Prompt due by June 12, 5pm ** NOTE CHANGE OF DUE DATE TO JUNE 14, Friday, 5pm

[Dr. C.]

After completing the required reading, please respond to one of the following prompts:

1. Why do you believe that authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics?  Choose at least two of the readings you’ve been assigned and speculate as to why you believe the authors wrote and published these readings.  

2. Do you think that literature (and art, in general) can impact the world?  If so, how?  Why?  If not, why not?  Draw from at least two readings that we’ve completed so far to help support your answer.

[adamsjm6]

Literature and Art can impact the world and change the world in ways few could anticipate. These changes can be positive or negative but occur due to the shaping art and literature can do towards a problem or event. The Witness, and Martin Luther King, Malcom X both contained the power to shape an issue that was once far away and distant from ones life to be in their face, and present the power hatred has had on someone's life. Such stories and accounts reshape the thinking and ideas that come out of these events and can develop a culture wanting to accomplish change because of disgust and distaste which results from such violence. These stories absolutely have the power to change the world and I believe will continue to do so as other injustices occur, people will return to these pieces of literature to renew the feelings to accomplish change for a better world.

[Christopher Griffin]

Considering many of this week's readings pertain to the Civil Rights Movement, there is plenty of reason to be publishing uncomfortable material about this time period.  During the 50's and 60's there was large-scale protests and Human Rights activists, but there was an equally, if not larger majority who opposed these changes and equality pushes, especially in the South. Despite the literature and speeches of the era, there was much more to be said, and unspeakable acts to bring into the light. Take "Party Down at the Square" for example, this is the account of a Cincinnati man who is privy to the slaughter of a black man in the Deep South. Because the North was relatively more relaxed in treating African Americans, this is an example of this uncomfortable literature literally touching the narrator and metaphorically those who lived in the time but were unaware of the atrocities being committed. Not only was this material published to make one uncomfortable and abhor the actions of hate crimes, but to enlighten audiences to the arbitrary nature of these punishments as well. Blacks were not punished for crimes always, and were often persecuted for sport or negligible faux paxs based on backward white supremacist folkways. "A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi, Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon" is another example of these crimes against humanity, but from the perspective of a semi-responsible member of an actual murder. I believe that this poem shows the shift of the woman's belief of good and evil being distinguished by race, and is forced face to face with the reality of the evil in racial biases, which can cost a youth his life for something a boy of the same race could be chided for. These works may may us uncomfortable, but that isn't the point. The point is for us to leave our comfort zone to understand that we must push ourselves to understand a bigger picture, one where race or creed does not determine one's fate, rather their actions.   

[Christopher Griffin]

I agree with this idea of literature and art impacting the world. Considering MLK's and Malcolm X's speeches are half a century old, but carry just as much power today as they did then implies the true power of word. For example, these works erupt in full bloom during Black History Month, where we as a country gather to learn, comprehend and grow from the struggles and trials of the black community from slavery to the modern world. As children, we are blind to these racial barriers many adults still hold tall. It is when in our upbringing we are taught to see others different from ourselves that we begin to fade into fear and loathing instead of loving and understanding. It is artistic works like these that remind is of the struggle of many peoples across time to coexist and even assimilate as one, before our hatred and fear of one another tears us apart and eradicates society as a functioning organism.

[Olivia Zuba]

I think that authors choose to write about uncomfortable things to make their readers get a full understanding of these controversial topics. When a reader feels uncomfortable they are paying close attention to details and it is something that will stick in their mind. Writers that write about uncomfortable topics want to bother their readers. They want their readers to get this controversial topic stuck in their head so that they will read more about it and learn more about it. In the story. "A Party Down at the Square," the reader is taken through a southern lynching from a little boy's perspective. Some of the parts were very graphic to have to read, but they stuck in my head and gave me a feeling of what it would be like to be at a lynching. "He was right at my feet, and somebody behind pushed me and almost made me step on him, and he was still burning." The black man was literally right in front of the little boy and he had to see a man on fire. That left an impression on me as a reader. "My heart was pounding like I had been running a long ways, and I bent over and let my insides go." When the little boy got sick to his stomach at the sight of seeing a man on fire, I felt a little nauseous myself. While reading, "A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi, Meanwhile a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon," was another uncomfortable poem to read. The story went from life being simple and the biggest problem being burnt bacon, to a mother losing her child. Reading about the murder of a fourteen year old boy was unsettling. "And a mouth too young to have lost every reminder of its infant softness."

[Olivia Zuba]

Christopher,

 

I really enjoyed reading your post and you made a lot of good points. I like how you talked about the main issues from the eras that we read from for this week. A lot of the writers this week did want to take us out of our comfort zones and I think they left a lot of impressions on all of us. I personally won't forget some of the stories we read this week. The details made me feel like I was experiencing these crimes in person. The writers wanted us to be left with an uneasy feeling and I think they did just that. We both wrote about "A Party Down at the Square," and "A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi, Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon." I think out of the readings we did this week, these two really left me with an uncomfortable feeling. Also, I couldn't agree more with your last line.

[Briana Roesel]

2. Do you think that literature (and art, in general) can impact the world? If so, how? Why? If not, why not? Draw from at least two readings that we've completed so far to help support your answer.

I do believe that literature can impact the world. I think it can impact us an individuals in two different ways. One way I noticed literature impacting me during this course was the way I look at our world today and its history. The most recent stories Martin Luther King, Malcolm X as well as A Party Down at the Square impacted me the most. I am not a fan of history but these two readings made it more interesting to learn about. A Party Down at the Square made me realize how gruesome and common the lynchings were in the South during Ellison's time. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X made me look back on history and the people that have raised their voice to change the world to what it is today.

Another way I noticed literature impacts us as individuals is by making as think differently. Reading different poems has different impacts on certain readers. The Fish is one of my favorite poems we read and the one that impacted me the most. I now think of this poem almost everyday since we read it and it is a constant reminder of how I made it to where I am in my life today. It helps me look back on the obstacles I have faced in my life and helps me push through obstacles I will face in the future. It was definitely  a poem that impacted my daily life the most.

[Dr. C.]

Jimmy, This is a good start to your response, but it could be strengthened with more detail that draws from the readings. I've noted this in my comments on earlier posts.  Keep in mind that your online participation is evaluated using the criteria included in our course syllabus and policies document. 

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 1:16:48 PM UTC-4, adamsjm6 wrote:

[Dr. C.]

Chris,

Good response here and I'm glad you're drawing from the readings - I'd love to see some of your comments "unpacked" more here - in other words, I wish you spent a bit more time talking about short story as well as the poem you mention - drawing details from each of those texts to support your statements about how they work.  Also, some of your sentences seem a bit unclear to me here. 

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 2:20:24 PM UTC-4, Christopher Griffin wrote:

[Dr. C.]

