Tuesday 27 November 2012
Our Précis! Wahoo!
In Zora Neale Hurston's "How It Feels To Be Colored Me" (1928), the author asserts that all people should look past the colour of the bag and focus on the treasure that lie within it, "...so much like the Jumble in the bags, could they be emptied... refilled without altering the content of any greatly." Hurston supports her position by categorizing her essay into four parts: first, she describes her realization that she is no longer "Everybody's Zora" but rather "a little colored girl"; the next two sections explain perspective from opposing viewpoints; last, she comes to terms with her blackness yet at the same time the remains the "Cosmic Zora". By portraying her reluctance to accept social issues, she introduces an innocent state of mind that will ultimately alter others perception in promoting self pride. The author is addressing America as a whole with a confident and upbeat tone, to propose that whether you are black or white, be proud of who you are!
Wednesday 21 November 2012
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. THIRTY-ONE!
CHAPTER 10 ~ Page 160
"Reginald when he came to visit me again in a few days, could gauge from my attitude the effect that his talking had had upon me. He seemed very pleased. Then, very seriously, he talked for two solid hours about 'the devil white man' and 'the brainwashed black man'."
Malcolm is buying into this new religion as it is suiting his former experiences. The devil white man and the brainwashed black man. Neither of these (I can imagine) are actually in Islamic teachings (What do I know though?) it is just Malcolm feeling down whilst in prison and reflecting all the times he had been wronged was due to a white man. The black man was always getting trampled under foot and had no say in the society. He is pleasantly ignorant at this developmental period for his religion, his beginnings are built out of seemingly overanalyzing previous instances; while this is excellenet that he thinks and reflects, the first impression (as he learns later) isn't so kind and spiritual.
"Reginald when he came to visit me again in a few days, could gauge from my attitude the effect that his talking had had upon me. He seemed very pleased. Then, very seriously, he talked for two solid hours about 'the devil white man' and 'the brainwashed black man'."
Malcolm is buying into this new religion as it is suiting his former experiences. The devil white man and the brainwashed black man. Neither of these (I can imagine) are actually in Islamic teachings (What do I know though?) it is just Malcolm feeling down whilst in prison and reflecting all the times he had been wronged was due to a white man. The black man was always getting trampled under foot and had no say in the society. He is pleasantly ignorant at this developmental period for his religion, his beginnings are built out of seemingly overanalyzing previous instances; while this is excellenet that he thinks and reflects, the first impression (as he learns later) isn't so kind and spiritual.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. THIRTY!
CHAPTER 10
The character of Bimbi, perhaps could it be, the very one who acted as the catalyst towards Malcolm X's future success as an orator? Actually, it's pretty blunt, and interesting how fascinated Malcolm becomes with Bimbi. This is attriubted to both Malcolm himself being a young man lost in his ways, and Bimbi being a man of extreme confidence and charisma that he displayed himself as a man that commanded attention and people sought help from
"What fascinated me with him most of all was that he was the first man I had ever seen command total respect . . . with his words."
It is at this point that 'words' will become symbols and motifs throughout the remainder of the book and seem like a source of healing. (Yay reading! Books! Education!)
The character of Bimbi, perhaps could it be, the very one who acted as the catalyst towards Malcolm X's future success as an orator? Actually, it's pretty blunt, and interesting how fascinated Malcolm becomes with Bimbi. This is attriubted to both Malcolm himself being a young man lost in his ways, and Bimbi being a man of extreme confidence and charisma that he displayed himself as a man that commanded attention and people sought help from
"What fascinated me with him most of all was that he was the first man I had ever seen command total respect . . . with his words."
It is at this point that 'words' will become symbols and motifs throughout the remainder of the book and seem like a source of healing. (Yay reading! Books! Education!)
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-NINE!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 150
Right at the end of the chapter, there seems to be a little disclosure that really tells Malcolm's purpose for reciting his life's events to Mr. Alex Haley. It makes sense and I feel not much description goes along with it, as it has been what I've been saying throughout the journals. (Time for jail though...)
"I want to say before I go on that I have never previously told anyone my sordid past in detail. I haven't done it now to sound as though I might be proud of how bad, how evil, I was."
Never telling anyone of this? This marks a stage of growth for Malcolm, at the height of his influence. Coming out with this information is remarkable ethos as he has truly learned a whole lot from his life, as he says
"But people are always speculating -- why am I as I am? To understand that of any person, his whole life, from birth, must be reviewed. All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient. Today, when everything that I do has an urgency, I would not spend one hour in the preparation of a book which had the ambition to perhaps titillate some readers. But I am spending many hours because the full story is the best way that I know to have it seen, and understood, that I had sunk to the very bottom of the American white man's society when -- soon now, in prison -- I found Allah and the religion of Islam and it completely transformed my life."
Right at the end of the chapter, there seems to be a little disclosure that really tells Malcolm's purpose for reciting his life's events to Mr. Alex Haley. It makes sense and I feel not much description goes along with it, as it has been what I've been saying throughout the journals. (Time for jail though...)
"I want to say before I go on that I have never previously told anyone my sordid past in detail. I haven't done it now to sound as though I might be proud of how bad, how evil, I was."
Never telling anyone of this? This marks a stage of growth for Malcolm, at the height of his influence. Coming out with this information is remarkable ethos as he has truly learned a whole lot from his life, as he says
"But people are always speculating -- why am I as I am? To understand that of any person, his whole life, from birth, must be reviewed. All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient. Today, when everything that I do has an urgency, I would not spend one hour in the preparation of a book which had the ambition to perhaps titillate some readers. But I am spending many hours because the full story is the best way that I know to have it seen, and understood, that I had sunk to the very bottom of the American white man's society when -- soon now, in prison -- I found Allah and the religion of Islam and it completely transformed my life."
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-EIGHT!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 144
"I can give you a very good tip if you want to keep burglars out of your house. A light on for the burglar to see is the very best single means of protection. One of the ideal things is to leave a bathroom light on all night. the bathroom is one place where somebody could be, for any length of time, at any time of the night, and he would be likely to hear the slightest strange sound. The burglar, knowing this, won't try to enter. It's also the cheapest possible protection. The kilowatts are a lot cheaper than your valuables."
Why thank you! I'd like to know why this hasn't been taught to us in Life Skills yet???
This operation that this little group has got going seems to working very smooth. Yet this little bit is thrown in, once again, to engage the reader, making a little jovial aside so the reader doesn't feel left out. I am glad this was in here because:
a.) It made me chuckle
b.) It made me feel safe-ish
c.) I wasn't ignored
Malcolm knows how to engage his audience, as should not be required to mention.
"I can give you a very good tip if you want to keep burglars out of your house. A light on for the burglar to see is the very best single means of protection. One of the ideal things is to leave a bathroom light on all night. the bathroom is one place where somebody could be, for any length of time, at any time of the night, and he would be likely to hear the slightest strange sound. The burglar, knowing this, won't try to enter. It's also the cheapest possible protection. The kilowatts are a lot cheaper than your valuables."
Why thank you! I'd like to know why this hasn't been taught to us in Life Skills yet???
