Category: Book Review

Prejudicial behavior is often based on ignorance and fear which leads to significant consequences for marginalized individuals. ‘Jasper Jones’ by Craig Silvey is a bildungsroman about an adolescent boy, Charlie Bucktin, which illustrates the concept that choices are a powerful part of human behavior. The text is a realistic representation of the replete discrimination, conformity and racism of the 1960s in rural Western Australia, allowing the reader to understand how racist societal values lead to the marginalization of those perceived as unorthodox. Craig Silvey’s contemporary, gothic novel offers an ideal platform which investigates the ideologies and attitudes of characters due to their environment. The tone for the novel is mischievous and adventurous, whilst the use of the mood, tone, metalanguage, characterization and imagery amplifies this idea. ‘Jasper Jones’ mainly focuses on the difficulties of overcoming diversity, where Silvey uses characters to manifest this idea.

Fear arises when we face something unfamiliar or when someone we love is under threat. The small, insular community of Corrigan persistently alienates Lu’s family out of fear for the Vietnamese heritage, a culture outside Corrigan’s norm. This is due to the arising fear of conflict between Vietnam and America, where its consequences took a toll on Australian soldiers, particularly Sue Findley’s son and husband. Jeffrey Lu is subject to derogatory, dehumanizing and racist slurs including his nickname ‘Cong’, which symbolizes the Viet-Cong. This nickname reveals the challenges Jeffrey faces to earn respect from both his teammates and the broader community. The family is constantly isolated from the community of Corrigan, and this is represented through Jeffrey’s exclusion from the towns cricket team. Silvey uses the juxtaposition to draw a comparison between cricket as a form of identity and belonging in Corrigan. Charlie uses the metaphor ‘Corrigan is a town whose social currency is a sport’ to describe the identity of the community is epitomized through sport. This indicates that within the sporting arena success and skill is rewarded, but this is one of the only aspects of the attitudes of Corrigan’s townspeople. In the town, things start to be more favorable for Jeffrey as he helps the cricket team win against their archrivals until a local racist vandalizes and attacks his family home: “He’s involved! He’s a red! Fucking! Rat!”. The term red symbolizes means of putting a negative stance on communist values and ‘rat’ refers to the spreading of disease and the infestation ‘Vietnamese culture’ forced onto society. Silvey uses exclamation marks to convey the petulance anger and outrage of Australians at the time because of the Vietnam War. The reader is shown the reality of race and ethnicity, and the difficulties for minorities within the town of Corrigan. The community’s fear of the Vietnam War led to significant consequences for the Lu’s such as a lack of belonging, identity and isolation from the community which is highlighted by the cricket team.

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity” – this affirms that the prejudicial stereotypes of Corrigan are dangerous. The alleged antagonist Jasper Jones is a half-caste Aboriginal in a community of predominantly white Australians, by who he is constantly abused because of his background. Jasper Jones’ character is victimized and estranged by prejudice, proven by “Jasper Jones has a terrible reputation in Corrigan. He’s a Thief, Liar, a Thug, a Truant. He’s lazy and unreliable. He’s a feral and an orphan, or as good as… He’s the rotten model that parents hold aloft as a warning”. Corrigan blames Jasper whenever a crime or misdemeanor happens – such as the burning of the post office, and furthermore the disappearance of Laura Wishart. Based on the town’s prejudice, by which Jasper is used as a tool in Corrigan, ignorance is used as an excuse for prejudice. This hyperbole implies how the people in the town of Corrigan demonized and segregated him from the community, ultimately amplifying his supposed actions. The death of Laura Wishart develops Jasper’s inner strength and resilience, but also illustrates Jasper’s humanly emotions which are seemingly stripped from him. This is evident in the quote “We got to bury her. Hide her. Here. Ourselves”, where Jasper Jones is confirmed to be illiterate with poor diction, and also in the scene where Charlie has to read Laura’s letter to Jasper. The colloquial language establishes and reinforces the social identity of Jasper Jones. The metaphor “This town, they think I’m a bloody animal” highlights Corrigan’s non-tolerance toward racial differences. The first-person perspective delineates the calamitous effect that prejudicial attitude has on the outsiders of the community. Ignorance of prejudicial behavior is a toxic ideology, which results in innocent individuals being marginalized from the rest of Corrigan’s small-town society.

The xenophobic atmosphere of Corrigan is reinforced through Silvey’s continual depictions and examples of prejudice. Jasper acknowledges the ignorance towards the outcasts in the community. This is evinced by the quote “See, everyone’s afraid of something and nuthin. This town, that’s how they live, and they don’t even know it. They stick to what they know, what they bin told”. Ignorance is reinforced by several incidents which are made to provoke sympathy for Jones at the hands of Corrigan’s hypocrisy and corruption. This aspect of the novel helps the reader understand the boundary between truth and lies, by showing an example of both the lies we tell others and repeat to ourselves. The conflict is mainly caused by the town’s unfounded accusations and prejudices towards Jasper, which helps us understand how the boundary can be crossed when a lie is easier to believe in than the truth.

The town of Corrigan is isolated and parochial in the attitudes and beliefs of the individuals. This text is an exploration of consequences when ignorance, fear and prejudice are infiltrated in every aspect of society. It shows us the effect on an individual who is unorthodox from societal norms. By eliminating this prejudice, we can create an understanding of the individuals within a community.

The criminal justice system is designed to keep the lower socioeconomic classes in their place and this disproportionately targets black and Hispanic people. Americans are still hypnotized by the fictional tv show Law and Order, and a large segment of the population really believes that this is how the system functions, with prosecutors and judges who have a genuine concern for truth and justice.

