. In today’s society, it is racist to keep a black person from getting a job because they are not capable to do the job right. They go on saying that we sometimes judge a race based on what one person does. Racism in America is not anywhere close to as big of a problem as it is in other countries. In many of the Asian countries, they are very racist towards the other Asian countries. Racism in America has come a long way. It is still here but has evolved very much. Recent generations have come to accept other races much better than older generations. They go on to say that we need to look past the skin color. We need to start looking at what they have to offer.

Article 3 Cultural Bias for Racism

In this article, it talks about how these students studied about why racism is still alive. It says that most of what we see in our everyday life contributes to the problem. This includes TV, literature, movies, and radio. Not only is this true for racism, but also for sexism and ageism. We seem to develop our opinion about a whole group of people by seeing a few people. After developing a questionnaire, they found out that most of the prejudice that people have is gut level. They saw how certain words correlated with the different groups. Old usually correlated with the words lonely and wise. White correlated with greedy and successful and so on. It states that we should not always form our thoughts on people based on our gut. It is not always right. We need to see people as individuals rather than as a group. We have a right to not like a person but that doesn’t mean that we should base the whole group of people from something that one or two people did. We need to have control over our thoughts and have respect over all people.

Racism has always been around. It has been a problem for longer than any of us can remember. I believe that racism started in the west but is not just a western issue. Many different places have problems with racism as well. It started as a western concept but it is now culturally universal. Racism is a byproduct of western culture and media. First it started in the west. The media made it travel and made it way more a problem than it used to be. Racism started in the west with the white races. For example, while the ancient Greeks and Romans described other groups as “barbarous” and “savage,” they believed members of these groups could become “civilized.” This is how racism first started in history. It was not because they did not like people with their skin color, but rather that they needed to straighten them out with their ways. I believe that racism started in the ancient times when civilizations started discovering the other civilizations. “What matters most is whether someone is intelligent, capable, independent of mind, productive, honest...” This quote is how I believe everyone should be. It is not about the color of the skin but more about what they have inside and what they have to offer. “What is more important is your behavior, rather than your gut reaction.” We need to give people the benefit of the doubt. People need to be seen more as individuals than as a group. Racism is a problem in our society that needs to be defeated.

Lord of the Flies

1. I believe that Andre’s quote was not meant to be taken literal. Although I am sure that society can do it literally, I do not think that was the intentions of what he meant. Thinking about how society works I believe it means with words.  Words can break a person down to the core. Society says many hurtful things and kills people’s spirit and soul. When he says that it is more subtle than death, I think he means that when someone gets hurt emotionally and mentally, nobody sees it. It is subtle in a way that people can’t see the pain and hurt and see how words can break someone down.
2. A person’s willpower is stronger than anything. We become what we hope to become. If you want to be a savage person you will be. If you do not want to be savage your willpower will push through and become civilized. A person can do whatever they put their mind to, no matter the circumstances.  You can learn new ways and become a different person; you just need to train your body and mind. I believe that if you cannot separate your civilized self from your savage self, you will overcome whatever you want to overcome and whatever you allow to overcome you.
3. When surrounding yourself with like-minded people, you are part of a society. By you being a part of the group you are the one helping to control. A civilization is known as a complex society. I believe that because people make up a society, that the people control the society. The people are the society, so the people have to be the ones to control the society. They control what the society puts out to the people. The society is the people and the people control it.

The "Lottery"

1. Were you surprised by the ending of the story? If not, at what point did you know what was going to happen? How does Jackson start to foreshadow the ending in paragraphs 2 and 3? Conversely, how does Jackson lull us into thinking that this is just an ordinary story with an ordinary town? Yes, I was very surprised. People start to become tense. Because in the beginning the kids are just collecting rocks and playing and act like it’s a normal day.

2. Where does the story take place? In what way does the setting affect the story? Does it make you more or less likely to anticipate the ending? It takes place in a town. The setting makes the story sound like an ordinary place, nothing special. I believe it made me less likely to anticipate the ending.

3. In what ways are the characters differentiated from one another? Looking back at the story, can you see why Tessie Hutchinson is singled out as the "winner"?  Everyone was kind of quiet and such and Tessie was loud and kept saying that the lottery shouldn’t happen anymore.

4. What are some examples of irony in this story? For example, why might the title, "The Lottery," or the opening description in paragraph one, be considered ironic? It is ironic because a lottery is something that you want to win and have but in this case you do not want it at all.

5. Jackson gives interesting names to a number of her characters. Explain the possible allusions, irony or symbolism of some of these:

 Delacroix- The name means cross. The cross stands for religious turmoil

 

 Graves- Grave as in death, which it going to be afflicted on someone

 

 Summers- Summer is usually and happy and joyful time and in this case it is not

 

 Bentham

 

 Hutchinson

 Warner- He believes tradition should stay tradition

 Martin

7. Take a close look at Jackson's description of the black wooden box (paragraph 5) and of the black spot on the fatal slip of paper. What do these objects suggest to you? Why is the black box described as "battered"? Are there any other symbols in the story? Both of the objects were black or had black on it. When I think of black I think of death, such as a funeral. The box is battered to show that this is tradition that has been going on for many, many years. The rocks

 

8. What do you understand to be the writer's own attitude toward the lottery and the stoning? Exactly what in the story makes her attitude clear to us? In the whole story there are little parts where it talks about how the other towns have stopped with the “Lottery” and that times have changed and the town needs to too. I believe that the writer was trying to say that the “lottery” needs to end.

9. This story satirizes a number of social issues, including the reluctance of people to reject outdated traditions, ideas, rules, laws, and practices. What kinds of traditions, practices, laws, etc. might "The Lottery" represent? Just because it is a tradition does not mean that it is right and that it should stay. It represents traditions that need to get rid of.

10. This story was published in 1948, just after World War II. What other cultural or historical events, attitudes, institutions, or rituals might Jackson be satirizing in this story? The war and the holocaust


In a minimum of 200 words answer the following:  What does "The Lottery" tell us about human nature?  What does it say to us about violence?

In the lottery, there are the people that want to stray from tradition and then there are people who are hard core and want to stick to the traditions that have always been even if it does not apply to anything in the new day and age. The reason for the whole lottery is for a myth that does not even work. They want a good harvest. Instead of calling it a lottery and sacrificing someone’s life, they should give it up because they know better. It does not work but people are afraid to stray from everything they have known. If the lottery represents WWII, it shows that people do not want to stray from war because it has always been. It is not so much a tradition but something that has always happened and been done. Even if it is violent, they think it is fine because it is what the people have always done.