This operation that this little group has got going seems to working very smooth. Yet this little bit is thrown in, once again, to engage the reader, making a little jovial aside so the reader doesn't feel left out. I am glad this was in here because:
a.) It made me chuckle
b.) It made me feel safe-ish
c.) I wasn't ignored
Malcolm knows how to engage his audience, as should not be required to mention.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-SEVEN!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 138
"Looking back, I think I really was at least slightly out of my mind. I viewed narcotics as most people regard food. I wore my guns as today I wear my neckties. Deep down, I actually believed that after living as fully as humanly possible, one should then die violently. I expected then, as I still expect today, to die at any time. But then, I think I deliberately invited death in many, sometimes insane ways."
Looking back, I think really was at least slightly out of my mind. Sure sounds like it! Seriously, regarding drugs as if they were food? That's quite an intake, I wonder, had he not been assassinated, how long he would have had to live, given his excessive drug abuse. Hmmmm...
This attitude is becoming more and more aggressive while at the same time indifferent. He has almost stopped caring, as living in a society where very little care about you, it can be easy to forget to care about yourself. This leads to the self-destructive behaviour (again, more connections with James Baldwin! :O ) that ruptures the connection within the black community as they attempt to bond together and break the ties of segregation and oppression.
"Looking back, I think I really was at least slightly out of my mind. I viewed narcotics as most people regard food. I wore my guns as today I wear my neckties. Deep down, I actually believed that after living as fully as humanly possible, one should then die violently. I expected then, as I still expect today, to die at any time. But then, I think I deliberately invited death in many, sometimes insane ways."
Looking back, I think really was at least slightly out of my mind. Sure sounds like it! Seriously, regarding drugs as if they were food? That's quite an intake, I wonder, had he not been assassinated, how long he would have had to live, given his excessive drug abuse. Hmmmm...
This attitude is becoming more and more aggressive while at the same time indifferent. He has almost stopped caring, as living in a society where very little care about you, it can be easy to forget to care about yourself. This leads to the self-destructive behaviour (again, more connections with James Baldwin! :O ) that ruptures the connection within the black community as they attempt to bond together and break the ties of segregation and oppression.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-SIX!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 136
Malcolm meets Laura again! :(
After telling of Laura, he says he regrets what he did and he claims responsibility for her downfall. You can tell his words are filled with such regret, however this meeting here, seems more... I don't know. You could say, routine? Casual? Malcolm has gone so low, as low as Laura that perhaps the melancholy of this paragraph indicates them as equals.
"I met Laura again. We were really glad to see each other. She was a lot more like me now, a good-time girl. We talked and laughed. She looked a lot older than she really was. She had no one man, she freelanced around. She had long since moved away from her grandmother. Laura told be she had finished school, but then she gave up the college idea. Laura was high whenever I saw her, now, too; we smoked some reefers together."
It's pretty simplistic, almost tiresome. Such sentences like "We talked and laughed." Very broad, vague, and elementary. Almost as if, it was wasn't him talking, but the high that both of them were consumed by. It's like "I met Laura again." is the main introductory sentence, then "We smoked some reefers together." is the last bit, with the rest of the paragraph being forced details with no real meaning to them as he likely had little interest. (Some, as she was a familiar face, but I doubt a lot.)
Malcolm meets Laura again! :(
After telling of Laura, he says he regrets what he did and he claims responsibility for her downfall. You can tell his words are filled with such regret, however this meeting here, seems more... I don't know. You could say, routine? Casual? Malcolm has gone so low, as low as Laura that perhaps the melancholy of this paragraph indicates them as equals.
"I met Laura again. We were really glad to see each other. She was a lot more like me now, a good-time girl. We talked and laughed. She looked a lot older than she really was. She had no one man, she freelanced around. She had long since moved away from her grandmother. Laura told be she had finished school, but then she gave up the college idea. Laura was high whenever I saw her, now, too; we smoked some reefers together."
It's pretty simplistic, almost tiresome. Such sentences like "We talked and laughed." Very broad, vague, and elementary. Almost as if, it was wasn't him talking, but the high that both of them were consumed by. It's like "I met Laura again." is the main introductory sentence, then "We smoked some reefers together." is the last bit, with the rest of the paragraph being forced details with no real meaning to them as he likely had little interest. (Some, as she was a familiar face, but I doubt a lot.)
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-FIVE!
CHAPTER 9 ~ Page 134
"The reefers gave me a feeling of contentment. I would enjoy hours of floating, day dreaming, imaginary conversations with my New York musician friends.
Could it be? Has Malcolm X hit rock bottom?
Nah...
But the name of the chapter is 'Caught' so I'm not quite sure what is going to happen. (/end sarcasm)
The description of his situation and attitude intruige me. He aspires for a state of constant euphoria and is moving into a true stereotypical 'stoner' type man. Sleeping and smoking, not much else to it. For whatever reason, I'm slightly connecting Malcolm's status with that of John Frusciante (Previous guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) at one point.
John Frusciante joined the band as a fan a little while after they gained slight mainstream success. However, the new found fame because of his influence on their style caused them to hit it big! Naturally, this lead to drugs (heroin as opposed to 'the reefer') and it grew to a point where Frusciante quit the band for a bit. It is my understanding that at this point, he holed himself in a run-down house where he followed Malcolm's footsteps -- getting high all day, not doing much/large-scale, lethargic behaviour, and lots of sleep.
I suppose Frusciante's success in the music business is linked to Malcolm's up and coming through the life of crime and hustling. I'm just making a connection here, and Frusciante has had successful rehab and rejoined the band for a good number of years, whereas Malcolm X has gone out of jail and became the man we know for making civil rights speeches and getting all them Harlemites to vote!
"The reefers gave me a feeling of contentment. I would enjoy hours of floating, day dreaming, imaginary conversations with my New York musician friends.
Could it be? Has Malcolm X hit rock bottom?
Nah...
But the name of the chapter is 'Caught' so I'm not quite sure what is going to happen. (/end sarcasm)
The description of his situation and attitude intruige me. He aspires for a state of constant euphoria and is moving into a true stereotypical 'stoner' type man. Sleeping and smoking, not much else to it. For whatever reason, I'm slightly connecting Malcolm's status with that of John Frusciante (Previous guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) at one point.
John Frusciante joined the band as a fan a little while after they gained slight mainstream success. However, the new found fame because of his influence on their style caused them to hit it big! Naturally, this lead to drugs (heroin as opposed to 'the reefer') and it grew to a point where Frusciante quit the band for a bit. It is my understanding that at this point, he holed himself in a run-down house where he followed Malcolm's footsteps -- getting high all day, not doing much/large-scale, lethargic behaviour, and lots of sleep.
I suppose Frusciante's success in the music business is linked to Malcolm's up and coming through the life of crime and hustling. I'm just making a connection here, and Frusciante has had successful rehab and rejoined the band for a good number of years, whereas Malcolm X has gone out of jail and became the man we know for making civil rights speeches and getting all them Harlemites to vote!
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-FOUR!