Olivia,

Your reasoning for why writers write about uncomfortable or disturbing topics makes sense to me.  I'm hoping that when people think about this question, they recall one of the options for the first response paper, which asked students to consider whether literature can shape historical, social, and/or political events.  These two topics are connected.  

The details you include from the readings are good - just be sure to include page references for others.

The readings this week are disturbing in their subject matter and in the way that they treat their subject matter.  You mention how you responded to the short story, and I imagine others have that same response.  Some readers might disagree with this sort of graphic approach.  

Good points here.

[Dr. C.]

Briana,

Nice points here about the ways that literature can affect the world, or affect us directly.  Your response would be stronger if you could have drawn from details in each of the texts you mention below to support your points.  You also might have explained why those particular pieces by Brooks and Ellison made you want to learn more about history.  You mention the "message" you get from both, but not why those pieces worked that way for you. 

[Sarah Libby]

Do you think that literature (and art, in general) can impact the world? If so, how? Why? If not, why not? Draw from at least two readings that we’ve completed so far to help support your answer.

I believe that literature and art can impact the world. When reading "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop I realized how much her story through poetry impacted me. After thorough research and a brief understanding of what she was trying to portray I was able to relate to the story of the fisherman and the fish well. If literature and art didn't impact our world there would be no point in having authors, poets, artists, etc. do the things they do because it would not be worth their while. In my response paper I talked about how Elizabeth Bishop was a poet that used her visual impact to create the stories she made through poetry. If you are unable as a poet or a writer to use your imagination and impact your audience then the point to your story is completely lost. Also, in the poem "Skunk Hour" I understood that the reason. Lowell wrote such a poem was because he wanted to express the moment in time when he was depressed. His way of overcoming such an awful period in his life was to probably write about it to express his feelings. Without these poems and writings to express other authors feelings the audience of those writings and poems wouldn't be immused when reading their stories.

[noblejg]

I believe authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics for a number of reasons. One reason being that writing your opinion or views is much easier than saying out loud how you really feel. Our society sees this all of the time with the modern day technology where people voice their controversial topics via email, or social media, but when in public they are more reserved with their thoughts. For an author, perhaps it is easier voicing your opinion on paper as the paper gives them a false sense of security. A second reason I believe that they choose to write about the topic that they choose is because they know that their writings will hit a large number of people, and if a lot of people read about uncomfortable topics then they begin discussing the topic amongst friends and family members, which results in makes uncomfortable topics less controversial. Two readings that I have read in this class is "Overheard over S.E. Asia" and "The Witness." I speculate that these authors wrote and published these poems because they felt it was necessary in order to bring change to their culture whether black or asian. I believe they felt that if they published their writings then they may gain enough readers who become as overwhelmed about certain issues as they due and begin to change their thinking or begin protesting in favor for a new way of life.

Yes, I do believe that art in general can impact the world.This is because poems such as "Overheard Over S.E. Asia" and "The Witness" touch on issues in society that need to be changed. The conclusions of "The Witness" and "Martin Luther King and Malcolm X" both illustrate how the black population was beginning to feel. They felt that their voices were "bleeding" out or being taken from their bodies without their permission. I believe that if I was a white person growing up in the south in the 50s and 60s I would see that blacks are just like whites after reading these two poems, and realize the pain my race was placing upon them. In addition, the poem "Overhear Over S.E. Asia" raises questions against the point of war. It causes you to second guess and begin really thinking about what war really does to the human soul. I believe that readings such as these have the ability to speak to the heart and souls of people in a way that nothing else can.This uncanny ability to affect a person emotionally allows for society to come together on specific controversial issues and makes them want to change the world for the better in order to eliminate the problems that writers speak of.

[noblejg]

Briana, I agree with your post. I liked how you showed how the literature we have read in class affected your life personally. I too thought that both "Martin Luther King and Malcolm X" and "A Party Down at the Square" did a great job showing how life was during that time. Both reading affected how I looked back at those times, and I can only imagine how affective and powerful it must have been for those who had the opportunity to read these poems during that time period. It would definitely cause a lot of uprising on both sides of the social sphere, which is what I believe is ultimately what these author's try to do with these poems. 

I also liked your observation on how different poems impact readers differently. Writing along with art is what we make of it, and if it's controversial then it's only because we allow it to be controversial in our minds. I do find it really neat that "The Fish" impacted you to such a degree. I must admit that this poem was one of my least favorites when I first read it, because I just looked at it being a regular fishing trip rather than a metaphor for life and the obstacles we go through. That just proves your idea on how literature impacts all readers differently! 

[Betty Gabbard]

I think authors choose to write about uncomfortable topics to provoke thought. I also think they do it to get something they are passionate about on paper. I know when I'm mad or upset, I like to write all my thoughts down. I don't necessarily do that when I'm feeling happy. I think it's a way to separate their ideas and get everything out. In the story What We Talk about When We Talk about Love, there are four different characters with four different perceptions of what love is. I think the goal of  What We Talk about When We Talk about Love was to make the reader think about their expectations of love, and realize not everyone shares their view. In the story, Mel, starts talking deeply about love, and loving again. This could be a close resemblance to Raymond Carver who also married twice and had quit drinking about 4 years before the story of two couples sitting around a kitchen table, drinking and talking about love, was published. Another reason authors might choose to write about uncomfortable topics is to spread awareness and give a sort of "behind the scenes" look to what everyone else might see. The poem Power sheds some light on the social injustices during the 70's. The author shares how the black mother kind of gives up hope for her children when she realizes the power the authorities have. 

[Jeremy Newport]

Why do you believe that authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics?  Choose at least two of the readings you’ve been assigned and speculate as to why you believe the authors wrote and published these readings.  

 

I feel authors chose to write about the topics they did to take a stance on the modern day problems. A lot of what the civil rights movement showed Americans was in fact that a lot of stereotyping is learned; beginning with the peopling of the West in the 1800s Americans became very prejudiced. Any economic instability, social instability, or even bad weather conditions like in the dustbowl all had a racial group to blame in the eyes of many Americans. The problem with this time period is that there was harsh stereotyping and even worse superiority complexes that people tried to explain and rationalize with very complex ideas regarding genetics. While many racist people claimed in the South and other parts of the country was that races were draining the economy. What was truly going on was very thought out social slavery where laws and economic conditions were used to keep African Americans as a lower class.