Most prosecutors primarily care about their conviction rate so they can eventually land a highly-paid job in the private sector or in politics.

The police, prosecutors, and judges all work in tandem to keep the assembly line of convictions efficiently processed, while all the private contractors making millions from their government contracts focus their lobbying efforts on passing more dumb laws with longer sentences.

The system is morally bankrupt, and when enough Americans can see the system for what it has devolved into – a system where the wealthy can get away with anything while poor people are imprisoned for smoking pot – the system will eventually collapse under its own weight.

The corrupt system of injustice in this country is one more thing that contributed to the election of Donald Trump.

Not that President Trump will do anything to improve the system (quite the opposite) but a vote for Trump was the only way to signal to the Establishment that our institutions have failed the American people. Sad.

Racism in our Justice system IS systemic and REAL and it continues to be the tool that is used to destroy black families in particular. Anecdotal evidence of ‘driving while black’, ‘walking while black’, and police being called on blacks for ‘being in a space while black’ just reinforces the system. The majority of the population presupposes that all blacks, particularly males, are criminals. The language developed by our politicians during the 80s and 90s, ‘Super Predators’ was against young black teens and continues to exist today. Now the same is being done to the LatinX community. Trump has successfully labeled every one of Latin descent of being an illegal immigrant and worse, a member of MS-13. Unfortunately, our Nation seems to need targets, and some segments of the population profit from them. The Prison industrial complex is pervasive and the current prison population, over 2 million, is practically slave labor. There is really no difference between what is happening now over what happened after the civil war. We need to recognize this and resist the scare tactics that our politicians and LE leaders use to criminalize more and more actions under the guise of public safety. Arrests do not equate to increased security!

Summary

This book takes place at the end of the Great Depression, and nine-year-old Claudia and ten-year-old Frieda MacTeer live with their parents in Lorain, Ohio. The two girls’ parents are more concerned with their problems than paying attention to their children, but there’s an undercurrent of affection and security in their household. Henry Washington and a little girl Pecola are taken in by the MacTeers as boarders since Pecola’s father tries to burn down his family’s home. Claudia and Frieda are very sorry for her and do everything in their power to make her feel at home. After a while, Pecola can return to her home, where her life is very complicated. Her father drinks, her mother has been distant, and the two of them sometimes beat each other. Her brother, Sammy, always runs away. Pecola is constantly making claims that if she had blue eyes, she’d be cherished and her life would be transformed. She continues to gain proof of her sense of ugliness; a grocer looks straight through her as she buys candy, boys make fun of her, and a light-skinned girl, Maureen, makes fun of her for a while.

Pecola’s parents, Pauline and Cholly, have had a very tough life. Her mother claims to always be feeling alone and often loses herself in movies, reaffirming her conviction that she is ugly and that passionate love is reserved for the pretty. She works for a white woman as a housekeeper and loves her house while despising her own home. Cholly, the father of Pecola, was abandoned by his parents and adopted by his great aunt, who died when he was a young teenager. He has lost interest in most things, including his marriage and his own life. One day Pecola was washing dishes and her father Cholly came home and raped her. When Pecola’s mother comes home and finds her on the floor, unconscious, she doesn’t believe Pecola in what happened and beats her. When Claudia and Frieda find out that Pecola has been impregnated by her father, they want the baby to live, unlike the rest of the neighborhood. The girls sacrifice the money they’ve saved for a bicycle and plant marigold seeds. They say that Pecola’s baby will live if the flowers are alive, but the flowers fail to bloom, and Pecola’s baby dies as it is born prematurely. Cholly then runs away after raping Pecola a second time, and Pecola goes mad, believing that she now has blue eyes and that her wish has been fulfilled.

Themes and ideas

The overarching theme is how the black female characters internalize their idea of beauty with what the white idea of beauty is, not how they see themselves, but how the external white world sees them and deems them worthy human beings. Implicate signals that whiteness is preferable seem to be everywhere, including the white baby doll offered to Claudia, the idealization of Shirley Temple, the presumption that light-skinned Maureen is prettier than all the other black girls, the idealization of white attractiveness in film, and Pauline Breedlove’s affinity for the little white girl she works for over her daughter. Also, the violence black girls and women experience from the men in their lives, and how they suffer at the hands of these men because of the violence and humiliations they experienced as boys and young men.

Pecola believes that if she had blue eyes she would be loved beautiful and respected and not feel ugly and unwanted. I also think there was a lot of transference of emotions, for example, the violence Cholly perpetrated on Pecola as the result of the violence done to him as a child and young man. All of these characters are victims of violence done to them as children and young adults. They express repressed anger over the hateful treatment they receive by being violent to those they love. Pecola’s preference for blue eyes, while somewhat irrational, is founded on one perspective of her world; she insists that the cruelty she sees and encounters is linked to how she is seen. If she had pretty blue eyes, Pecola believes, people wouldn’t want to do awful things in front of her or to her.

The Bluest Eye is a story that holds a lot of power and consists of many, often conflicting, interlocking stories. Characters share tales that make sense of their lives, and these stories have a great influence on both good and bad. The stories told about Pecola in the eyes of the adults contradict both Claudia and Freidas’ views of her, each side making their claims about Pecola’s worth and her beauty. When the adults describe Pecola’s pregnancy and wish that her baby will die, Claudia and Frieda want to reinvent this scenario as a promising one, positioning themselves as saviors.