CHAPTER 8 ~ Page 132
"Everything was building up, closing in on me. I was trapped in so many cross turns. West Indian Archie gunning for me. The Italians who thought I'd stuck up their crap game after me. The scared kid hustler I'd hit. The cops. For four years, up to that point, I'd been lucky enough, or slick enough, to escape jail, or even getting arrested. Or any serious trouble. But I knew that any minute now something had to give."
Exactly, it's good that he came to realize this, as many probably didn't and kept getting deeper and deeper until they wound up on death row or lifeless in an alleyway with a needle in their arm.
He's certainly right about the fact that all of these things are building up fast. He is about to get crushed with all the pressure from outward stressors and he could very well get shot when he least expects it. Perhaps this could serve as not really a foreshadow, but a proof or statement. As we find out later, or already know, that Malcolm eventually does receive jail time and by proclaiming his correctional facility virginity, it can be implied that it doesn't really matter, as all of those in this walk of life will be behind bars at one point or another. (???)
"Everything was building up, closing in on me. I was trapped in so many cross turns. West Indian Archie gunning for me. The Italians who thought I'd stuck up their crap game after me. The scared kid hustler I'd hit. The cops. For four years, up to that point, I'd been lucky enough, or slick enough, to escape jail, or even getting arrested. Or any serious trouble. But I knew that any minute now something had to give."
Exactly, it's good that he came to realize this, as many probably didn't and kept getting deeper and deeper until they wound up on death row or lifeless in an alleyway with a needle in their arm.
He's certainly right about the fact that all of these things are building up fast. He is about to get crushed with all the pressure from outward stressors and he could very well get shot when he least expects it. Perhaps this could serve as not really a foreshadow, but a proof or statement. As we find out later, or already know, that Malcolm eventually does receive jail time and by proclaiming his correctional facility virginity, it can be implied that it doesn't really matter, as all of those in this walk of life will be behind bars at one point or another. (???)
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-THREE!@#!@#!
CHAPTER 8 ~ Page 128
"Have you ever been so sure you did something that you never would have thought of it again -- unless it was brought up again? Then you start trying to mentally confirm -- and you're only about half-sure?"
Dude, like story of my life.
Seriously though, this is another one of those little 'questions' that were probably very conversational when interacting with Alex Haley. Less than the last example I gave, but this is quite informal and allows a pause in the action for personal connection. I feel engaged because I can definitely remember feeling this sense of doubt and worry he is facing, granted I didn't owe any West Indian Archie any money,
"Have you ever been so sure you did something that you never would have thought of it again -- unless it was brought up again? Then you start trying to mentally confirm -- and you're only about half-sure?"
Dude, like story of my life.
Seriously though, this is another one of those little 'questions' that were probably very conversational when interacting with Alex Haley. Less than the last example I gave, but this is quite informal and allows a pause in the action for personal connection. I feel engaged because I can definitely remember feeling this sense of doubt and worry he is facing, granted I didn't owe any West Indian Archie any money,
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-TWO!
CHAPTER 7 ~ Page 119
Malcolm begins to detail the nitty-gritty of Harlem; the part of town where the big name politicians and Ivy Leaguers went to indulge in satisfying their desires. They chose Harlem, yet didn't want anyone to know of what they were doing there, as the exorbitant amount of blacks were quite the reputation killers.
However, the reason I chose this description is because it connects well with James Baldwin's comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah. The underground scene in Harlem fits well with what Baldwin said, a culmination of lust and sin all around. "Harlem was their sin-den, their fleshpot. They stole off among taboo black people, and took off whatever antiseptic, important, dignified masks they wore in their white world.
Malcolm begins to detail the nitty-gritty of Harlem; the part of town where the big name politicians and Ivy Leaguers went to indulge in satisfying their desires. They chose Harlem, yet didn't want anyone to know of what they were doing there, as the exorbitant amount of blacks were quite the reputation killers.
However, the reason I chose this description is because it connects well with James Baldwin's comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah. The underground scene in Harlem fits well with what Baldwin said, a culmination of lust and sin all around. "Harlem was their sin-den, their fleshpot. They stole off among taboo black people, and took off whatever antiseptic, important, dignified masks they wore in their white world.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY-ONE!
CHAPTER 7 ~ Page 115
Malcolm's rash reaction towards Sammy's 'girl' is pretty surprising, despite just enduring a high-tension situation after the robbery. This seems like a turning point, as now Malcolm has confessed that, althought the two have made up, you can't really trust someone the same after they've tried to kill you.
The action of Malcolm was surprising, the fact that he just hit the girl... a little odd. Yet, now he says: "I came to rely more and more upon my brother Reginald as the oly one in my world I could completely trust."
His friendships feigning, the crime has sent his life further and further downward.
Malcolm's rash reaction towards Sammy's 'girl' is pretty surprising, despite just enduring a high-tension situation after the robbery. This seems like a turning point, as now Malcolm has confessed that, althought the two have made up, you can't really trust someone the same after they've tried to kill you.
The action of Malcolm was surprising, the fact that he just hit the girl... a little odd. Yet, now he says: "I came to rely more and more upon my brother Reginald as the oly one in my world I could completely trust."
His friendships feigning, the crime has sent his life further and further downward.
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWENTY!
CHAPTER 7 ~ Page 110
"We discussed our famliy, and what a shame it was that our book-loving oldest brother Wilfred had never had the chance to go to some of those big universities where he would have gone far. And we exchanged thoughts we had never shared with anyone."
This is another example of the deprived opportunities of the Negroes. Another wasted opportunity, just like Malcolm's and the lawyer dream, Wilfred has yet to fulfill his true potential by becoming a scholar at a big-name university. Contributing to this, not only racial issues, but the economic struggle (which, come to think about it, are directly and indirectly caused by racial issues).
"We discussed our famliy, and what a shame it was that our book-loving oldest brother Wilfred had never had the chance to go to some of those big universities where he would have gone far. And we exchanged thoughts we had never shared with anyone."
This is another example of the deprived opportunities of the Negroes. Another wasted opportunity, just like Malcolm's and the lawyer dream, Wilfred has yet to fulfill his true potential by becoming a scholar at a big-name university. Contributing to this, not only racial issues, but the economic struggle (which, come to think about it, are directly and indirectly caused by racial issues).
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. NINETEEN!
CHAPTER 7 - Page 110
"I went to the movies a lot again. And I never missed my musician friends wherever they were playing, either in Harlem, downtown at the big theaters, or on 52nd street. Reginald and I got very close the next time his ship came back into New York."
This little description, followed by his heightened engagement in narcotics and crime, serves as a friendly reminder that not all is going down the drain for Malcolm. Showcasing his relationship with his brother and his friends, he leads a very eventful life, which is a major contrast. The life of Negroes were similar, as they still continued living their lives while struggling through, attempting to make ends meet with illegalilty.
"I went to the movies a lot again. And I never missed my musician friends wherever they were playing, either in Harlem, downtown at the big theaters, or on 52nd street. Reginald and I got very close the next time his ship came back into New York."