 

I feel Ann Petry in her work wanted to show the type of lifestyle a common black male had to go through if he wished to be successful. While the freeing of the slaves with the 13th Amendment to the constitution had been a step in the right direction, what actually happened in the US was a cultural genocide. Ann Petry's "The Witness" shows how much pressure was put on black men to assimilate into white culture if they wished to be successful. I feel the whole moral of her story was that while these men worked hard to assimilate, no matter what they did they were always regarded as a lower class at the time. Terms like ho-daddy and boy were just little things that showed the constant reinforcement from white individuals to show African Americans weren't held in high regard. What I liked about Petry's story is the fact it brings up a lot of questions. It really makes you wonder that amount of cases that were thrown out because of untrusted testimony in court. When the slaves were freed, newly freed black men were unable to testate in court unless it was against other black men. Even when these laws were reversed allowing testament, Petry's story indicates that this hadn't corrected years of ideas and that many black men were faced with the fact that nobody believed them. This story to me was posed in a way to make the reader really think about the pressure put on black men of the times and think about true life stories that could have occurred. 

 

While Petry's story is narrated from the mindset of the victim, Ralph Ellison turns this model on it's head by examining a situation from the perspective of an onlooker. "A Party Down at the Square" is a story in which a mob lynching is narrated a few days following the events of a small town. What I felt this story was doing was very much the opposite of Petry's. Petry's tale shows us Charles Woodruff, a very well educated and well off black man. Ellison on the other hand tells his tale through the eyes of a rather uneducated man who is a party to a sort of lynch mob. A lot of the racist lingo in the story used by those most vicious in the story are used by the narrator as well. While the story tries to maintain the narrator as somewhat of a soft man, it is evident his ideological base is still shared with the majority of the mob. I feel this story was trying to accomplish the exposure of mob thinking and mob culture. While men claimed economic reasons, when it came down to it lynching and killing of African Americans in the streets was simply and unequivocally cold blooded murder with racist intent. These writers both wrote about this uncomfortable topics to show how ludicrous these acts actually were. When you are raised in an environment where this type of violence was accepted, sometimes it really helps to take a step back to read the story. When you do, you can see how abnormal all of this actually feels and these writers were trying to expose racism as something ridiculous.

[David A. Riley]

I would propose the idea that author's write about uncomfortable topics as a means of catharsis. They use the writings as a way to help them cope with the events. It has been tried (and successful, I think) for other vets like me, with PTSD. Putting the words on paper, getting that scene out of your head, can be a release, can be therapeutic. It can be especially helpful if the author can convey the emotion of the event. Several of our readings have been emotionally charged, and dealt with race or death. I mentioned in another post how well the author captures Charles Woodruff's internal conflict in "The Witness." He struggles with his sense of right, and his sense of what will happen, knowing the two do not coexist in the real world. Woodruff knows that he has no recourse against these middle class white hooligans, that an old black man, regardless of how highly he might be esteemed, stood no chance in helping that girl or bringing those boys to justice. The story evokes emotion on purpose, to make the reader sit up and take notice, but also to portray events that could have happened anywhere in America during that time.

"Bronzeville Mother" is another such poem. The wife of a murderer realizes that she hates him. The controversy here is the trial in Mississippi where two full-grown white men beat a 14-year old black boy to death, and the jury let them go. This event was a catalyst in the civil rights movement, putting the wheels in motion, so to speak. I would venture that Gwendolyn Brooks was outraged at these events. Sickened to the point of distraction, this woman, who had always felt good to be black, wrote about her reactions to the murder, putter herself in that other woman's shoes. Coming to the conclusion that she hated this man, the narrator, and author, reach an understanding. I hope that brought her some measure of peace. 

Throughout history writers have written about controversial topics to draw attention to them. Social issues especially can only be resolved through discourse. I would think that most author's would suffer their work to be condemned for being controversial if the work exposed some truth and led to resolution.  After all, if Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" hadn't been controversial, the Declaration of Independence would never have been written.

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:30:36 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

After completing the required reading, please respond to one of the following prompts:

1. Why do you believe that authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics?  Choose at least two of the readings you’ve been assigned and speculate as to why you believe the authors wrote and published these readings.  

1. Do you think that literature (and art, in general) can impact the world?  If so, how?  Why?  If not, why not?  Draw from at least two readings that we’ve completed so far to help support your answer.

[Amanda Sellers]

I think the question on why authors write about controversial topics and the idea that literature can impact the world complement each other. I believe some writers choose to write about these topics to express the events that occur throughout history. History itself has an impact on the world and if left undocumented, would be bound to repeat itself. The very uncomfortable topics are literary records of social events that actually took place.

 

I find it interesting that during Ellison's lifetime "A Party Down at the Square" was never actually published or dated. He chose to write about the occurence of lynch mobs in the south and the northern acceptance of such crimes, as I found in the article provided. http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1259&context=facpub  I feel he chose to write about this from his experiences while traveling through Alabama and Georgia in the 1930's. I also find he places much of his thoughts on the issue into the story. For example, "the white cropper said it didn't do no good to kill the niggers 'cause things don't get no better". Ellison had a strong belief that much of the southern white hostility and desire to have power over the black race had deep ties with the economic conditions of the poor whites. "Rather than attempt to come to grips with the causes of their poverty or ignorance, poor whites took solace in the fact they were members of the higher race." The truth is that lynching truly is America's "national crime" and it is a sad truth that it occurred within the past 80 years. In my opinion, I don't think Ellison wanted the story published during his lifetime because of the major controversy it could have created, as well as an inner fear he felt from the hatred of white men in both the north and south. Now that it is published, I think it is an important piece of literature that provokes thoughts of the undignified and unjust actions within our history that should be reflected on. This story had such an impact on me that everytime I eat barbeque, I will think of "A Party Down at the Square".

 

Another story that I feel is an important piece of literature that is uncomfortable is "The Witness". I think the story is an important record in our history because it shows what it may have been like for a black male to move to a northern town during the national process of intergration into communities. In 1954, segregation was found to be a violation of the 14th amendment (Brown vs. Board of Education). The school decided to hire Woodruff because it was something they must do by law. But Petry also illustrates that it was something the town must do because conventionally it was occurring in other towns. "Everybody was intergrating and so this little frozen Northern town was integrating, too." I believe Petry does a great job of illustrating how simply an event can alter someone's life as well as describe how difficult it was for African Americans to move into these newly integrated towns. How psychologically impacting this change was for African Americans and the difficult scenarios that can occur. This piece impacted me as it primarily left me speechless. After awhile, I was able to gather my thoughts. "The Witness" gave me a lasting impression on how difficult it must have been to be welcomed into a community you were never really wanted in. Welcomed into a community you never really entered. "He's here and yet he ain't here."

 

I also would like to add that I think literature can only have an impact on the world if the recipients/readers are willing to accept the topics that are meant to be thought about. It is very easy to read a piece of literature and dismiss it. It has an impact when the reader decides to think about what is happening in the story/poem/novel. And it has a lasting impact when the reader takes what has been read, deciphers it and reacts to it in their ability to take action, either on a large scale socially or individually within their character.

[rogers26]

1. Why do you believe that authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics?  Choose at least two of the readings you’ve been assigned and speculate as to why you believe the authors wrote and published these readings.