Discussion of a passage

Pages 173-174

The passage discusses the conversation between Pecola and the so-called magician with the ability to grant wishes when Pecola asks for blue eyes and white skin so that she can be beautiful. The magician looks at her with sorrow, reflecting on how society has implanted this ideal of beauty into the mind of a child, and he is disappointed that there is nothing he can do to help. He realizes after talking with Pecola further that she will not change her idea of beauty until she is changed to what her idea of beauty is, the beauty standard of white society. This passage is deeply important to the theme of the novel and is prominent in everyday life. The deeper meaning of this passage is the white beauty standard being forced upon black society, and society’s views of what is beautiful and what is not. Pecola wants to be beautiful in the eyes of society, which has influenced her own opinions of perfection so much that she doesn’t see herself as beautiful without these standards. The magician in this passage symbolizes those who see beauty as differences, who see good looks as being without standards, and who see Pecola as the beautiful girl she truly is, with no need for change.

Discussion of character

Pecola Breedlove is the character that comes to mind because of what she went through and what was done to her, and her belief that if only she had blue eyes she would be beautiful and loved. This was tragic because this obsession drove her mad, but she was finally happy in her madness. Young black girls grew up in a white culture that never acknowledged them or their worth or their attributes and beauty – their black beauty, not a kind of beauty that was compared to what the white culture deemed acceptable and beautiful.

When the novel starts, Pecola is a frail and delicate girl, and by the end of the novel, she is broken down and is now almost entirely ruined by violence. At the beginning of the book, two desires form the foundation of her inner life, the first being that she believes that she needs to learn how to get people to love her; second, when compelled to see the brutal struggles of her parents, she desperately wants to vanish. Neither desire is given, and Pecola is pulled even deeper into her dream realm, which is her only shield against the pain of her life. She hopes that getting the blue eyes she wants will change both how people view her and what she is forced to see. By the conclusion of the book, she deludingly insists that her wish has been fulfilled, but only at the expense of her sanity. Pecola’s destiny is worse than death because she is not able to escape from her world, and she is forced to exist in the harsh world she has only known all of her life.

Concluding reflection

The Bluest Eye is relevant to today’s cultural and racial oppression experienced by women of color and black girls and women in particular, and how white society imposes its ideal of beauty on black girls and women. In turn, they feel worthless and ugly because they cannot attain blue eyes, white skin, or blonde hair. This can be shown in the book in the scene where Pecola drank all that white milk, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for possibly taking the white inside her and having it come through her skin. This is just another example of how Pecola wishes to have white skin and blue eyes, the white beauty standard that has been imposed onto her and countless other black girls and women. Pecola believed she needed to obtain this so that she would be acceptable and not be seen as ugly, unwanted, and worthless.

In the article “Six Seuss Books Bore a Bias” from The New York Times, the issue of black identity and how living in a predominantly white culture affects black children is covered in this piece, and shows great correlation to The Bluest Eye. This article states that racism must be eliminated from society and culture, including, most specifically, from that of children. Teaching a child to despise or feel afraid of themselves is a violation of their innocence and an obstacle to their great potential. There are many older books and shows that are based heavily on racial stereotypes, including Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Mammy Two Shoes, and most prominently, the six books of Dr. Seuss that are now in question to be no longer published. The author of this article states that “because of racist and insensitive imagery, saying ‘these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,’ I cheered as some bemoaned another victim of so-called ‘cancel culture’.”

This novel is also relevant to today’s issues with racism towards the black community, and this is shown in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

The book that I have chosen to review is titled ‘Where Rainbows End’. This book has been suggested to me by a good friend. The author of this book is a famous Irish writer, Cecelia Ahern. This is the second book of the author, the first one being ‘PS. I Love You’, which was published in 2004. This is the bestselling book of the author internationally, and even ranked number 1 in Ireland and United Kingdom. It was also awarded with the German Corine Award in 2005. The entire book is written in epistolary structure, i.e., in the form of letters, emails, greeting cards, news articles etc., and the story revolves around two characters, Rosie and Alex, who have been friends since childhood and how their friendship is affected by different circumstances.

The entire book is divided into 4 phases and 50 chapters. The beginning of the book is quite perplexing. The story starts with both our protagonist as child and they send each other letters. And as you can expect from children, the spellings and grammars are totally incorrect, so it took sometimes to understand the meaning of the sentence. But from another aspect, this is kind of fun. We get the feeling as if we are reading actual letters of the children. Those grammatical errors and spelling mistakes make the book more realistic as no five-year child will be able to communicate in proper English.

Another problem with the book was the transition between the events. As the story is flowing smoothly, suddenly there comes an event which is completely irrelevant to the previous one. So, it is quite confusing as simultaneous events are being explained and the transition between them is very vague. Particular instance of the above problem is in chapter 35. The events are flowing smoothly up until this point and suddenly we enter a random chatroom of divorced women with random username like Divorced_1, UnsureOne, LonelyLady etc., so we have no idea who is talking and what they are talking about. Then, in chapter 40, we again have to read the chatroom conversation and only then we will understand that the username of these women actually signifies the feeling of the women and everything starts making sense.

Likewise, it is also very difficult to understand who is sending letters to whom. Since, the entire book is written in epistolary structure and so there are lots of emails and letters. The problem is particularly with letters. At the starting of letter, the name of the receiver is written so we know who is going to receive it. But the name of the sender is only disclosed at the last. So, during the entire letter we won’t know who is sending the letter, making it a little bit confusing.

