"Classic" novel

Malcolm X, Wuthering Heights, A Tale of Two Cities, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.  These are all examples of novels labeled as "Classics."  I think they are given this name for the fact that they are sold all around the world and loved by all readers overall.  Normally, classics are books that have been read before and are not traditionally new books for the era.  This is because they can only be labeled as classics once it has been known worldwide that the book is a good read.  It must be bought and loved by many customers and have a little part in the story for any kind of reader.

Wuthering Heights Guide

It has become a steriotype that all rich people are selfish and stingy.  This may be due to the media spreading stories of pompous, rich, inconsiderate people.  It may be due to the fact that America is the richest country in the world and are bound to be filled with the most greedy, selfish people.  However, no matter what people have heard, this is not true.  There are plenty rich people not only in America, but in the world, that have worked very hard for their riches.  These kind of people deserve every penny that they work for.  Sure, there are those who obtained wealth maybe from an inheritance or have wealthy relatives.  In my opinion, these people do not deserve the money they have received.  They have not worked hard and have not proven themselves worthy.  That money could go to great use for other organizations, charity, poor people, and many other things.  These people may be labeled as selfish and stingy.  But what is wrong is that some people immediately assume that rich people are pompous.  The old saying applies perfectly to this situation: don't judge a book by its cover.

Blog Comments to Others

To Josh Kramer,

You make a really good point when you say that we should just ignore race.  It kind of makes me think of what the world would be like if everyone were blind or at least color-blind, so we could not tell the difference what color skin each human has.  This is not to say that this would cure all racial problems and would be the solution to racism, but the world might have been a completely different place if we were blind.  But it would be sure that the color of skin would never be an issue between people anymore.

 

To Yuma,

You are totally right with the laughter thing.  I agree with that completely.  It can solve anything and apparently its the best medicine.  In fact, I had a similar experience with my mom and I on something tiny that turned into a big deal.  After a while we managed to laugh off the tension when something amusing happened.  I can't remember what it was but that's not the point.  The point is you make a good point when you say "universal languages" because they are a way for people to communicate with each other that every person can understand.  I think this was a pretty creative topic to research.

 

To John,

I'm happy you learned more things in Harlem than I did because I do not remember most of the things Neil said to us.  The most interesting part of this blog is the information you found about Langston Hughes.  I never knew that he played a big part in the Harlem Renaissance.  I always saw him as some kind of geeky poet that loved writing and expressing his feelings on different topics, mostly about African Americans.  His contribution to the Harlem Renaissance makes me think of him in a totally different way and I'm glad you felt the need to research him and find out more about what he did in his life.

 

To Caylin,

I'm glad somebody looked this up because I was wondering when we went to Harlem why they used rugs instead of benches and were they specifically significant to the religion.  I hadn't thought about it too much but it all makes sense overall.  They want to look presentable for the creator of the earth so they clean themselves and kneel on a rug to stay clean.  I had an idea before reading your blog that this was true.  But I never would have guessed that they were pointed in the direction of Mecca when being used.  I'm glad somebody cleared this up because I was a little curious when we visited the mosque Malcolm went to in Harlem.  It was pretty interesting to learn this and apparently they have pretty good logic as to their reasons for using a rug.  I also wondered if the color of the rug was always the same, and if it was, if that was significant, but that's something I will have to look up myself if i get overly curious.

Malcolm X 5

Upon finishing the autobiography of Malcolm X, he was totally different than the man I thought he would be.  When I think back all the way to before I read the book, I can remember I did not know pretty much anything about him except that he was a black man that was a huge inspiration to other African Americans.  The name he has for himself today makes him sound like a man that has never sinned.  The kind of legend he has become makes him sound like Jesus with the impact he had on African Americans.  And then, when I read the book, I realized that he is a lot like Jesus Christ.  Short of looking like a hippie and being caucasian, Malcolm X was a bit of a prophet himself.  He spread his beliefs about his religion and tried to collect followers.  He spread his influence to blacks, became a leader, inspired people, set an image for himself as somewhat of a more advanced being, and people tried to kill him for sharing his beliefs with the world.  Then again, there were things about Malcolm that I learned from the book that were totally unexpected.  Upon moving away from his original home, he started his independent life in Boston and hit a point where he could not go any lower.  He was a drug-user, alcoholic, player, hustler, gambler, robber, and an overall criminal.  He was possibly the worst time of human being that one can possibly be.  Once he was finally caught and brought into custody, he started to think and see the world a completely different way that changed his life forever.  This completely surprised me because Malcolm's image today is somewhat of a saint-like person.  And to think, that all this time, he spent the majority of his life as a vigilante, running from the cops and the law.  Still, with a new thought of Malcolm in my mind, I can still say that he was an incredible and important person.  He gave hope to the hopeless and tried to help those who needed help.  If this does not sound like a saint, then I'm not sure what a saint is.  The last two paragraphs of the link summarize my feelings toward Malcolm and they define how he made a great transition from a sinner to a saint.