• I believe some authors write about uncomfortable or controversial topics because it brings shock value and attention. Often times the uncomfortable or controversial topics are the most important ones that audiences find easy to avoid, or because it’s something that’s been discussed over and over and having that uncomfortable or controversial moments bring new life into it. I think the expression that it was like a train wreck that you couldn’t help but watch explains this choice well. When we see or read these uncomfortable or controversial topics a kind of morbid curiosity takes over and we can help ourselves but to keep reading. In Ralph Ellison’s “A Party Down at the Square,” is a great example of this. Ellison gives the explicit details of a lynching in Alabama from the perspective of a young white boy from Cincinnati. Ellison gave an explicit description of how the man burned by saying, “His back was just like a barbequed hog. I could see the prints of his ribs where they start around from his backbone and curve down and around.” If Ellison had just glossed over the details by simply saying the man had rolled out in front of him it wouldn’t have made the same impact and would never have been remembered by his readers. In the story the “Witness” by Ann Petry she writes about an elderly black man who’s kidnapped and forced into being a witness to a rape by six young white boys. Petry writes the scene of the abduction and rape describing the girl, “lying on the floor, half-naked. They had put some burlap bags under her. She looked as though she were dead. They pushed him toward her saying, ‘It’s your turn.’ He balked refusing to move. […] They pushed him closer to the girl and someone grabbed one of his hands and placed it on the girls thigh, on her breasts, and then they laughed again.” Petry doesn’t use as explicit of details as Ellison did but her use of an uncomfortable and brutal situation creates an image and emotions in the reader that they can’t help but notice and remember afterwards.

 

 

 

[Dr. C.]

Sarah,

Interesting response here.  I understand your point about artists not finding it "worth their while" if art didn't impact the world, but do you think some artists create things just for themselves, rather than thinking about any impact they have on society as a whole?  

Also, I am glad you mentioned "The Fish," but some more details about that poem could have strengthened your response.   You mention you did research so you could understand what she is trying to portray, but you don't provide an explanation of what you think that is, precisely.

[Dr. C.]

Joe,

Nice response here, and I agree that for some authors, they probably see publishing their writing as a way of speaking out about a particular topic or issue, such as the Vietnam War or racism in our country.  

[Dr. C.]

Betty,

Two good examples here to discuss, and I agree that writing about some topics can be a way to express something that the writer feels passion for.    What details in Carver's story suggest to you that the goal is to make readers realize that not everyone shares their viewpoint about love?  Some more details from "Power" would help your discussion of the poem. 

[Dr. C.]

Jeremy,

This is a detailed, thoughtful response to the prompt.  I like how you contrast the styles of Petry and Ellison.  Good work here. 

[Dr. C.]

David,

Good post here, and good observation about the use of writing, especially for those with PTSD.  What's interesting to me - and something that no one has really explored or explained so far here - is why that works.  Why is writing something down cathartic?  I don't disagree with the claim, but I think it's interesting to consider why this works...and perhaps why sometimes it doesn't.  

[Dr. C.]

Amanda,

Good response here, and I like your last sentence in the first paragraph.  The idea that literature can function as a record of historical events is important.  I'm not sure that everyone would agree that literature can provide a historical record, but it's something worth arguing and supporting - at least in my mind. :)

Your point about Ellison's publication, or lack of publication, of the short story is a good one, and I'm glad someone mentioned it!!!  

Thoughtful work here!

[Dr. C.]

Kobey,

Your point about the shock value is well-taken, but do you think that a writer can go "too far"?  

Good post here with good details from the text. 

[Amanda Sellers]

David,

 

   I like your idea that writing is a means of catharsis for the writers. It is definitely a very therapeutic way to deal with traumatic events and emotions that one feels is out of their control. I also feel that reading these uncomfortable and controversial topics can be a means of healing for readers as well, with the feeling that someone else understands their emotions.

I felt very relieved after reading "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love". It seemed like a very realistic scenario of friends discussing their ideas about love, types of love, and what it means to love someone. It is a very uncomfortable topic to discuss, especially regarding domestic violence and it is one I can relate to. It's not something I like to talk about much, but I have written to myself about it a lot. I enjoyed how easily Mel and Terri could talk about Ed and Terri's relationship with Ed. But yet, Terri didn't speak much about her relationship with Ed, just that Ed loved her. Mel, on the other hand, had much to say about Ed and how their love was. I took much solace in understanding how Terri felt and what emotions she had went through. Although I disagree with Terri defending Ed, I can understand her point that a love once existed and that Ed used love as a mask for his control and abuse. It is not something my husband and I ever discuss, as we have went through much of the same scenario Mel and Terri experienced. The story did help me to reflect on emotions I have held inside and it was nice to see that Terri went through much of what I went through. It helps put things into perspective.

 

[adamsjm6]

I think it is a good point to acknowledge the resistance to these movements. It is also worth nothing your analysis on how the ideas of good and evil have changed and these stories help reflect that. At certain point sin history such actions were considered okay, and even encouraged, but over time people have evolved into thinking and acting differently.

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 2:20:24 PM UTC-4, Christopher Griffin wrote:

Considering many of this week's readings pertain to the Civil Rights Movement, there is plenty of reason to be publishing uncomfortable material about this time period.  During the 50's and 60's there was large-scale protests and Human Rights activists, but there was an equally, if not larger majority who opposed these changes and equality pushes, especially in the South. Despite the literature and speeches of the era, there was much more to be said, and unspeakable acts to bring into the light. Take "Party Down at the Square" for example, this is the account of a Cincinnati man who is privy to the slaughter of a black man in the Deep South. Because the North was relatively more relaxed in treating African Americans, this is an example of this uncomfortable literature literally touching the narrator and metaphorically those who lived in the time but were unaware of the atrocities being committed. Not only was this material published to make one uncomfortable and abhor the actions of hate crimes, but to enlighten audiences to the arbitrary nature of these punishments as well. Blacks were not punished for crimes always, and were often persecuted for sport or negligible faux paxs based on backward white supremacist folkways. "A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi, Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon" is another example of these crimes against humanity, but from the perspective of a semi-responsible member of an actual murder. I believe that this poem shows the shift of the woman's belief of good and evil being distinguished by race, and is forced face to face with the reality of the evil in racial biases, which can cost a youth his life for something a boy of the same race could be chided for. These works may may us uncomfortable, but that isn't the point. The point is for us to leave our comfort zone to understand that we must push ourselves to understand a bigger picture, one where race or creed does not determine one's fate, rather their actions.   

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:30:36 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

After completing the required reading, please respond to one of the following prompts:

1. Why do you believe that authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics?  Choose at least two of the readings you’ve been assigned and speculate as to why you believe the authors wrote and published these readings.  