So, these were some of the issues that I found to be quite vexing. Other than that, the entire book is a masterpiece. The storyline is very good for a romantic genre. As we go through the book, we get to develop along with the characters. We start with both our main characters at the age of 5 and as the story progresses, we get to see that their lifestyle also changes. Each phase of the book reflects the phase of our life: child, teenage, adult, and old. And each phase shows the problem and obstacles that we will face in real life, so it feels more realistic as we also have gone through some of those phases.

Another thing that makes this book more realistic is the technological advancement that gradually takes place. At first, the only means of communications are letters and greeting cards. But later on, we get to see the characters send emails. Again, after sometime, instant messages are introduced. So, these small details that match the real world makes this book even better.

Talking about the story, Alex and Rosie have been friends since age 5. As they grow, their friendship develops into love, but both of them are oblivious to that. They both are separated when Alex has to move to foreign country but their friendship remains. There are some ups and downs, they fight sometimes but eventually they get back together. Many people come and go on their lives. Everyone knows that Rosie and Alex have feelings for each other, except they themselves. And whenever they try to express their feelings for each other, fate directs their lives in different way and keeps them apart. But at the end both of them finally get to express their feelings each other and thus happy ending.

So, at last, I just want to say that this book is a complete package of romance. There are roller coasters of emotions, great story line, gradual character development, and resemblance to the reality that makes this book a masterpiece. Though there are some aspects of the book that I didn’t like, but overall the book is very fun and once you start reading, it will be difficult to stop. So, if you are into romantic fictional book that I highly recommend this book to you. I am sure that you won’t be disappointed.

‘Why Liberalism Failed’ provides insight to the beliefs of author Patrick Deneen. Deneen is a political philosophy and constitutional studies professor at Notre Dame, believing that liberalism has failed by succeeding. He believes the contradicting principles have allowed our citizens to take on individualistic beliefs and therefore succeeding in that sense, however this fails to unite the nation and produce an effective, long-term result in American society. Inspired by today’s governmental and societal structure, Deneen wrote this book to call a change in our political ideology while emphasizing the importance of strong, active communities in our nation. Initially, I agreed with his idea about growing toward a society that focused on smaller communities and as a Christian, I still believe it is very important. However, as I continued to read the through the first chapter, Deneen’s radical opinions provoked an opposition within me that does not agree fully with his view. I chose this book because the title made me curious to know why the author believes so, and the many adverse opinions of others I read about online compelled me to want to develop an opinion of my own.

Although Deneen believes the Founding Fathers established liberal principles that encourage us to be independent, he expresses that the view our nation has on that definition of liberalism has changed. I agree that our founding fathers wanted us citizens to have the right to be free from authoritarian rule, but it is evident that today’s society has created a view for our government that is all too promising. Deneen explicitly states that the role of our government is to “preserve a space in which individuals are able to self-create”. This implies that it is the government’s responsibility to ratify laws that protect its citizens rights. I firmly believe that Deneen is correct and due to this, the opportunity to flourish in our nation is great compared to other forms of government. However, many people take this preserved space and define it as the ability to create their own identity, being a part of this nation individually rather than unitedly. As previously stated, the Constitution creates the idea that we have an impact on the country as a whole and I do not agree when Deneen argues that this ideology eliminates the opportunity of having a more effective impact in our local communities. I do not believe that the constitution impedes on the impact of smaller communities at all and it’s rather his own conclusion and therefore I would consider this a flaw in Deneen’s work.

Throughout his book, the author emphasizes the importance of civic engagement. “The strength of free peoples resides in the local community”, Deneen states, “it was the nearness and immediacy of the township that made its citizens more likely to care and take an active interest not only in their own fates, but in the shared fates of their fellow citizens”. Although this may be true, I personally feel that it is through the attention of much larger, national issues in our country that allows Americans to take active interest in our democratic system. Having a strong concern for what happens in the country entirely, will have a direct impact on each individual’s concern for what happens in their smaller communities that Deneen stresses the importance of. It can be concluded that Deneen does not view the nation as one large community, especially when he asserts that elections only appear to give Americans a sense of significant purpose.

Deneen wrote very well in every chapter of ‘Why Liberalism Failed’. As I read this book, there were many incredibly written lines and quotes of his own beliefs, some of which I agree with and others I do not. One quote by Deneen that captured my attention was, “Students are taught by most of their humanities and social science professors that the only remaining political matter at hand is to equalize respect and dignity accorded to all people”. It is one of my favorite quotes, because it really speaks to how today’s younger generations are widely exposed to the idea of everyone being treated equally despite their race, gender, or ethnicity and how it is considered to be one of the most controversial and discussed topics in today’s society. I have always believed that it is important to treat all humans the same and anything less is not acceptable. However, I do not believe it is the “only remaining political matter at hand”, as many are also concerned about losing culture and diversity. This leads me to another favorite quote of mine which says, “What we need today are practices fostered in local settings, focused on the creation of new and viable cultures”. This quote appeals to me because it offers another perspective toward the political matter of equality and while many agree that we all should treat others fairly, many also consider the possibility of losing the uniqueness that encompasses every individual. I do not agree with that, however this quote shows the uncommon but still very present attitude of many in our society.

When I first read the title, I thought the opinions of the author would be very one-sided. However, Deneen agrees liberalism has had great effects, just not the effects necessary to progress. Personally, I found ‘Why Liberalism Failed’ to be a difficult read, not being exposed to much of this language previously. However, the more that I read the easier it became to understand, and I was still able to identify the author’s purpose to writing this book. Deneen did a fantastic job highlighting his personal perspective and clearly displayed his increasing concern about the direction our nation is heading. I would recommend others to read it despite their political party affiliation or other beliefs, to allow them to not necessarily agree, but to consider the explanation of the views of others in our nation.

