JeremyBarrick

"Hence arises a new human unity, pulling the ends of earth nearer, and all men, black, yellow, and white." (Du Bois)

So what I thought disregarded racism, really wasn't. It still is about overcoming, overall. Making a name for a race. But fighting to be a human being. I assumed all the readings linked to early industrialization. Guess I was sort of stumped as well.
I think how Washington and Du Bois differed was one (Washington) wanted blacks to integrate with all races in the educational field while Du Bois sought to segregate blacks by educating them.
Maybe in-class discussions will further educate me on the differences.

Posted by JeremyBarrick at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"Any one who is willing to work ten hours a day at the brick-yard, or in the laundry, through one or two years, in order that he or she may have the privilege of studying academic branches for two hours in the evening, has enough bottom to warrant being further educated." (Booker T. Washington)

I think that it's great, the invent of night school. It gives those a chance to learn who work all day.
As far as Booker T. goes, well he was a martyr of his time. Way ahead of the rest. And to think of it, he was an African American. What a concept for a man of color to construct an educational institution, and to let women enter into it as well.
The one thing that caught my eye in the readings was Washington's establishment of a night school. I feel that modern society has overlooked the hardships and endurance of people in that era suffered, black and white. Those people worked hard. It wasn't like they served the public by waiting tables or selling cheap merchandise. They helped build railroads and other hard labors. They overcame so much more. Modern society is based on convenience. Everything is about getting something quick rather it is a certificate in a study or food. No one has to really work for much. I blame most of that on technology. But it is early technology helped build America. Academia is such a wonderful thing. I feel that it separates ditch diggers from scientists. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Society needs all types of people to survive.
I thought I had it rough as I work full-time and attend college full-time. People in the late nineteenth century attended night school worked more than ten hours a day, and then went to school. How we, modern society, take that for granted.

Posted by JeremyBarrick at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"John Henry was a railroad man,
He worked from six 'till five" (Ballad of John Henry)

I think that the ballad of John Henry was propaganda for late Nineteenth Century industrialization. After slavery was abolished in the late Nineteenth Century, as we know from history, industrialization boomed. This brought jobs to America and a dream. I feel that the legend of John Henry is all about the American dream.
Giving the mythological character super-human like qualities in my opinion was a sales pitch for the United States. Basically saying that America is tough. It is built on hard work, sweat, and muscle. That is the framework for our country.
Take for instance, Pittsburgh. Our beloved city. It was built on steel and iron. In the late 1960s-1970s, the industry progressed at such a high rate. This employed many people. Steel and iron were icons for the local sport's teams. Making their mascots reflect the thriving ores.
Of course it's a tall tale.The story of the ballad could have never happened. That just seems to far-fetched. I feel it was more symbolic than anything.
As far as the different versions of the song. They are, in my opinion, coming from different perspectives. Who originally wrote the song? As I took a look at all the different songwriters who mention John Henry, I see that white men (Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash) they were well known for songs about America and the hardships to be endured. But a blues singer like Led Belly sang about blacks and the hardships they endured. Overall, I feel that the ballad describes overcoming hardships entering the American dream.
I really do not see racism as an issue in John Henry.

Posted by JeremyBarrick at 7:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

"What this book represents is not a database of all the cultural codes by which writers create and readers understand the products of that creation, but a template, a pattern, a grammar, of sorts from which you can learn to look for those codes on your own." (Foster) p.280

I like the fact that Foster is saying that How to Read Literature Like a Professor is not a dictionary to look facts up nor is it a bible by literary law, but rather a book to further understand what we have been reading. At first, I thought that Foster came off as a pompous know-it-all. Then after I read the chapters, I realized that he is giving his opinions on literature as we do every Wednesday evening. This comes from a professor's point-of-view rather than a students, which is interesting, and informative.

Posted by JeremyBarrick at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"By becoming, in effect, an author, Jim writes himself a new destiny." (Smith 364)

Jim is an underestimated character in the book. This comes from the era, I feel. Southern slaves were not, as we have learned, treated all that bad. They were, in essence, part of the white family. The children of masters and slaves all played together, among other activities. So racism did not play a major role.
I have to admit, when the term "nigger" is used I automatically think of the era that AHF is placed. That eases the term a bit as that is what black Americans were referred to then. I did not match the term to racism automatically. There are instances of it throughout the book though.
Jim had a huge impact on the novel. If it were not for Jim, there would not have been Huck. And if the story only contained Huck, it would have been really boring. Jim was the adhesive between Huck and the adventure. Clemens even went as far as to add a family for Jim. That gave Jim a lead role in the book. Although Jim was a slave who was imprisoned, he still had a voice in the novel. There are several chapters where Jim plays a major role. So in fact, he does write a new destiny.
The ending is one that probably shocked many readers. The whole town wants to hang Jim, but the doctor basically says, hey! this man helped me when I thought Tom was going to die. The town then gains a new outlook on him. Jim becomes free at the end. The whole time he was free but didn't know it. Jim's destiny has finally been reached.

Posted by JeremyBarrick at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

"It seems to me that if we want to get the most out of our reading, as far as reasonable, we have to try to take the works as they were intended to be taken." (Foster) p.228

Anyone can read a book and be able to repeat back what has happened or tell what a character has done, but to be able to read between the lines takes a bit more to do.
The eyes are not the only organ to use when reading. The author has intentionally written a character in or added an environment to use as a background or a main theme. Using one's mind to look at what something means takes a certain focus.
This may sound weird, but when I read ADH, I read it aloud to my dog. I know, sounds really silly, but it worked. I used the voice of a southerner and a southern slave. This made ADH more understandable. It was like I was trying out for a play. And the book was more like a script.
So, I do agree with Foster in that the eyes are not the only thing to bring to a page when reading. There are so many more things, like I have mentioned above, to make reading more understandable. Think of the era, character, and demographic. I really taught myself a new way of learning by doing so.

Posted by JeremyBarrick at 9:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)