1. Do you think that literature (and art, in general) can impact the world?  If so, how?  Why?  If not, why not?  Draw from at least two readings that we’ve completed so far to help support your answer.

[adamsjm6]

Your points regarding the everyday impact of literature is vitally important to the overall idea of how it can impact society and politics. In order for a piece of literature to have any sort of impact it must make an impression on the reader and change the way they think about their daily life. It must in some ways, consume their thought and actions which may then resort in wider spread change. The Poem regarding Martin Luther King and Malcom X in my opinion were very powerful due to the feelings it gave me as if I was there. The other poems such as A party down at the square was also powerful due to the images it provided.

On Wednesday, June 12, 2013 12:06:00 AM UTC-4, Briana Roesel wrote:

[David A. Riley]

I have not seen anything that has tried to explain why writing seems to help. I know that a lot of people have a sense that no one understands what or how they feel. Putting that on paper can begin to share that in a way that they may not be able to express in words without having problems. Journal writing seems very similar to me. Just letting it out of your head, even if only onto paper, helps you to put the events in perspective.

I did a search, and here is one page that talk about catharsis: http://www.writingthroughlife.com/why-write

It doesn't really speak to PTSD specifically, but talks about how writing can help with fears.

[kasibhm]

I think that authors chose to write about controversial and uncomfortable topics because it helps the public better understand the world around them. I honestly believe that a big part of writing about these events is to educate. Literature also helps to define our understanding and experience of these sorts of events. For example, "Skunk Hour" was written near the end of the great depression. It draws on the experiences of lower class civilians and shows how upper class citizens are easily overthrown and are easy to give up. It's not easy working for everything, but as a result, these "lower-class" individuals, like the skunk, had to learn to persevere and that's exactly what they did why the people with more money fell easily and could not get back up. Another reading that i think draws on this theme is "A Party Down at the Square," which we were to read this week. It's a very uncomfortable piece of literature to deal with, but it's so vivid that the images almost burn into the mind and make the reader feel exactly what that boy was feeling. Literature is very thought provoking and extremely powerful and I think that authors and other writers publish this stuff to make us understand the thoughts and feelings behind what is happening in the world at that point in time...and to educate future generations of some of the horrific events of our past. 

[kasibhm]

Olivia, 

  I completely agree that authors write about these topics so that the thoughts will stay with their readers. I think that they do it to educate their readers and possibly also in hopes that somebody will stand up for the people wronged by what is happening around them. How can we do anything to make a change if we aren't aware of the situation though? I think that's the writers main intentions...to make their audiences aware. It was particually hard to read this week's assignments because I think, exactly as you said, "when a reader feels uncomfortable they are paying close attention to details." 

On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 10:37:13 PM UTC-4, Olivia Zuba wrote:

I think that authors choose to write about uncomfortable things to make their readers get a full understanding of these controversial topics. When a reader feels uncomfortable they are paying close attention to details and it is something that will stick in their mind. Writers that write about uncomfortable topics want to bother their readers. They want their readers to get this controversial topic stuck in their head so that they will read more about it and learn more about it. In the story. "A Party Down at the Square," the reader is taken through a southern lynching from a little boy's perspective. Some of the parts were very graphic to have to read, but they stuck in my head and gave me a feeling of what it would be like to be at a lynching. "He was right at my feet, and somebody behind pushed me and almost made me step on him, and he was still burning." The black man was literally right in front of the little boy and he had to see a man on fire. That left an impression on me as a reader. "My heart was pounding like I had been running a long ways, and I bent over and let my insides go." When the little boy got sick to his stomach at the sight of seeing a man on fire, I felt a little nauseous myself. While reading, "A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi, Meanwhile a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon," was another uncomfortable poem to read. The story went from life being simple and the biggest problem being burnt bacon, to a mother losing her child. Reading about the murder of a fourteen year old boy was unsettling. "And a mouth too young to have lost every reminder of its infant softness."

[adamsjm6]

I also think the author intended to use the little boy as a metaphor of innocence witnessing a terrible crime which he had no business witnessing. This strikes a chord with most people, and they can relate to this. You are correct that the author wants people to get this image, this story stuck in their mind, but I would take it a step farther. I think the author wants people to get angry and even consumed by feelings of disgust and emotion so they not only never forget, but work to inspire and create change.

[Briana Roesel]

Sarah,

I agree with you completely! "The Fish" but Bishop impacted me a lot as well. I agree that after researching the true meaning of this story it is a lot more relatable. I agree that authors, poetry, artists, and stories would be useless if they had no influence on individuals and the world. I liked the two poems you chose to use in your response! Lowell's "Skunk Hour" was a tough one for me to understand or relate to so I wasn't able to feel that impact as much which is why I liked that you pulled out this poem. I like that you described the reason for Lowell writing this poem. It gives me a bit more understanding of the poem as well as makes me think about why authors write. You had a great response!

[Caitlin Lamb]

Writing about controversial or uncomfortable topics is tough-but so is refusing to vacate your bus seat for a white man, or staging a sit-in, when you know it will end with you in jail or worse.  I think that Ralph Ellison and Gwendolyn Brooks chose to write about the topics that they did because they were civil rights activists.  While I did not find any mention of them participating in sit-ins or protests in the brief research that I did, both were African Americans living through a time in the US when the color of your skin dictated your position in society, and they were on the lower end.  People fought against segregation in many ways, but to me, literature is one of the most powerful.  While we can hear stories in textbooks about protests, or see pictures, it is through the works of authors like Ellison and Brooks that the real events come alive. 

 Ellison's vivid imagery in "A Party Down in the Square" brings to life a horrible event through the eyes of a white child.  Had it been from the eyes of an African American child, the pain and hate would have been a much bigger part of the text.  Yet Ellison chose to write it from the eyes of a child who only expresses emotion near the end of the text.  By removing the emotion from much of the text, I feel that Ellison is better able to express this controversial topic in a way that makes it seem more like an account of a real event, instead of what is presumably a made-up event.  But by writing about such a terrible event, instead of something less violent, Ellison exposes the reader to the one of the worst examples of segregation, which is as much of example of activism as participation in a sit-in or protest.

While Ellison exposes the reader to horrors of the time through a story, Gwendolyn Brooks exposes the reader to a similar event, but through a colorful, and at times confusing, poem.  Brooks could have easily used many of the same images in a poem about a less violent event. The idea of a ballad, a damsel in distress, princes and villains all could have been applied to a completely different topic from that time period.  But Brooks chose instead to write about the beating and murder of a young boy for flirting with a white girl.  Once again, the author could have easily chose a less controversial topic.  But just as Ellison was fighting for civil rights in his text, so was Brooks.  I feel that both authors should be seen as civil rights activists using their works to protest events of the day.