This little description, followed by his heightened engagement in narcotics and crime, serves as a friendly reminder that not all is going down the drain for Malcolm. Showcasing his relationship with his brother and his friends, he leads a very eventful life, which is a major contrast. The life of Negroes were similar, as they still continued living their lives while struggling through, attempting to make ends meet with illegalilty.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. SEVENTEEN!
CHAPTER 6 ~ Page 106
"I knew what she was doing, she was going to make clear, in advance, what she thought of me. This is still one of the black man's troubles today. So many of those so-called "upper-class" Negroes are so busy trying to impress on the white man that they are "different from those others" that they can't see they are only helping the white man to keep his low opinion of all Negroes."
This is said once Malcolm is ready to talk to the Army psychiatrist. However, the receptionist, who happens to be black, already has a bad disposition towards Malcolm. She goes in to tell her white superior her opinion about him in order to come off as better or a more sophisticated Negro. This reminds me of the speeches where Malcolm talks about the "Uncle Tom" Negroes and those who try to make friendly with the white folks as it serves as counterproductive towards their plight. The African Americans needed to bond together and gain power through their numbers, and this experience with the black receptionist is one of, I'm sure, many examples Malcolm experienced to have a sour taste in his mouth about the 'brown-nosing' sorts of the African-American people.
"I knew what she was doing, she was going to make clear, in advance, what she thought of me. This is still one of the black man's troubles today. So many of those so-called "upper-class" Negroes are so busy trying to impress on the white man that they are "different from those others" that they can't see they are only helping the white man to keep his low opinion of all Negroes."
This is said once Malcolm is ready to talk to the Army psychiatrist. However, the receptionist, who happens to be black, already has a bad disposition towards Malcolm. She goes in to tell her white superior her opinion about him in order to come off as better or a more sophisticated Negro. This reminds me of the speeches where Malcolm talks about the "Uncle Tom" Negroes and those who try to make friendly with the white folks as it serves as counterproductive towards their plight. The African Americans needed to bond together and gain power through their numbers, and this experience with the black receptionist is one of, I'm sure, many examples Malcolm experienced to have a sour taste in his mouth about the 'brown-nosing' sorts of the African-American people.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. SIXTEEN!
CHAPTER 6 ~ Page 100/101
"I kept my eyes open. If anybody looked suspicious, I'd quickly cross the street, or go through a door, or turn a corner, loosening my arm enough to let the package drop. At night, when I usually did my selling, any suspicious person wouldn't be likely to see the trick. If I decided I had been mistaken, I'd go back and get my sticks."
Selling drugs. Tsk tsk Mr. Malcolm. This life of crime that becomes increasingly more pronounced for him is getting more intrinsic and complicated as it advances. It's been said in other journals that this is all too common for the Negro community since their opportunities were seemingly very limited. Going against the law was the only option in some cases, but it's interesting to notice how well-developed Malcolm becomes at covering his tracks and forming an escape plan. Transitioning into this passage, Malcolm says:
"The law specified that if the evidence wasn't actually in your possession, you couldn't be arrested."
He is obviously taking time to hear about/learn of the laws on possessions and dealing, so it's a shame that the time spent gathering this knowledge could have easily been applied to law studies in his once-on quest to become a lawyer. Oh well.
"I kept my eyes open. If anybody looked suspicious, I'd quickly cross the street, or go through a door, or turn a corner, loosening my arm enough to let the package drop. At night, when I usually did my selling, any suspicious person wouldn't be likely to see the trick. If I decided I had been mistaken, I'd go back and get my sticks."
Selling drugs. Tsk tsk Mr. Malcolm. This life of crime that becomes increasingly more pronounced for him is getting more intrinsic and complicated as it advances. It's been said in other journals that this is all too common for the Negro community since their opportunities were seemingly very limited. Going against the law was the only option in some cases, but it's interesting to notice how well-developed Malcolm becomes at covering his tracks and forming an escape plan. Transitioning into this passage, Malcolm says:
"The law specified that if the evidence wasn't actually in your possession, you couldn't be arrested."
He is obviously taking time to hear about/learn of the laws on possessions and dealing, so it's a shame that the time spent gathering this knowledge could have easily been applied to law studies in his once-on quest to become a lawyer. Oh well.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. FIFTEEN!
CHAPTER 6 ~ Page 93
"The white racist won't tell you that is also works in reverse. When it got late, Sophia and I would go to some of the after-hours places and speakeasies. When the downtown nightclubs had closed, most of these Harlem places crawled with white people. These whites were just mad for Negro "atmosphere", especially some of the places which had what you might call Negro Soul. Sometimes Negroes would talk about how a lot of whites seemed unable to have enough of being close around us, and among us -- in groups. Both white men and women, it seemed, would get almost mesmerized by Negroes."
Why are people racist? The hatred, or fear rather stems from something unknown. This passage seems to dictate that because of society's engrained views on the Negroes, everyone is told to hate them; therefore not understanding or getting much time with/around them. Now while the contempt for Negroes was felt throughout many white folks, a large majority of them had some subconscious curiosity. There had to have been some questions, and this may not be the right word to describe such behaviour (of those who surrounded themselves by the blacks) as slightly hypocritical.
"The white racist won't tell you that is also works in reverse. When it got late, Sophia and I would go to some of the after-hours places and speakeasies. When the downtown nightclubs had closed, most of these Harlem places crawled with white people. These whites were just mad for Negro "atmosphere", especially some of the places which had what you might call Negro Soul. Sometimes Negroes would talk about how a lot of whites seemed unable to have enough of being close around us, and among us -- in groups. Both white men and women, it seemed, would get almost mesmerized by Negroes."
Why are people racist? The hatred, or fear rather stems from something unknown. This passage seems to dictate that because of society's engrained views on the Negroes, everyone is told to hate them; therefore not understanding or getting much time with/around them. Now while the contempt for Negroes was felt throughout many white folks, a large majority of them had some subconscious curiosity. There had to have been some questions, and this may not be the right word to describe such behaviour (of those who surrounded themselves by the blacks) as slightly hypocritical.
Comparison-Shine
Malcolm X and James Baldwin - Compare!
Malcolm X and James Baldwin, two men who share similar aspects of life, but I suppose I'll get the obvious out of the way first. They were both black, both preachers, both writers!
Seriously though, both men were quite intelligent. This could've boded well for the entire African-American community had they all shared this characteristic (That sounds more racist on the screen than it did in my head O_O ). Malcolm eventually hypes up his audience, getting them out to vote; "It's gotta be either the ballot or the bullet!" Baldwin alludes to his own experiences and events to the self-destructive nature of racial hatred, and by doing this, perchance hopes to promote change in thinking. It can be said that both are providing fuel to a body of people to act, whether to stand up for themselves, or to secure inner strength, so as to not commit any more self-harm than has already been done by society via influence.
Malcolm X and James Baldwin, two men who share similar aspects of life, but I suppose I'll get the obvious out of the way first. They were both black, both preachers, both writers!