“Rufus had done exactly what he said he would do: Gotten possession of the woman without having to bother her husband. Now, somehow, Alice would have to accept not only the loss of her husband, but her own enslavement. Rufus had caused her trouble and now he had been rewarded for it” (149). This quote from the book ‘Kindred’ reveals the powerful theme of the corruption of power, after Rufus inherits the plantation, he gains a lot of power over the lives of many people. He begins to feel superior to the people and believes that he has the right to control their lives, this causes him to become malicious and oppressive, especially towards the slaves.

‘Kindred’ is about a modern woman named Dana, who travels back in time to the antebellum south, to save her white slave owning ancestor Rufus Weylin, a white man who starts her bloodline. There are many memorable characters, but the two that stand out are Dana and Alice. Dana Franklin is an educated and progressive young black woman who lives in the modern world. She’s a twenty-six year old writer who moves into a house in Altadena, California, with her white husband Kevin. On her twenty-sixth birthday, while unpacking and shelving her books, Dana starts to feel dizzy and nauseated. When Kevin reaches out to help her, she disappears and gets transported to the antebellum south. Alice Greenwood is Dana’s great grandmother who is born a free black. She later on becomes a slave of the Weylin plantation, after Rufus arranges for her to be his slave.

Rufus makes Alice his slave, because she falls in love with a slave named Isaac James, he does not like this, because he loves her too. Rufus has had an obsessive love for Alice ever since they were kids, therefore he becomes jealous when Alice does not return his love for her. Rufus attempts to break Alice and Isaac up, but he fails, because they run away together. A few days later they’re caught, whipped, and beaten by dogs. Alice is turned into a slave for her reckless behavior while Isaac is sold for attempting to escape. It is important to look at the similarities and differences of these two characters in order to show the theme of the corruption of power.

The characters of Dana Franklin and Alice Greenwood share several characteristics. The first similarity is that they are both women who were born free and are now enslaved and unwillingly controlled by Rufus. Rufus bought Alice so he could try to control her and make her love him, knowing that she never will. Rufus says, “I know you, Dana. You want Kevin the way I want Alice. And you had more luck than I did because no matter what happens now, for a while he wanted you too. Maybe I can’t ever have that-both wanting, both loving. But I’m not going to give up what I can have” (163). This shows how obsessed Rufus is with Alice, he says he will not let her go and he doesn’t, even though she fears him. Rufus forces Alice to submit to him sexually and makes her bear his children multiple times, so that he can have full control over her. Similar to Alice Dana, is also a free black woman that is unwillingly controlled by Rufus. Dana is repeatedly summoned by Rufus to save him against her will and when she gets transported back to the past she assumes the role of a slave. At one point Dana has to pretend to be her husband Kevin’s enslaved mistress. In conclusion Dana and Alice are similar because they are both free-born woman who are tormented and forced into slavery by Rufus.

Another similarity between Dana and Alice is their fight for freedom. Dana is a modern woman, a free woman, a woman who believes in fighting for freedom. When Dana gets transported back in time, she assumes the role of a slave. Dana is willing to almost kill herself and be violent to her own body in order to regain her freedom. An example of this is when Dana slits her wrists (239). Rufus gets jealous when he sees Sam James; a slave, getting too friendly with Dana, as punishment he sells Sam.Dana tries to stop him, but this angers him even more, which in turn causes him to punch her in the face. Because of this Dana realizes that the only way to be free of Rufus suicide, so she slits her wrists and awakes in 1976, the present. Like Dana, Alice also believes in fighting for freedom. Alice ran away from the plantation because she does not trust Rufus when he says he wants to free their children and send Joe to school in the North. She says that Rufus’ promise is only good if its written and she cannot bear how he uses her children to control her, so she plans to run away. Unfortunately, Alice gets caught and whipped, while trying to escape. Rufus sends her children away and tells her that he sold them. Now that her kids are gone, Alice remembers something her mom had said, “Mama said she’d rather die than be a slave” (157). Alice realizes that she too believes that the only way to be freed from slavery is suicide. Her kids being sold is the last straw for her, she has nothing to cherish and nothing to look forward to but her own enslavement, and she cannot let Rufus control her any longer, so she hangs herself. In conclusion, Dana and Alice are similar because of their willingness to do whatever is necessary to be free of Rufus.

Although the characters of Dana and Alice share many similarities, they’re different in many ways. First, they are different because Dana’s environment allows her free will to do as she wishes while Alice’s environment suppresses and abuses her. Dana is a modern woman living in a progressive world that allows her to be free. She is willingly married to a white man named Kevin, whom her family does not approve of. This causes Dana to be estranged from her closest family members, yet she still has the right to control her own life. Contrary to Dana’s relationship with Kevin, which is intentional, Alice’s relationship with Rufus, a white plantation owner, is coerced. Rufus, who is obsessed with Alice, treats her as an object to possess rather than a lover. Rufus attempts to control Alice by raping her. When Dana goes back in the past after a brawl between Rufus and Alice’s husband Isaac, she realizes that Rufus may have raped her great grandmother. Dana states, “The girl, her torn dress. If everything was as it seemed Rufus had earned his beatings and more” (117-18). Alice later confirms Dana’s suspicions and says that Rufus had “wanted to be more friendly than she did” (120). In conclusion the characters of Dana and Alice are different because of the environment they live in. Dana’s contemporary environment allows her freedom and self preservation whereas Alice’s slavery environment restrains her from being a subject of her own right.