[Caitlin Lamb]

Manu,

I really liked your link between "Skunk Hour" and "A Party Down at the Square." I wouldn't have thought to connect the two.  The Great Depression and Civil Rights at first seem unrelated, but the idea of the lower class learning to persevere is a perfect description for both of the poems.  In "A Party Down at the Square" I feel this particularly expressed when the speaker comments on the strength of the African American as he is burning, when he breaks free of the ropes and tries to escape.  I also agree with your thought on how these kind of texts help educate future generations.  I think that is so important nowadays, with countries such as Egypt fighting for independence, and all of the young people that you hear about who protest for their people through the use of the internet.  In fifty years, people will be able to read what they wrote, and maybe that reading will create the spark for someone else to try to change their own world.

[Dr. C.]

Caitlin,

Your first statement below is a provocative one, because the parallel you're making between writing and social activism suggests the same risks are involved.  I wonder if everyone would agree to that.  Writing can be a form of social activism, but is it the same thing as "breaking the law," especially in this country?   (I'm not disagreeing with you; I think you raise an interesting and unique point - although I'm curious to hear what others have to say).

Good post.

[Mandy]

Because I feel that both prompts are interconnected, as they sort of encompass a “cause and effect” relationship, I am going to discuss both topics.  Ultimately, authors are empowered to impact the world when producing literary works regarding uncomfortable or controversial topics, and this is why many authors choose to write about things of a controversial nature.

 

In my mind, we can learn much more about historical events and about the “ways” of the people before us by reading literature produced during previous eras, than we can learn from a textbook containing list-like facts.  Facts, as valid as they may be, have far less of an ability to allow any type of emotional connection with our past than do works of art via literature; and therefore, they cannot reach its audience on the same level that works of literary art can. This is precisely the great thing about people who can write well!  They possess the ability to inspire thoughtfulness and connectedness to their writings and thus the topics within them. For example, it made me sad to learn about slavery, racism, and all the segregation issues surrounding black people of the past, but it absolutely makes my heart break to read stories about the same types of issues.

 

From a story, we are allowed much more insight into issues than we are from simply learning facts.  We gain a sense of how the issues within the story affect the people involved via a perceived understanding of their feelings toward the issues.  This is very important in order to truly understand, relate to and thus learn from tragedies of our past.  Drawing from “A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon”, we learn the perspective of the woman who was wolf-whistled at, while gaining a sense for the murderer, as well.  Most importantly, this is all from the perspective of the author, so it’s not necessarily biased in the fact that the woman who was wolf-whistled at would certainly tell the story in the poem differently than the mother of the boy who was murdered.  With the unbiased perspective, we can understand the situation for exactly what it is, and we aren’t able to easily undermine its magnitude, while understanding the views of many people of the time in which it occurred.  Literary works of art allow truths to be exposed.

 

Specifically, we gain an understanding from the woman who was wolf-whistled at, that she doesn’t feel the boy’s punishment was justified, even though she was the “victim” of his harassment.  We learn this through lines 19-34, when she describes the “Dark Villain” and gives us the image of an innocent child, not a “Dark Villain” at all.  These lines speak to the reader in a way that they are incapable of if written from the mother of the murdered boy’s point of view, or certainly from a textbook where the story would be presented in a factual manner.  Of course, the mother would disagree with her son being a “Dark Villain” but when it comes from the woman who was harassed by the boy (the victim of his “crime”), we truly understand the senseless in her husband’s crime in killing the boy – this is something that simple facts cannot provide to us.  The author, Gwendolyn Brooks, wanted her poem’s readers to understand the absurdity of this crime, and the way to do this was to write it from the perspective of the woman that was harassed by the boy.

 

When the author allows us a sense of the murderer, in lines 35-41, the rationality of his acts are questioned – “waited the baby full of tantrums”.  Next, in lines 122-128, we understand that his wife, the harassed woman, is indeed afraid of him and afraid for her own children, due to his horrific crime.  These lines, reiterate who the criminal actually is here – not the black boy that wolf-whistled at her.

 

In Ralph Ellison’s work, “A Party Down at the Square”, we learn about a poor black boy that was burned to death and we again learn this through the view of a person with an unbiased perspective – in this case a white person.  Throughout the story, we learn about all the people of the town and how they act and react to the burning of this boy.  Even the sheriffs allow this to happen, as they stand and guard the downed power lines (pg. 2385).  The leader of the burning is actually well-liked and probably next to be appointed as the town’s sheriff (pg. 2384).  The speaker of the story seems to be the only person who is disgusted by the actions of this town.  Everyone else is cheering it on and encouraging it.  After the event is over, the speaker’s uncle informed him/her that he/she would get used to this kind of behavior (pg. 2385). This implies that this is the norm for these people. 

 

It’s also important to mention that authors can paint more vivid pictures of actual events than any textbook can.  In this work, we are provided a more descriptive view of the poor black boy that was burned.  We can relate to him more in this way, because we can imagine he how feels as he steps from one foot to the other to try and escape the heat from the fire below him "like a chicken on a hot stove" (pg. 2383), and as he asks for someone to cut his throat, to request for a quick death, instead of being slowly burned alive (pg. 2384).  We also understand the surroundings more, as we can imagine people all around yelling at him and cheering this awful event on.  It’s just awful and the author wanted us to really understand how appalling this behavior is and how despicable people who condoned and participated in this type of behavior were.  It was an ugly, ugly time and literary works of art justly expose the ugliness in a way that simple facts cannot. 

[Sarah Libby]

Brianna, I agree with a lot of what you say in your post here.  I also stated in my post that authors write about uncomfortable, odd things to make a point and profess something they are passionate about on paper.  I never looked at the poem "Power" the way your suggested it.  I definitely agree looking back that the poem could have been about a mother giving up hope for her children after the realization that the white police officers have everlasting power over her race.  Because the author of this poem was a black, lesbian, feminist, she had a lot to say and had a huge opinion on the equality of blacks and whites back in the 1900's.  Since she lived during the time of inequality and was able to see what took place it showed her audience a more vivid picture of the poem she created.  Without the correct evidence and perfect  visualization that an author needs to write about such strong topics there would be no relevant value to the audience that is trying to portray and imagine the different thoughts going through the authors head. 

[Sarah Libby]

Dr. C.,

I believe many artists use their own imaginations to create some kind of picture for themselves.  I also still truly believe that whatever they decide to pull from their imagination needs to have some value towards society or the audience interested in their writings.  Without that value the story any artist was trying to display wouldn't have as much of an effect on the audience reading/looking at it.  When you look at a piece of art the first thing you try to figure out is what the artists story is trying to tell you.  If there is nothing but a big blob on a canvas there is not much that an artist can pull from that picture without possibly looking at the description.  When I discussed "The Fish", a good example that Bishop was able to portray throughout the poem was the feeling of accomplishment and ability to overcome any obstacle thrown your way.  Yes, I did have to research this poem quite a bit, but after I was able to learn what the metaphor of this poem was I could relate the story to myself. Hopefully this helps make my earlier response a bit more easier to understand!