Seriously though, both men were quite intelligent. This could've boded well for the entire African-American community had they all shared this characteristic (That sounds more racist on the screen than it did in my head O_O ). Malcolm eventually hypes up his audience, getting them out to vote; "It's gotta be either the ballot or the bullet!" Baldwin alludes to his own experiences and events to the self-destructive nature of racial hatred, and by doing this, perchance hopes to promote change in thinking. It can be said that both are providing fuel to a body of people to act, whether to stand up for themselves, or to secure inner strength, so as to not commit any more self-harm than has already been done by society via influence.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. FOURTEEN!
CHAPTER 6 - Page 91
"Then there was the burglar, "Jumpsteady." In the ghettoes the white man has built for us, he has forced us not to aspire to greater things, but to view everyday living as survival -- and in that kind of a community, survival is what is respected. In any average white neighborhood bar, you couldn't imagine a known cat-man thief regularly exposing himself, as one of the most popular people in there. But if Jumpsteady misses a few days running in Small's, we would begin inquiring for him."
White man keepin' the black man down!
The wording of this makes me think of the situation with the Native Americans. Especially with the previous descriptions of the gambling/wager/betting system. The ghettoes, which the white man built for the Negroes -- are they not the same as Indian Reservations? Both groups segregated, hated, and shut out from mainstream society; kept away from any sort of free life. The Native Americans being stripped of their land and invaded, the African Americans being taken from their land and exported to a new world where they endured the cruelvice of slavery.
"Then there was the burglar, "Jumpsteady." In the ghettoes the white man has built for us, he has forced us not to aspire to greater things, but to view everyday living as survival -- and in that kind of a community, survival is what is respected. In any average white neighborhood bar, you couldn't imagine a known cat-man thief regularly exposing himself, as one of the most popular people in there. But if Jumpsteady misses a few days running in Small's, we would begin inquiring for him."
White man keepin' the black man down!
The wording of this makes me think of the situation with the Native Americans. Especially with the previous descriptions of the gambling/wager/betting system. The ghettoes, which the white man built for the Negroes -- are they not the same as Indian Reservations? Both groups segregated, hated, and shut out from mainstream society; kept away from any sort of free life. The Native Americans being stripped of their land and invaded, the African Americans being taken from their land and exported to a new world where they endured the cruelvice of slavery.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. THIRTEEN!
CHAPTER 6
The description in the beginning of the chapter of the gambling puts the poverty in perspective. The people were willing to do anything, betting little penny hits in order to make some back with grossly unfavourable odds. The detail in which Malcolm describes the antics of the betters and those associated with it makes the desparity of the situation all the more sad.
Especially with the numbers, as a few people run a number for a whole year (which I think I would probably do as well) yet some people took to superstition and took numbers from cars, phone numbers, having a churchman pray for a number. And I thought this was just hilarious:
(Page 85)
"Recently, the last three numbers of the post office's new Zip Code for a postal district of Harlem hit, and one banker almost went broke. Let this very book circulate widely in the black ghettoes of the country, and -- although I'm no longer a gambling person -- I'd lay a small wager for your favourite charity that millions of dollars would be bet by my poor, foolish black brothers and sisters upon, say, whatever happens to be the number of this page, or whatever is the total of the whole book's pages."
Glad to know that he isn't a gambling person anymore, glad to know that he would bet for charity, and glad to know he is still aware of the superstitious nature of his black brothers/sisters and hopes to change it. This little side note is great and I'm glad Alex Haley included it in the book because it almost seems like a conversational piece where the two men were joking around. Good thing it was put in the story!
The description in the beginning of the chapter of the gambling puts the poverty in perspective. The people were willing to do anything, betting little penny hits in order to make some back with grossly unfavourable odds. The detail in which Malcolm describes the antics of the betters and those associated with it makes the desparity of the situation all the more sad.
Especially with the numbers, as a few people run a number for a whole year (which I think I would probably do as well) yet some people took to superstition and took numbers from cars, phone numbers, having a churchman pray for a number. And I thought this was just hilarious:
(Page 85)
"Recently, the last three numbers of the post office's new Zip Code for a postal district of Harlem hit, and one banker almost went broke. Let this very book circulate widely in the black ghettoes of the country, and -- although I'm no longer a gambling person -- I'd lay a small wager for your favourite charity that millions of dollars would be bet by my poor, foolish black brothers and sisters upon, say, whatever happens to be the number of this page, or whatever is the total of the whole book's pages."
Glad to know that he isn't a gambling person anymore, glad to know that he would bet for charity, and glad to know he is still aware of the superstitious nature of his black brothers/sisters and hopes to change it. This little side note is great and I'm glad Alex Haley included it in the book because it almost seems like a conversational piece where the two men were joking around. Good thing it was put in the story!
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TWELVE!
CHAPTER 5 - Page 71
"Ella wanted me out of Boston and away from Sophia. She would have loved nothing better than to have seen me like one of those Negroes who were already thronging Roxbury in the Army's khaki and thick shoes -- home on leave from boot camp. But my age of sixteen stopped that."
Ella really wanted a change of direction for Malcolm, perhaps even getting him in the army. Unfortunately for her, she cannot enlist him as he is not of legal age for service. It poses an interesting question though:
How would Malcolm X's life have been different had he served in the military? How would the civil rights movement as a whole have been affected?
"Ella wanted me out of Boston and away from Sophia. She would have loved nothing better than to have seen me like one of those Negroes who were already thronging Roxbury in the Army's khaki and thick shoes -- home on leave from boot camp. But my age of sixteen stopped that."
Ella really wanted a change of direction for Malcolm, perhaps even getting him in the army. Unfortunately for her, she cannot enlist him as he is not of legal age for service. It poses an interesting question though:
How would Malcolm X's life have been different had he served in the military? How would the civil rights movement as a whole have been affected?
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. ELEVEN!
CHAPTER 4
The whole story of Laura (Chapter 4) is very saddening. She was someone that showed promise, yet the culture that she had submerged in, the same Malcolm has been engaged in.
"The next time I saw her, she was a wreck of a woman, notorious around black Roxbury, in and out of jail. She had finished high school, but by then she was already going the wrong way. Defying her grandmother, she had started going out late and drinking liquor. This led to dope, and that to selling herself to men."
He has a long-lived guilt of being responsible for her turning out this way, and it is unfortunate that society could turn someone this way. As for Malcolm, this highly contributes to his growth and how he comes to terms with reality; even stating at the end of the paragraph that "The only excuse I can offer is that like so many of my black brothers today, I was just deaf, dumb, and blind."
The whole story of Laura (Chapter 4) is very saddening. She was someone that showed promise, yet the culture that she had submerged in, the same Malcolm has been engaged in.
"The next time I saw her, she was a wreck of a woman, notorious around black Roxbury, in and out of jail. She had finished high school, but by then she was already going the wrong way. Defying her grandmother, she had started going out late and drinking liquor. This led to dope, and that to selling herself to men."
He has a long-lived guilt of being responsible for her turning out this way, and it is unfortunate that society could turn someone this way. As for Malcolm, this highly contributes to his growth and how he comes to terms with reality; even stating at the end of the paragraph that "The only excuse I can offer is that like so many of my black brothers today, I was just deaf, dumb, and blind."