http://www.studyworld.com/newsite/reportessay/Biography/FamousPeople%5COprah_And_Malcolm_X.htm

That word (Malcolm X 4)

A popular complaint made by the African American race is the accusation that whites call them names that offend them greatly.  Popular words they accuse whites of calling them are "nigger, coons, etc." It is true that white people have called blacks these racial names and it is also true that it is unnecessary and vulgar.  However, in modern day more than ever before, blacks say these words more than whites and more than any other race.  They call each other these names and they even just say these words out loud during conversation even if they are not directed towards any specific people.  There are well thought out reasons for each side of this debate.  The blacks believe that they are are allowed to say the words as many times as they want because they are of that race, and it is not offensive if one of their own kind uses the words to describe themselves.  The whites believe that it does not matter who says the word, it is still equally offensive to the African American race no matter who says it.  Personally, I agree with the argument of the whites in this situation.  Some may agree with me and some may disagree with my choice, but my opinion is strong in this situation.  While I grant my full respect to all people of the African American race, I disagree with their side of the argument.  I believe that the words are still words and it does not matter what mouth they come out of.  It is just as offensive to blacks if a black person directs it towards another black person as if a white person directs it towards a black man.  Just because they are of that race, it does not give them the right to use the words to describe themselves, while all other people cannot use the words.  But to be perfectly clear, I do not think whites should be able to use the words either.  I believe that these words should not be thrown around so loosely.  African Americans make the argument that whites have pushed them away and they are responsible for racism and creating different divisions of human beings.  I believe that blacks are just as responsible when they use words like these and say that white people cannot use the words.  This makes it even more difficult to spread the important message that all people are equal and we are all the same person, no matter what color our skin is.  Blacks are just as guilty as whites in rejecting the unification of all humans.  The link is to a blog posted by a man that has evaluated the silliness of the situation as well.

http://www.laughatliberals.com/blog/archives/2008/the-nigger-trap/

Malcolm X 3

As part of the trip to Harlem, my english class and I visited the historic mosque that Malcolm X went to when he lived in Harlem.  The feeling of presence in the room was severe, and it was at if Malcolm X were standing in the room with me.  Even if my other classmates were not there, I would not feel alone in that quiet peaceful room.  From the moment when I walked in I could feel a very comfortable feeling with the carpet, the seven elegant windows, and the feeling of not wearing my shoes.  I was surprised at the differences between a modern-day Christian church compared the mosque.  There were no benches, no chairs, no men in robes, no pillars, no statues, no marble flooring, no lights, and no altars of any kind.  It was a plain flat ground with carpeting used only for the one purpose of being there: to pray.  Brother Tyreke explained to us the many cultures in the Islam religion.  From American media, we are taught that Muslims are just people that wear clothing that completely covered their skin and lived in Iraq or somewhere near there.  Also, some are convinced that the Muslims are an evil group of people that include many terrorists and many people that hate the white man.  In reality, any person can be a Muslim, not all of them wear clothing as described by the media, and they are not an evil "cult" of some sort.  There are more muslims in America than people even realize.  Islam is being referred to a "the the fastest growing religion in America.”

http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0596/9605013.htm

The link provides some background as to what the Muslim beliefs are, the organizational growth of Islam, how the religion is expanding more and more over time, and issues the religion is facing.  The media may trick you into believing that Muslims are not a very good group of people, but if you know the truth, then your insight will change greatly.

Malcolm X 2

While I was reading this autobiography, I made the connection that these white people who had no real reason to be disgusted by African Americans seemed very close to the kind of person my grandmother is.  She always believed they were some kind of disease that nobody had a cure for, yet she did not make it obvious that she was racist.  "What I am trying to say is that it just never dawned upon them that I could understand, that I wasn't a pet, but a human being," (Haley 28).  This quote describes what Malcolm thinks of the white people who discriminated against them, and he was entirely correct.  On Thanksgiving, though it was not entirely appropriate, the topic of racism came up during the meal and my grandmother began to say racist remarks and could not back them up with a reason.  We asked her to admit that she is a racist person who does not even have any reason behind her hatred, and she would not admit it.           http://www.raceandhistory.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/1177

The link above tells about an experiment that was taken to try to explain the reasoning behind people who discriminate against blacks.  It is a better start than any to try to figure out the hatred that is splitting our world apart.