[Caitlin Lamb]

When I talked about it being a risky thing to do to speak out, I wasn't meaning to specifically refer to the United States, although I think in some ways it could be, because writing about something controversial could be the spark that ignites those later, and more directly dangerous acts.

[Megan Sawtelle]

1. Why do you believe that authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics?  Choose at least two of the readings you’ve been assigned and speculate as to why you believe the authors wrote and published these readings.  

I think authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics because it makes you want to keep reading and find the real meaning behind the text.  I also think authors write about these things because people like to talk about controversial topics.  Everyone has an opinion and when it comes to controversial topics people usually are very passionate about their opinion and want to be heard.  Authors might also write about these things if they have a certain topic that they are very passionate about, so they choose to make it more graphic and uncomfortable so that more people will talk about it.  I know some people don’t like the more graphic approach because it makes them feel too uncomfortable or uneasy but I personally like it because it makes me want to keep reading and it forces me to decide how I feel about it.  The two readings that really stuck out to me in this past week were Audre Lorde’s “Power” and Ralph Ellison’s “A Party Down at the Square.”

 I think Ralph Ellison wrote “A Party Down at the Square” to show how powerful racism is, in a bad way, and how people’s hatred for one black man could completely turn the town inside out and how ridiculous that is.  At the end of the poem it says, “First it was the nigger and the storm, then the plane, then the woman and the wires, and now I hear the airplane line is investigating to find who set the fire that almost wrecked their plane. All that in one night, and all of it but the storm over one nigger.”  I think that line pretty much sums up the entire reading.  This town was pretty much destroyed and it all started because of racism.

 I think Audre Lord wrote “Power” to show how racism still exists today although many think it doesn’t.  I really enjoyed this poem, even though it was pretty disturbing, because I think it was very powerful and honest.  She talks about how a white man shot and killed a little black boy just because he was black, but everyone said justice had been served.  But when a white woman gets raped by a black woman or man, everyone says, “Poor thing.  She never hurt a soul.  What beasts they are.”

[gibertpm]

I believe that authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics because it makes a statement towards change of the issue. If we don't write about the past or things that bother us, how will others now? It allows people to understand where a writers point of view is coming from and gives them a way to identify with the topic. In the reading, "Martin Luther King, Malcolm X" by Muriel Rukeyser, talks about the loss of these two important African-American Civil Rights movement figures of the time. Both of these leaders, advocated for the right of African-Americans and were assassinated for their efforts. The poem really conveys the sadness that the authors feels as she writes, "Bleeding of the mountains the noon bleeding". Here, she is describing the death of these figures as to a mountain (higher above people) being hurt (two figures deaths) to show how sad she is about their deaths. Being that Rukeyser was big in politics and advocated for equality, it really must of promoted her to write about their deaths being such a tragedy to the world. In the other reading, "A Party Down at the Square" by Ralph Ellison, the author guides the narrative through the vision of a young white boy from Cincinnati visiting his uncle in Alabama during segregation. While visiting his uncle, he witnesses a town lynching of a black man. While Ellison himself is a black man, he uses the "white boy's" perspective to have the reader experience the other side of this experience, but in extremem details and thought. Honestly, it made me cringe myself being an African-American myself. The author uses this narrative to highlight the time period of segregation for readers, as a reminder to history.

[Chris Little]

I believe authors choose to write about uncomfortable topics because it helps them discuss those topics with the reader and hopefully affect social change. "Power" by Audre Lorde is a great example. She is useing her poem to expose a deeply discriminatory justice system and allowing the reader to feel what she feels as a witness to these events. “Martin Luther King, Malcolm X” by Muriel Rukeyser is again an attempt to shape a social issue.

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:30:36 PM UTC-4, Dr. C. wrote:

After completing the required reading, please respond to one of the following prompts:

1. Why do you believe that authors choose to write about controversial or uncomfortable topics?  Choose at least two of the readings you’ve been assigned and speculate as to why you believe the authors wrote and published these readings.  

1. Do you think that literature (and art, in general) can impact the world?  If so, how?  Why?  If not, why not?  Draw from at least two readings that we’ve completed so far to help support your answer.

[Jacqueline Oligee]

Reading can be boring or it can be the most exciting thing you've ever done. I think as human beings we are attracted to things that cause controversy and things that naturally make us uncomfortable. These topics make us curious, and give us an opportunity to form our own opinions, and make arguments. I think another reason that authors write about controversial topics is to make the readers critically think and to give a one sided or possibly double sided opinion. one thing I do when i read something with a controversial topic is try to understand where the reader is coming from when they wrote it. I try to figure out what they were going through that caused them to write this poem, where they were, and what time period it was set in. This helps me understand the overall meaning of the poem.

 "Party Down at The Square" was one work of literature that had a very controversial topic and made me feel quite uncomfortable until I made meaning of it. It was very gruesome and brutal and i felt my self cringing a little when I read it. "I watched the flames burning the logs up closer and closer to the nigger's feet." this was one line that made me feel so full of emotion. I just kept on reading and found in the end it was very enlightening. It shows me what happened in out history and 

how far we have come. It also makes me sad that anyone ever had to go through that. I think the Ellison did a very good job making you feel uncomfortable and I think the uncomfortableness added to the overall reading to the reading. It gave it a sense of power.

Gwendolyn Brooks also wrote a poem, "A Bronzville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile, A Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon." Although it was very controversial, i think that Brooks did a good job of showing the difference in a black family and a white family. This is also very controversial because it involves the death of a teenage black boy. I can see how it can be controversial because the wife of the murderer is obviously upset with her husband for doing such a horrific thing. I found that it was easy to put yourself in the shoes if the wife to see what she was going through because it was such an awful situation. Just like in "PArty Down at the Square." I think it gave the poem a sense of power and this poem would not have been as good if it didn't have any controversy or uncomfortableness to it. 

[jocketjw]

Re: Olivia's Post:

I agree with Olivia. I think the best way for people to really grasp an uncomfortable subject is to learn more about it. Reading is one way to do this. The articles that we read each present interesting viewpoints of several controversial topics, including racism. Reading the struggles of others helps to better understand their attitudes and backgrounds. I think this is especially important in our society. Racism and prejudices still exist to this day and it is important for literature like this to be written to help us all realize this. The only issue is that people are reading less and less, making literature less effective.  

[rogers26]

I like how you've chosen to combine the questions because I would agree that some of the most controversial topics in literature have made the biggest impacts. The historical context you provide for Ellison's "Party Down at the Square" also makes for a better understanding of what he was trying to achieve when writing the story. It is a sad truth to recognize that only 80 years ago people were conducting these awful acts, but another sad truth is that people have still yet to over come racial indifference. I grew up in Georgia and remember during my Junior year of high school a south Georgia high school had made the news because they were having their first integrated prom, and this was 2009. 