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. TEN!
CHAPTER 4 - Page 56
"Shorty would take me to groovy, frantic scenes in different chicks' and cats' pads, where with the lights and juke down mellow, everybody blew gage and juiced back and jumped. I met chicks who were fine as May wine, and cats who were hip to all happenings."
Hmmm...
"That paragraph is deliberate, of course; it's just to display a bit more of the slang that was used by everyone I respected as 'hip' in those days. And in no time at all, I was talking the slang like a lifelong hipster."
Well there you have it.
Malcolm has conformed to the lingo of the people he has been associated with through his time at the dance hall. The party-goers and the bigs who run everything -- their ways are rubbing off on young Malcolm and he is becoming one of them. He is conforming which is surprising as it goes against some household civil rites.
The Negroes were not to be subjected to the white's unjust laws and conform to society where they were forced to be treating badly and given lowly, minimalistic jobs with little to no pay. They were to be assimilated into white culture. These are just examples of somethings that are later preached against, yet Malcolm now chooses to weave himself into this group. His 'conformity' here is ironic as the man most know has stated many a time that he is against conforming to the white folk and expects action from his Negro brotherhood.
"Shorty would take me to groovy, frantic scenes in different chicks' and cats' pads, where with the lights and juke down mellow, everybody blew gage and juiced back and jumped. I met chicks who were fine as May wine, and cats who were hip to all happenings."
Hmmm...
"That paragraph is deliberate, of course; it's just to display a bit more of the slang that was used by everyone I respected as 'hip' in those days. And in no time at all, I was talking the slang like a lifelong hipster."
Well there you have it.
Malcolm has conformed to the lingo of the people he has been associated with through his time at the dance hall. The party-goers and the bigs who run everything -- their ways are rubbing off on young Malcolm and he is becoming one of them. He is conforming which is surprising as it goes against some household civil rites.
The Negroes were not to be subjected to the white's unjust laws and conform to society where they were forced to be treating badly and given lowly, minimalistic jobs with little to no pay. They were to be assimilated into white culture. These are just examples of somethings that are later preached against, yet Malcolm now chooses to weave himself into this group. His 'conformity' here is ironic as the man most know has stated many a time that he is against conforming to the white folk and expects action from his Negro brotherhood.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. NINE!
CHAPTER 3 - Page 49
"The main thing you got to remember is that everything in the world is a hustle."
Malcolm taking Freddie's job as the shoeshine boy takes an interesting turn as he is taught the intr
icacies of the business and how to make a steal of his own while on the job. Laundering out towels and selling them to men coming out of the bathroom for a nickel for example. The menial job of shoeshine boy has been uplifted to new heights with the knowledge Malcolm imparts from Freddie.
The fact that this is done shows the culture of the big dance halls and what the people were getting in to.
"The main thing you got to remember is that everything in the world is a hustle."
Malcolm taking Freddie's job as the shoeshine boy takes an interesting turn as he is taught the intr
icacies of the business and how to make a steal of his own while on the job. Laundering out towels and selling them to men coming out of the bathroom for a nickel for example. The menial job of shoeshine boy has been uplifted to new heights with the knowledge Malcolm imparts from Freddie.
The fact that this is done shows the culture of the big dance halls and what the people were getting in to.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. EIGHT!
CHAPTER 3 - Page 41
"I roamed everywhere. In one direction, I walked as far as Boston University. Another day, I took my first subway ride. When most of the people got off, I followed. It was Cambridge, and I circled all around in the Harvard University campus. Somewhere, I had already heard of Harvard--though I didn't know much more about it. Nobody that day could have told me I would give an address before the Harvard Law School Forum some twenty years later."
I feel that throughout the dialectical journals and the reading, I'm picking up the off-putting, tyrannical vice racism had on the blacks of this time. The connections I'm making with the subject matter are typically Malcolm's journey overcoming the adversity of society and becoming an outspoken man -- a voice of passion for a just cause. This passage, particularly in the last couple of lines are exactly the thing I'm looking for.
No one could tell him that twenty years down the line, that he would be giving a speech in front of the Harvard Law School Forum. In the current, he has just entered high school, and is living in Boston with Ella after just having a falling out with the previous school. He couldn't quite put his finger on what happened, but he was left unmotivated, with little ambition stating that engaging in class was a laborious chore. To contrast this with the future, where he is delivering an address in front of a large crowd, he is empowering a nation of people to act for what they deserve --- an end to the oppression that has plagued since birth. It is easy to see why this book has inspired as many people as it did (and may continue to do??).
"I roamed everywhere. In one direction, I walked as far as Boston University. Another day, I took my first subway ride. When most of the people got off, I followed. It was Cambridge, and I circled all around in the Harvard University campus. Somewhere, I had already heard of Harvard--though I didn't know much more about it. Nobody that day could have told me I would give an address before the Harvard Law School Forum some twenty years later."
I feel that throughout the dialectical journals and the reading, I'm picking up the off-putting, tyrannical vice racism had on the blacks of this time. The connections I'm making with the subject matter are typically Malcolm's journey overcoming the adversity of society and becoming an outspoken man -- a voice of passion for a just cause. This passage, particularly in the last couple of lines are exactly the thing I'm looking for.
No one could tell him that twenty years down the line, that he would be giving a speech in front of the Harvard Law School Forum. In the current, he has just entered high school, and is living in Boston with Ella after just having a falling out with the previous school. He couldn't quite put his finger on what happened, but he was left unmotivated, with little ambition stating that engaging in class was a laborious chore. To contrast this with the future, where he is delivering an address in front of a large crowd, he is empowering a nation of people to act for what they deserve --- an end to the oppression that has plagued since birth. It is easy to see why this book has inspired as many people as it did (and may continue to do??).
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. SEVEN!
CHAPTER 2 ~ Page 36
Mr. Ostrowski's quote:
"Malcolm, one of life's first needs is for us to be realistic. Don't misunderstand me, now. We all here like you, you know that. But you've got to be realistic about being a nigger. A lawyer--that's no realistic goal for a nigger. You need to think about something you can be. You're good with your hands--making things. Everybody admires your carpentry shop work. Why don't you plan on carpentry? People like you as a person--you'd get all kinds of work."
This made me sad. :(
This was what Mr. Ostrowski, a teacher of Malcolm's--one of his favourties, said to him upon hearing of Malcolm's 'plans' on becoming a lawyer. The fact that such an occupation is uncommon for the Negroes is saddening, yet the segregation allows this to happen. As segregated schools were a staple of
the era
Mr. Ostrowski's quote:
"Malcolm, one of life's first needs is for us to be realistic. Don't misunderstand me, now. We all here like you, you know that. But you've got to be realistic about being a nigger. A lawyer--that's no realistic goal for a nigger. You need to think about something you can be. You're good with your hands--making things. Everybody admires your carpentry shop work. Why don't you plan on carpentry? People like you as a person--you'd get all kinds of work."