Malcolm X 1

While many people do not particularly like Al Sharpton, he is a man that spreads his influence that African Americans deserve more respect.   He is commonly compared to popular deceased Malcolm X who also spread his influence.  They both shared the same idea that blacks deserve more rights and respect than they are given.  "The guilty, two-faced white man can't decide what he wants.  Our slave foreparents would have been put to death for advocating so-called 'integration' with the white man," (Haley 245).  This and other arguments made by both Malcolm X and Al Sharpton express their feelings on different issues against African Americans.  The quote expresses Al Sharpton's beliefs and things he has said about different issues.  The quotes are similar to things Malcolm X would say and support.  In this way, they are very similar, brave men that believed stating their opinion and expressing their beliefs could make a difference for the better.  In my way of thinking, I respect Al Sharpton for defending his people and trying to fight against racism.  He is a man that has taken action on what he believes in and I think that is the way things are done.  Nobody hands anything to you in life.  Anything you want, you have to take by being persistent and not quitting on it.  Al Sharpton believes this even though there are people that hate seeing his face everywhere and feel he is unneeded.  He is persistent, confident, and never stops believing in himself and the cause he stands for.  This is why I do not find him annoying and a nuisance whenever he appears on TV for every issue that has to do with African Americans.  I fully respect what he is trying to accomplish and I think there is nothing wrong with feeling that you must stop at nothing until you achieve your goal.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/al_sharpton.html

Chapters 7-10 of The Autobiography of Malcolm X display how Malcolm hit a level that took him so low, he reached the abyss of prison and made a life realization that his beliefs parallel the religion of Islam.  It began when Malcolm lost the trust of a dear friend to him, Sammy the Pimp, when he struck one of Sammy's women.  Sammy pulled a gun on Malcolm and their relationship would never be fully healed.  They made amends but could not trust each other for as long as they shall live.  Following this, he works in a series of odd jobs such as a gambler, hustler, and a steering job.  When he is accused of robbing a craps game, claiming winnings he did not bet on with West Indian Archie, and getting chased by the police for punching a hustler in the face and almost getting stabbed, he is chased by many opponents that want his blood.  In a time of desperation, Malcolm's old friend, Shorty, picks him up and takes him to Boston.  Here, he begins his plot to start a burglary ring with Shorty and a black, italian man named Rudy.  The plan was going well, using Sophia and Ella to search out the houses to be robbed.  Sadly, one night when Malcolm is high on cocaine, he spots Sophia, her sister, and a man that is friends with her husband, passing in a car, and he speaks with the women intimately and blows Sophia's cover.  This causes the friend and Sophia's husband to go on the hunt for Malcolm, when he gets taken into police custody peacefully.  He ends up getting in more trouble for having relations with a white woman than the burglary crimes that he committed.  He is sentenced to 10 years in prison, where he finds himself making the life realization that changed his future forever.  His brother Reginald informed him of the religion during his visits and Malcolm realized that it was the right path for him and supported his beliefs.  My opinion of the events in this reading is that they might be the most important chapters to be read in this novel.  They are the upbringing of what brought Malcolm to the thinking and status of person that he is famous for: an insightful preacher and teacher of respect to African Americans.

Ethnic Notions

The video in class showed different stereotypes of blacks that are still used today.  It showed many images of them eating watermelon and chicken.  One of the prime stereotypes of blacks today is the theory that they love to eat watermelon and chicken.  This is a very popular racial remark among whites and other races and apparently got its upbringing from the original television shows.  Another stereotype mentioned in the video that we still use today is the character of Manny, an African American maid.  This stereotype exists today also and there is a theory that exists that maids are fat, black women.  The problem is that blacks were highly discriminated against at that time and still today get mocked from the stereotypes even though racism has dulled down a bit since those hateful days.  This shows that there has been some improvement but not as much as some people think. 

I personally am of the Caucasian race, which has spent many years sending messages and creating the example that we are the "normal" people.  The whites decided what things were considered normal to do and what looks were considered normal just by their actions.  My nationality is Italian, Hungarian, and Irish.  Italian stereotypes include being considered "greasy" and being part of a mob.  Italian stereotypes include the theory that we drink alcohol a lot and that we get angry very easily.  I do not currently know of any well known stereotypes for the Hungarian race.  This might be because my race is not a very common race in America and the people do not get involved in many conflicts.  Regardless of how the stereotypes of my races started up, they still exist today and hurt the people that share the same race that I have.

My other thoughts on the video watched in class was that he television shows that were shown in the video showed blacks that were very joyful and happy to be slaves of white men.  They ate watermelon, danced around, and sang songs.  One show portrayed a message of a black man that was very dumb and did not treat people with manners because he was a free black man.  This insinuated the point that black people are dumb, useless, and classless without white people.  Clearly the messages in the television shows not only said that slavery was a good thing, but it promoted slavery as well.