 

I would have to disagree that Ellison was fearful of publishing this story because of the controversy it could have created. His previous works like his novel Invisible Man address some fairly controversial and uncomfortable topics, and I think for Ellison he wanted his writings to create controversy so they would draw attention and possibly incite change. As for not publishing this story maybe he wrote I for his own cathartic purposes and used it as a release from himself never meaning for it to be published

 

I also like your idea that sometimes for literature to make an impact the audience has to want to be changed. If an audience is not susceptible to your writing or reads but never takes action what's its purpose?

On Wednesday, June 12, 2013 7:40:12 PM UTC-7, Amanda Sellers wrote:

[Mandy]

Jacqueline,

 

I can't agree more with your statement about humans being attracted to controversy.  It's sad but definitely true.  What better way is there for great authors to use this truth as leverage to reach people, teach people, and hopefully inspire change?

 

We also, as humans, are held hostage by things that are graphic.  I don't care if it it's good graphics, bad graphics or sex graphics; we get hooked on those kinds of things.  Writers know this; and therefore, they write controversial things with as many vivid details as possible, to get its audience to pay attention and really focus on what they are reading.  I know when I am reading something graphic, I slow down and make sure I don't miss a word!  The most recent example that comes to mind is the Fifty Shades Trilogy – one of the most bought trilogies in recent years, consisting of what I hear to be very graphic details that give rise to super vivid images.  While I haven’t had the fortune of reading these books just yet, they have been purchased and are collecting dust on my book shelf. J

 

But again, I think you are right about “A Party Down at the Square” and "A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon” being powerful pieces due to the gruesome details and the uncomfortable feelings that sprout when reading them.  Without the details, the reader may lose interest and then the author’s hopeful impact is lost, as well.

 

Something else that your post made me think of is how a reader from the other side of the spectrum would react to these two works.  Would they see their people’s ludicrous actions for what they are or would these works only anger them?  I imagine that it would cause a lot of anger but hopefully the people who connect emotionally to these readings outweighs those who don’t agree with what the authors are trying to convey.

[Jeremy Newport]

Caitlin's response asserts that both Ellison's and Brooks' works were meant as a means of protest. I definitely agree with this assertion as both poems are racially charged and speak of horrific occurrences during this time period. One great point I felt through reading the stories is the portrayal of race. You mention that Ellison narrates a story from a historical perspective in that it is a child's narration. What I felt was important with the child as narrator was to show the true nature of racism. While the boy expresses an emotional reaction to the event at the end of the story, it is not that he regrets the racial undertone to the attack but that he saw so many die. Every statement the boy makes regarding race is somewhat matter-of-factly and he uses the racist lingo of the time. I feel what these works really wanted to show was the effects of racism from multiple perspectives. Ellison showed how racism was taught to the young and many stereotypes were perpetuated from very old and inherent values white people held at the time. Brooks' poem shows the emotional toll that these attacks could take not just on attacked but on those involved in the attacking. One thing not really touched upon in these works was the amount of scorn you could receive if you simply treated others equally. The woman in Ellison's story is whistled at which causes the death of a young boy, not a death that she order but that was simply carried out in what I'm sure attackers believed to be a defending of her honor. All of these attacks were some of the greatest atrocities in American History and I think that these writers wanted to expose them.

[David A. Riley]

Mandy -

I like your analysis of "Bronzeville Mother," it is very well put together. The only counterpoint I would like to bring up is that your post seems to be operating on the assumption that Emmett Till did actually harass that woman in some way. I don't know that to be true. Your statement makes me think that you assumed he was guilty because he is male. Or, perhaps you think that he must have done something to deserve this treatment. Surely, these two men would not have just grabbed this kid off the street and beat him to death for no reason?  I would wager that this kid knew better than to do something like that, and that he was the scapegoat for someone else. 

Sorry, didn't mean for this to sound so ... attacking. You wrote a great post. And the point you made about authors being much more vivid in describing events than textbooks is spot on. I cannot think of any time I have read something in a history/social studies book and thought "oh, well, there isn't anything else to say about that." I always remember wanting to know more about how things where than the chronology of events. 

[Joseph Dowd]

There are many possible reasons that authors may choose to write about controversial topics. One reason could be that the act of writing and reflecting on an uncomfortable topic/event may serve as therapy for the author. In one of our first readings, "My Papa's Waltz", Roethke writes about the very uncomfortable topic of abuse from his father. Perhaps, Roethke realized it was better to write openly about the past rather than internalize these trying events throughout his upbringing.

Another reason I believe authors choose to write about controversial topics is to force the audience to think about them. It's easy to avoid controversial topics and difficult to face them. The old adage goes: out of sight, out of mind. But, by writing about controversy, these authors force their readers to address the controversy. In "The Witness", the main character, an African-American man named Charles, is victim to a kidnapping and he witnesses a rape. Instead of reporting the wrongdoers, however, he chooses to avoid the confrontation altogether and move away. Obviously this choice may perplex the reader and prove controversial but Petry forces us to see the world from Charles' perspective. This perspective shows us a world dominated by white men, one where it was several white boys' words against his and in the end Charles determined it was not worth it and it was better off for him to go elsewhere. It is easy to be frustrated with the decision but looking from his point of view, it is difficult to argue with it as well.

[Joseph Dowd]

gibertpm,

I agree with your thoughts on why authors choose to write about controversial topics and especially like your example from "A Party Down at the Square". Ellison depicted the lynching in gruesome detail, and demonstrated the lack of regard for African-Americans during that time. There were policemen not far from where they were burning the man that did not intervene and not one observer stood up for him. While researching for Response Paper #2 it occurred to me that many northerners were completely oblivious to the lynching occurring regularly in the south. Even some southerners turned a blind-eye to the lynchings and took at as just part of life. By writing vividly about a public lynching, Ellison forces readers from all over to think about the horror, the lack of regard for human life and by doing so he promotes change.

[Megan Sawtelle]

Betty,
I completely agree with what you said about how authors write about what they are passionate about to get it on paper and get people to start talking about it.  Especially if they are passionate about a controversial topic or an uncomfortable topic it is a great way to spark an interest about the topic in others too.  Like you said, a lot of people write when they are mad or upset about something so that they can get all of that bad energy out and it gives them a chance to go back and read about their own thoughts and feelings.

[Chris Little]

I agree the authors worte about controversial topics to impact the world. The idea of writing to affect social change is well established, and literature has a unique way of galvanizing support.

[Mandy]

David,

 

I guess I should have put harassed in quotation marks because I don't actually think he did anything wrong.  That's why I quoted victim and crime anytime I mentioned that she was harrassed.  This is how I feel the white people were viewing the situation.