Another difference between Dana and Alice is they way they get treated by Rufus. Dana gets treated better because Rufus likes that she’s well educated, she stands up to him, and he knows that he is dependent on her, therefore she has a degree of control over her life. Alice on the other hand gets treated horribly because she is an uneducated black woman, to add to that a slave who cannot do anything to defend herself. Rufus treats Dana better than the other slaves in the novel because he knows he needs her for self preservation, he needs to keep Dana alive in order for her to keep him alive, they are dependent on each other. Another reason why Rufus treats Dana better is because in a way he loves her, he likes how intelligent and strong minded she is. He also likes how she does not back down from him, she proves this by calling him by his name and not master like the other slaves, which makes their relationship an unusual slave-master relationship. Unlike Dana, Rufus’ treatment of Alice is deplorable. Rufus tries to control Alice, force her to love him, and punish her for attempting to escape from him. He rapes Alice multiple times and forces her to submit to him. An example of this is when Alice tells Dana, “He likes me in bed, and you out of bed, and you and I look alike if you can believe what people say” (228). In conclusion we can predict from the quote above that Rufus loves both Alice and Dana but he does not know how to properly treat them the way they deserve to be treated, due to the environment they live in.

Step in someone’s shoes to get rid of ignorance. Analyzing the similarities and differences of these two characters in ‘Kindred’ will help readers understand this book and its theme on a deeper level. I really loved ‘Kindred’ because it dives deep into the complex relationship between slave masters and the black women they enslaved. This book is definitely worth reading. I would give it a five star review.

The book I will be reviewing is ‘One Child’, written by Torey Hayden, which is based on a heart touching true story. The author, Torey Hayden, really did an excellent job in showing how a teacher must be willing to do more than just be a teacher. The main topic of the story is about Miss Torey and Sheila that forms an unbreakable, unique, special bond and impact each other for the better. Sheila is a young, bright, 6-year-old girl that faces tremendous difficulties and challenges in her life and with that said a victim of child abuse. Sheila’s mother abandoned her when she was just 4 years old and left her on the highway and only took her brother, Jimmie, with to California. She lived in a migrant camp with her father (Hayden, T., 1980, page 20). She had unique characteristics like never talking, crying or showing any emotion. Torey Hayden tries to save this girl with dark problems from the hole she is getting dragged into.

For her whole life so far this little intelligent girl only knows rejection (her mother), abuse (her uncle Jimmy and her father that hits her), abandonment but has learnt from one school year how to love and be love, to trust, deal with all her anger issues in a civilized way and just to be a normal six year old girl.

One time she was not the victim but the ‘attacker’ and burned down a 3-year-old boy in their area (Hayden, T., 1980, page 3). After this terrible incident she was taken into child custody to get a place in the state hospital children unit because she was seen as crazy and a threat to society. There was unfortunately no open unit so she was sent back home but with her history of course they should have expected her to not be a good girl back home. Authorities signed her up at a special school until a unit opened.

She had a poor upbringing with her dad being an alcoholic and not really caring about her. He never showed any interest or emotion towards Sheila. She arrived at school every single day with the same blue denim overall and was never clean. Torey then decided to take matter into her own hands and cleaned Sheila 30 minutes before school started. This was not Torey’s duty, but her willingness to help and connect with her students. “The next morning, I came ready for action. Armed with three bath towels, a bar of soap, shampoo, and a bottle of baby lotion” (Hayden, T., 1980, page 56).

This short 30 minutes was not just cleaning and pampering time but it was their special and bonding time. With Sheila’s time alone with Torey she got very comfortable, trusted her and opened up more each day. Every single day had a routine and the mornings started with group discussion. “The children all came from such chaotic and disrupted homes that we needed something to reunite us each morning after being apart” (Hayden, T., 1980, page 18).

Sheila refused to do assignments which included working on paper, such as mathematics or drawing, not because she did not know how to, because throughout the book we can see that she is a very clever child. “There was no score to measure Sheila’s score on the PPVT. For her age group the scale stopped at 99, which translated into a 170 IQ. Sheila had a score of 102” (Hayden, T., 1980, page 52). “I think she might have this paper phobia because she is scared of failure and she thinks that people will leave if she failed” (Hayden, T., 1980, page 16).

I recommend this book to every single upcoming or present teacher to just reevaluate why they are doing the profession they are doing or want to do it. Teaching is something so much deeper than just learning and teaching students and this book shows us the deeper meaning. This is a very inspiring and motivational book that will thrive you to be the best possible teacher and to realize that there will be children in your classroom that does not have the best background. The one strategy that I will steal from Torey is to connect with each student and form strong relationships where they can trust me. This book was a very great lesson that I will keep close to my heart and always remember. I do not only recommend it for upcoming teachers but for anyone and everyone! It teaches us how selfless we should be and shift our focus to over people when we see the need.

I like that the book is very honest and raw because it’s daily real issues in our communities that children face. The storyline of ‘One Child’ written by Torey Hayden is very moving because it is difficult to hear things as sexual abuse and children dealing with difficult circumstances. It’s a very touching deep story of Torey and Sheila’s journey together and how a teacher can influence a difficult child. In this book I also learned that there is no such thing as a difficult child but only a child that have reason because they have problems.

The book consists out of out 20 chapters. Some of these chapters will make you angry, some of them will make you cry and others will make you feel happy and jolly for Sheila’s sake. With a very happy ending, Sheila was finally ready to overcome her very dark sketchy past and release that she is a normal girl that has so much potential. ‘One child’ is based on hope, trust and courage. A very lost broken 6-year-old girl finally let down her guard and opened up to a new world full of joy, discovery and happiness.