This made me sad. :(
This was what Mr. Ostrowski, a teacher of Malcolm's--one of his favourties, said to him upon hearing of Malcolm's 'plans' on becoming a lawyer. The fact that such an occupation is uncommon for the Negroes is saddening, yet the segregation allows this to happen. As segregated schools were a staple of
the era
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. SIX!
CHAPTER 2 ~ PAGE 27
"I don't care how nice one is to you; the thing you must always remember is that almost never does he really see you as he sees himself, as he sees his own kind. He may stand with you through thin, but not thick; when the chips are down, you'll find that as fixed in him as his bone structure is his sometimes subconscious conviction that he's better than anybody black."
This little passage tells a lot. The idea of racism as a whole has done much to Malcolm X, enraged to a point where trusting the white people is so impossible. He makes a bold accusation here, saying that no white can be trusted no matter how they may appear. Again, this could be just the error of his youth and his thoughts have yet to come full circle. However, the influence of racism is linked and reciprocated here.
Malcolm says "I don't care how nice one is to you;" referring to white people as 'one' or 'them'. This is the implied racism of the whites to blacks rubbing off, building a mirrored hatred (understandably so) and subtle disregard. The trust issues are more clear given this insight.
"I don't care how nice one is to you; the thing you must always remember is that almost never does he really see you as he sees himself, as he sees his own kind. He may stand with you through thin, but not thick; when the chips are down, you'll find that as fixed in him as his bone structure is his sometimes subconscious conviction that he's better than anybody black."
This little passage tells a lot. The idea of racism as a whole has done much to Malcolm X, enraged to a point where trusting the white people is so impossible. He makes a bold accusation here, saying that no white can be trusted no matter how they may appear. Again, this could be just the error of his youth and his thoughts have yet to come full circle. However, the influence of racism is linked and reciprocated here.
Malcolm says "I don't care how nice one is to you;" referring to white people as 'one' or 'them'. This is the implied racism of the whites to blacks rubbing off, building a mirrored hatred (understandably so) and subtle disregard. The trust issues are more clear given this insight.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. FIVE!
CHAPTER 2 - PAGE 25
Mr. Maynard Allen
=
Mr. Maynard Allen is the white man that works for the state who takes Malcolm to the reform school upon being ostracized from the previous schools. Allen is one of the few white people, particularly in this early stage of his life, that show kindness/compassion towards Malcolm.
However, this is not what is interesting about this character/person. What caught my attention was the statements he made to Malcolm. I know that there isn't much room for foreshadowing and literary elements in non-fiction, yet when he tells Malcolm that if he were to focus on his grades and apply himself, he could make something of himself. This is exactly what he does much later in life, which tells more about Allen than it does Malcolm.
The stories and accounts depicted thus far haven't shown a positive side for white people, yet this man knows that the blacks are not hopeless, even when in a position of state power (which is not where one would expect to see sympathy during this era) the hatred is missing.
Mr. Maynard Allen
=
Mr. Maynard Allen is the white man that works for the state who takes Malcolm to the reform school upon being ostracized from the previous schools. Allen is one of the few white people, particularly in this early stage of his life, that show kindness/compassion towards Malcolm.
However, this is not what is interesting about this character/person. What caught my attention was the statements he made to Malcolm. I know that there isn't much room for foreshadowing and literary elements in non-fiction, yet when he tells Malcolm that if he were to focus on his grades and apply himself, he could make something of himself. This is exactly what he does much later in life, which tells more about Allen than it does Malcolm.
The stories and accounts depicted thus far haven't shown a positive side for white people, yet this man knows that the blacks are not hopeless, even when in a position of state power (which is not where one would expect to see sympathy during this era) the hatred is missing.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. FOUR!
CHAPTER 2 ~ Page 25
"I passed behind his desk, snatched up a thumbtack and deposited it in his chair. When he turned to sit back down, I was far from the scene of the crime, circling around the rear of the room. Then he hit the tack, and I heard him holler and caught a glimpse of him spraddling up as I disappeared through the door..."
"With my deportment record, I wasn't really shocked when the decision came that I had been expelled."
The expulsion of Malcolm from the school, doesn't surprise him. I've yet to decide whether or not this is his thought as an adult or what he was thinking at the time of his exile. If the latter is correct, the social theme of racism is all to apparent and forefrontal in Malcolm's mind, as with every other African-American facing the struggles
.
"I passed behind his desk, snatched up a thumbtack and deposited it in his chair. When he turned to sit back down, I was far from the scene of the crime, circling around the rear of the room. Then he hit the tack, and I heard him holler and caught a glimpse of him spraddling up as I disappeared through the door..."
"With my deportment record, I wasn't really shocked when the decision came that I had been expelled."
The expulsion of Malcolm from the school, doesn't surprise him. I've yet to decide whether or not this is his thought as an adult or what he was thinking at the time of his exile. If the latter is correct, the social theme of racism is all to apparent and forefrontal in Malcolm's mind, as with every other African-American facing the struggles
.
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. THREE!
Chapter 2:
The white boy, Bill Peterson, who Malcolm was paired up with as a boxing opponent seems indicative of the society. He has two fights with this boy and loses both of them miserably. Malcolm's pride and reputation are attacked. Malcolm has no choice afterwards other than discontinue the sport.
Connecting this to his future life, it is a very, very minute detail at first glance, yet it is highly likely it played an influence. The trauma of this experience inter-mixed with the various social aspects, horrifying to Malcolm (especially at such an age), must be subconsciously engrained within him. Adding to the collective array of early experiences which Malcolm's verbal power is derived, is why this anecdote is in the autobiography.
The white boy, Bill Peterson, who Malcolm was paired up with as a boxing opponent seems indicative of the society. He has two fights with this boy and loses both of them miserably. Malcolm's pride and reputation are attacked. Malcolm has no choice afterwards other than discontinue the sport.
Connecting this to his future life, it is a very, very minute detail at first glance, yet it is highly likely it played an influence. The trauma of this experience inter-mixed with the various social aspects, horrifying to Malcolm (especially at such an age), must be subconsciously engrained within him. Adding to the collective array of early experiences which Malcolm's verbal power is derived, is why this anecdote is in the autobiography.
Thursday 15 November 2012
Malcolm X - Dialectical Journal No. EIGHTEEN!
CHAPTER 7
The chapter is called 'Hustler', and I believe it is one of the more interesting chapters within in the book. It is very clear that this is the rising action of his life as he builds more and more towards getting incarcerated and having a terrible, immoral life. There is a noticeable jump, as he was merely selling reefer in the previous chapter and has gone straight to hitting hard on cocaine and robbing stores! Yikes!
The chapter is called 'Hustler', and I believe it is one of the more interesting chapters within in the book. It is very clear that this is the rising action of his life as he builds more and more towards getting incarcerated and having a terrible, immoral life. There is a noticeable jump, as he was merely selling reefer in the previous chapter and has gone straight to hitting hard on cocaine and robbing stores! Yikes!
Wednesday 14 November 2012
Santa Clause
EXERCISE 1:
Original:
1. The investigators have gathered and analyzed all the evidence. We may expect a full report.
2. Tom had listened to the music of Bruce Springsteen for years. He had no idea a live performance could be so exciting.
3. The team has suffered its share of injuries this year. It could have improved its performance by giving Flynn more time on the field.