Most books do not hold my attention at all, but this one did a hundred percent. ‘One child’ has such a powerful storyline and it is really worth the read and your time!

Octavia Butler’s ‘Kindred’ traces central protagonist, Dana Franklin’s genealogy by physically ‘returning’ her to her slave past in antebellum Maryland. By deconstructing the body of the female slave Butler uses Dana’s body as the site for historical markings, so that she is literally and symbolically scarred by her ancestral past. As Michel Foucault notes, the purpose of genealogy is “to expose a body totally imprinted by history and the process of history’s destruction of the body”, so by using Dana’s figure, Butler is able to show the literal and symbolic dismembering of the black female body in remembering the past.

In ‘Kindred’, Dana is invested in a linear and determinised version of history. In seeking to secure a linear saga of her history, Dana fails to identify with her black ancestor Alice Greenwood. She therefore becomes actively complicit in the mistreatment and rape of her female predecessor. The relationship between Alice and Dana acts as the crux within the novel as Dana encounters both obstructions and alliances in befriending a black female slave. Rufus Weylin, a white slave owner and the ‘presumptive patriarch at history’s centre’ becomes the main obstruction for Dana as it prevents her and Alice from establishing female bonds of solidarity that could resist white supremacy. Dana is familially obliged to remain loyal to Rufus as it serves her interests in obtaining a linear history. She uses pre-determined history as an alibi to justify her allowing Rufus’s constant mistreatment of Alice. Rufus converts his sexual desires for Alice into socially sanctioned rape by saying, “I didn’t want to just drag her off into the bushes […] I never wanted it to be like that. But she kept saying no”. Dana’s response to this intrusive assault on Alice’s body is void of compassion with her simply overlooking Rufus’ heinous actions. The black body then is constructed as a penetrable space it is an open vessel that permits the culpability of white male sexual violence. This then reveals Dana’s problematic identification with a fellow black ancestor and implies that she perceives Alice’s life as expendable in exchange for her own.

Conversely, in light of the Black Power movement in the 1960s-70s, Butler grew concerned about how black nationalists were misserving generations of black communities due to them feeling ashamed of, or more strongly angry with their parents for not improving things faster. By implementing the language of slavery, the Black Power movement wanted deny that certain African American people even ‘belonged’ to the ‘same black race’, that the they now inhabited. This ethos is critiqued by Butler through Dana’s character and her relationship with the slave Sarah. On discovering that Sarah is afraid of books and the power of reading (as educated blacks were seen as a threat to their white oppressors), Dana is filled with a sense of moral superiority because she can use the Black Power movement to limit and define Sarah’s ‘blackness’. She describes Sarah as the “kind of woman who would be held in contempt during the militant sixties” for her subservience to her own enslavement. Ironically though, Dana is later referred to as ‘mammy’ which forces her to accept her own subordination as a black female slave. Dana must endure the same belittling labelling as her ancestors in order to apprehend the past.

Constant bodily suffering and breakage against Dana’s own body acts as the mechanism by which her oppressive linear history is disrupted. In traversing time periods Dana’s body relives trauma as her figure is remade into that of a female slave. Punishment for Dana comes in the form of a whip, “it came—like a hot iron across my back, burning into me through my light shirt, searing my skin”. She is beaten into submission, her back not only inscribed with flesh lacerations but it is also literally marked by her history. Butler reduces Dana’s body down to flesh and dehumanises her body to illustrate the literal distancing between the black body and its white oppressors. As Hortense Spiller notes, “before the ‘body’ there is the ‘flesh’, that zero degree of social conceptualization that does not escape concealment under the brush of discourse”. Spiller is stating that there is a difference between liberation and captivation which is juxtaposed against the ‘body’ and the ‘flesh’. Thus, the lacerations on the captive black female body by the white oppressor has reduced the black figure down to ‘flesh’. Despite Dana’s attempt to flee the normativity for black females in the antebellum period, her race prevents her from navigating and escaping the oppressive space that she occupies. She too is subject to the same corporeal tortures as her black ancestors.

The narrative shows how a linear and determinised perspective of history has ultimately led to the whitewashing of slavery in contemporary America. In the denouement, Dana revisits the former site of the Weylin plantation only to find that any evidence of slavery has vanished, “Rufus’s house was gone. As nearly as we could tell, its site was now covered by a broad field of corn. The house was dust, like Rufus”. Unlike the landscapes whitewashing of enslavement, the interjection of temporal multiplicity in Dana’s life leaves her physically marked by her history. On her final return home Dana’s body is “caught somehow, joined to the wall as though [her] arm was growing out of it”. It is at this moment that Dana realises she is missing her arm, her body is physically and historically scarred from travelling back to the past. In being a corporeal juncture in which history merges with the contemporary, Dana and her body become a vessel for remembering the past. Despite being liberated, Dana’s body, as Spillers notes is still “grounded in the originating metaphors of captivity” due to the lasting physical mutilation on her body. By physically dismembering Dana, Butler reconstructs the black female body as a living historical record. In remembering, Dana’s body restores a forgotten past.

Introduction:

“Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement” by Kevin M. Gilmartin is a powerful and insightful book that explores the emotional challenges faced by law enforcement officers and provides strategies for maintaining mental and emotional well-being in a demanding profession. This summary essay aims to highlight the key themes discussed in the book, offering a concise overview of its valuable insights.