Fixed/Different:
1. After the investigators have gathered and analyzed all the evidence, we may expect a full report.
2. Although Tom had listened to the music Bruce Springsteen for years, he had no idea his live performances could be so exciting.
3. Even though the team suffered its share of injuries this year. It could have improved its performance by giving Flynn more time on the field.
EXERCISE 2:
5. If he charged, I could shoot; if he took no notice of me, it would be safe to leave him until the mahout came back.
10. There will never be a really free and enlightened State, until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly.
EXERCISE 3:
4. A minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority; it is not even a minority then; but it is irresistible when it clogs by its whole weight. If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose. If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible. If the tax-gatherer, or any other public officer, asks me, as one has done, "But what shall I do?" my answer is, "If you really wish to do anything, resign your office." When the subject has refused allegiance and the officer has resigned his office, then the revolution is accomplished.
"Analyze the use of subordinate clauses. Pay particular attention to how the writer varies sentence patterns."
The paragraph is giving the conditions on what is needed to happen for Thoreau's vision of revolution to occur. There must not be conformity of the minorities as they are no better than the majority.
Friday 9 November 2012
Appositive Exercises
OOOO = Appositive
OOOO = Word/phrase that accompanies it
1. My father, a truly exceptional man, worked at an ordinary job and was unknown outside the small town where he lived.
2. His rage passes description -- the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted.
3. W.E.B. DuBois saw the grandeur and degradation in the single unifying thought -- slavery was the West's tragic flaw; yet it was tragic precisely because of the greatness of the civilization that encompassed it.
5. Evidently I need this starting point -- the world as it appeared before people bent it to their myriad plans -- from which to begin dreaming up my own myriad, imaginary hominid agendas.
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All added punctuation has been highlighted ORANGE.
1. Several West African countries; Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, and Togo, were at some time in their history under colonial rule.
2. The mayoral candidate's rally opened to throngs of people -- an unusually large turnout for a cold, rainy day.
3. The British parliamentary system has two branches: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
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4. My car is in the parking lot. It's an old blue station wagon with a dent in the fender.
"My car, the old blue station wagon with a dent in the fender, is in the parking lot."
5. That call was from Bridget. She's the top student in my calculus class.
"That call was from the top student in my calculus class, Bridget."
"That call was from Bridget, the top student in my calculus class."
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OOOO = Appositive
6. Its hero is Scout's father, the saintly Atticus Finch, a lawyer who represents everything we cherish about justice and democracy and the American Way.
(Further reinforcement of the positive qualities of Scout's father [while also giving a name] that will be described as his purpose/representation.)
7. The novel has a shadow hero, too, the descriptively named Boo Radley, a gooney recluse who becomes the occasion for yet another lesson in tolerance and compassion.
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OOOO = Appositive
1. And on the basis of this evidence -- the moral and political evidence -- one is compelled to say that this is a backward society.
(Describes exactly what evidence the assumption is being based on -- moral & political)
2. So to regard the young child, the young man, requires, no doubt, rare patience: a patience that nothing but faith in the remedial forces of the soul can give.
(More description to the child, revealing his gender; and further description of the patience.
MY OWN SENTENCES!!!
1. It appears that by judging the evidence gathered -- both at the crime scene and in the defendant's apartment -- we can assume that Grandma Thatcher was battered with a blunt object.
2. So to regard the panda bear, the baby panda, requires, no doubt, an exorbitant amount of bamboo: the fine bamboo that comes exclusively from Mongolia.
OOOO = Word/phrase that accompanies it
1. My father, a truly exceptional man, worked at an ordinary job and was unknown outside the small town where he lived.
2. His rage passes description -- the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted.
3. W.E.B. DuBois saw the grandeur and degradation in the single unifying thought -- slavery was the West's tragic flaw; yet it was tragic precisely because of the greatness of the civilization that encompassed it.
5. Evidently I need this starting point -- the world as it appeared before people bent it to their myriad plans -- from which to begin dreaming up my own myriad, imaginary hominid agendas.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
All added punctuation has been highlighted ORANGE.
1. Several West African countries; Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, and Togo, were at some time in their history under colonial rule.
2. The mayoral candidate's rally opened to throngs of people -- an unusually large turnout for a cold, rainy day.
3. The British parliamentary system has two branches: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
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COMBINATION
4. My car is in the parking lot. It's an old blue station wagon with a dent in the fender.
"My car, the old blue station wagon with a dent in the fender, is in the parking lot."
5. That call was from Bridget. She's the top student in my calculus class.
"That call was from the top student in my calculus class, Bridget."
"That call was from Bridget, the top student in my calculus class."
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OOOO = Appositive
6. Its hero is Scout's father, the saintly Atticus Finch, a lawyer who represents everything we cherish about justice and democracy and the American Way.
(Further reinforcement of the positive qualities of Scout's father [while also giving a name] that will be described as his purpose/representation.)
7. The novel has a shadow hero, too, the descriptively named Boo Radley, a gooney recluse who becomes the occasion for yet another lesson in tolerance and compassion.
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OOOO = Appositive
1. And on the basis of this evidence -- the moral and political evidence -- one is compelled to say that this is a backward society.
(Describes exactly what evidence the assumption is being based on -- moral & political)
2. So to regard the young child, the young man, requires, no doubt, rare patience: a patience that nothing but faith in the remedial forces of the soul can give.
(More description to the child, revealing his gender; and further description of the patience.
MY OWN SENTENCES!!!
1. It appears that by judging the evidence gathered -- both at the crime scene and in the defendant's apartment -- we can assume that Grandma Thatcher was battered with a blunt object.
2. So to regard the panda bear, the baby panda, requires, no doubt, an exorbitant amount of bamboo: the fine bamboo that comes exclusively from Mongolia.
Thursday 8 November 2012
Vocabulary - The Goods
Rote - (n.) Mechanical or habitual repetition of something to be learned.
Manifest - (adj.) Clear or obvious to the eye or mind.
Bequest - (n.) A legacy.
Moras (n.) An area of muddy or boggy ground, or a complicated or confused situation.
Brouhaha - (n.) A noisy and overexcited reaction or response to something.
Slake - (v.) Quench or satisfy (thirst).
Zenith - (n.) The highest point reached by a celestial or other object.
Pacifist - (n.) A person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable.
Bedlam - (n.) A scene of uproar and confusion.
Prehensile - (adj.) A tail or limb capable of grasping.
Manifest - (adj.) Clear or obvious to the eye or mind.
Bequest - (n.) A legacy.
Moras (n.) An area of muddy or boggy ground, or a complicated or confused situation.
Brouhaha - (n.) A noisy and overexcited reaction or response to something.
Slake - (v.) Quench or satisfy (thirst).
Zenith - (n.) The highest point reached by a celestial or other object.
Pacifist - (n.) A person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable.
Bedlam - (n.) A scene of uproar and confusion.
Prehensile - (adj.) A tail or limb capable of grasping.
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