The Psychological Toll of Law Enforcement:

Gilmartin emphasizes the unique psychological stressors experienced by law enforcement officers. The constant exposure to trauma, violence, and human suffering can lead to significant emotional and mental strain. The book emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and understanding these stressors to effectively address their impact on officers’ well-being.

Emotional Survival and Resilience:

One of the central themes of the book is the concept of emotional survival and the development of resilience in law enforcement. Gilmartin highlights the significance of recognizing and managing the cumulative effects of stress, including the development of cynicism, emotional numbing, and burnout. The book provides practical strategies to build resilience, such as maintaining a support system, engaging in self-care activities, and cultivating healthy coping mechanisms.

The Impact of Law Enforcement Career on Personal Relationships:

Gilmartin explores the toll that a law enforcement career can have on personal relationships. The irregular work schedules, high levels of stress, and emotional demands can strain marriages, friendships, and family dynamics. The book emphasizes the importance of open communication, setting boundaries, and seeking professional support to navigate these challenges and maintain healthy relationships.

Law Enforcement Culture and Stigma:

The book delves into the unique culture within law enforcement agencies and the stigma associated with seeking help for mental health issues. Gilmartin addresses the “warrior” mentality prevalent in the profession and highlights the need for a shift toward a more holistic approach that prioritizes officer well-being. By reducing the stigma surrounding mental health support, officers can feel more comfortable seeking help and addressing their emotional needs.

Managing Stress and Trauma:

Gilmartin provides valuable insights into managing stress and trauma in the law enforcement profession. He emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, recognizing signs of stress, and engaging in proactive stress management techniques. The book also explores the effects of traumatic incidents and offers strategies for processing and healing from such experiences.

Maintaining a Sense of Purpose and Identity:

“Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement” underscores the significance of maintaining a strong sense of purpose and identity within the law enforcement profession. Gilmartin encourages officers to define their values and goals outside of their careers, fostering a sense of fulfillment and resilience that can sustain them through difficult times.

Conclusion:

“Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement” offers a comprehensive exploration of the emotional challenges faced by law enforcement officers and provides valuable insights into maintaining well-being in a demanding profession. The book emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing the psychological toll of the job, building resilience, and fostering healthy relationships. By understanding the unique stressors of law enforcement and implementing the strategies outlined in the book, officers can enhance their emotional survival and thrive in their professional and personal lives.

Introduction:

Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel, ‘Fahrenheit 451,’ has captivated readers with its thought-provoking themes and vivid portrayal of a society consumed by censorship and ignorance. Over the years, the novel has been adapted into a film, sparking debates among fans about the merits of the movie compared to the original text. In this essay, we will compare and contrast the movie adaptation of ‘Fahrenheit 451’ with the book, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of each medium and analyzing the extent to which the movie successfully captures the essence of Bradbury’s vision.

Body:

Visual Representation:

One of the notable differences between the movie and the book is the visual representation of the story. The film adaptation brings Bradbury’s dystopian world to life through stunning cinematography and captivating visual effects. The use of color, lighting, and set designs effectively portrays the bleak and oppressive atmosphere of the society depicted in the novel. The book, on the other hand, relies on the reader’s imagination to create the world and its inhabitants. While the book allows for a more personal and subjective interpretation, the movie offers a visually immersive experience that can engage a wider audience.

Character Development:

In terms of character development, the book delves deeper into the inner thoughts, emotions, and motivations of the main characters, such as Guy Montag and Clarisse McClellan. Bradbury’s prose allows readers to intimately connect with the characters and understand their struggles on a deeper level. However, the movie adaptation focuses more on the external actions and visual representation of the characters, which may result in a shallower exploration of their inner worlds. While the film successfully portrays the physical aspects of the characters, it may not capture the complexity and depth found in the book.

Narrative Structure:

Another significant difference between the movie and the book is the narrative structure. The book is divided into three distinct parts, each building upon the previous one to create a cohesive narrative arc. Bradbury’s use of language and narrative techniques, such as the use of symbolism and allusions, contributes to the overall impact of the story. In contrast, the movie condenses the narrative and simplifies certain plot points to fit within a shorter runtime. This streamlined approach may sacrifice some of the depth and complexity of the novel’s themes and ideas.

Adaptation Changes:

Like many book-to-movie adaptations, ‘Fahrenheit 451’ undergoes certain changes during the transition to the big screen. These changes can range from alterations to the plot and characters to the omission or addition of specific scenes. While some changes may be necessary to adapt the story for a different medium, they can also impact the overall message and themes of the original work. It is important for viewers and readers to critically assess these changes and consider their implications on the story’s meaning and intended impact.

Themes and Social Commentary:

Despite the differences between the movie and the book, both versions of ‘Fahrenheit 451’ share a common core of themes and social commentary. Both explore the dangers of censorship, the suppression of knowledge, and the consequences of a society disconnected from critical thinking and intellectual pursuits. While the movie may not capture all the nuances and subtleties of Bradbury’s prose, it successfully conveys the fundamental messages of the novel and prompts viewers to reflect on the importance of free thought and the preservation of literature.

Conclusion:

In comparing the movie adaptation of ‘Fahrenheit 451′ with the original book, it becomes evident that each medium offers a unique perspective and experience. The movie captivates audiences with its visual representation and immersive storytelling, while the book allows for a deeper exploration of characters’ thoughts and emotions. Despite the differences, both versions effectively convey the themes and social commentary at the heart of Bradbury’s work. Whether one prefers the book or the movie is a matter of personal preference, but both mediums contribute to the enduring relevance and impact of ‘Fahrenheit 451.’