Was Bigger Born to Do the Right Thing?

Hello, and welcome!

Do The Right Thing and "How Bigger Was Born" have the theme identity in common, but the outcome of how that theme played out was different in both sources. When Richard Wright talked about characters like Bigger who he saw every day, he discovered "Bigger Thomas was not black all the time; he was white, too" (441). Bigger was a symbol of all the people who want to live life to its fullest, so Wright was saying that whites and blacks may not identity themselves with each other, but they both want the same things, and there are Bigger Thomases within both races, making them much more similar than they thought. Similar to Wright's thinking about Bigger, Spike Lee set up several groups of races who identified themselves with their race specifically. There were Italians, Mexicans, African Americans, Aisains etc. and each group wanted to have power and money. The characters had complex relationships with each other, and had similar goals just like how blacks and whites can identify with their own race, yet both want to live life to its fullest. The fate of most of the "Bigger Thomases" that Wright talked about was a violent death because they stood up to society for what they believed in. The fate in Do The Right Thing for each person of each race was different. The store of the Itialians got wrecked, an African American man died, an Aisian had to guard his store, but it was race vs. race, not person vs. society like in Richard Wright's case.

At the end of the movie I was a bit shaken up. Someone died, a store was demolished, relationships were torn, all in a very short period of time. I had to play back what happened several times to make what happened in the movie more clear. The whole situation was like something that happens in real life since there was no time for me to analyze the situation and think about better decisions during the movie since things were happening so fast, just like real life. After having time to reflect on the movie, I believe everyone had adequate reasons to do what they did, but I do not think they all did the right thing. For example, Buggin' Out had a good reason to want black people on the Sal's wall, Radio Raheem had a good reason to play his music, Sal had a good reason to smash Raheem's radio, the police had a good reason to defend Sal, Mookie had a good reason to throw the garbage can in the window, and the mob had a good reason to demolish the store. However, most of the reasons formed because of misunderstanding the entire situation, and external factors distracting people from good decision-making. For example, when Sal smashed the radio, he just got finished with a long day of work, fighting with his sons, and was just about ready to go home. The last thing Sal wanted to do was so I think the only act that was well understood was Mookie, saving Sal by throwing the garbage can into Sal's window. Mookie understood the entire situation, and knew that Sal and his sons were in big trouble if no one shifted the attention off of them. Mookie took it upon himself to save his co-workers, even if they would never understand what his true intentions were. Mookie acted humanely, for the greater good, really showing what it means to do the right thing.

Two Societies, Chicago Plan

Many southern blacks moved to the north, Chicago in particular, for more opportunities. However, most soon realized there was almost as little freedom in the north as in the south. Blacks had to pay more for cars and houses, and had less chance for employment. Baldwin and Beven wrote and warned about the situation in Chicago. They wanted to mimick what the SCLC did in Birmingham, and exploit the inequality to stop segregation in simple ways, like having sit-ins at lunch counters. 

Here is the question:

How did the Chicago Plan define a “slum”? How did slums embody the problems in Chicago and

other Northern cities?

The Chicago Plan defined a "slum" as a place where "people do not receive comparable care and services for the amount of rent paid on a dwelling." This shows the unfairness in these parts of the country. The slums embodied problems in Chicago and other Northern cities because it showed the inequalities, and clearly showed what had to be changed in these cities. These problems were all over the country, so if they could be solved in Chicago, they could also be solved in other parts of the country.

Beloved, Memories

Hey bloggers, here's another article about memory...remember?
Through chapter nine the novel Beloved highlights the dangers of the past. Each character is affected by their past and each ones past and memories are impacting their future. In this blog we will explore Sethe and issues she has with the past. Up until this point Sethe had been avoiding the past by keeping her mind away from her memories. By the time Paul D. and Beloved came her house she could avoid it no longer and she began to tell about certain memories. She remembered Baby Suggs' sermon and wanted to be back there. As she walked to the spot the sermon was held, she started to remember things about Baby Suggs that she had kept bottled up inside her. For example, "Sethe blamed herself for Baby Suggs' collapse." Remembering the past brought guilt upon Sethe. Normally she tried to avoid the past to avoid the guilt, but in order to come to terms with herself, she had to remember the guilt. Along the way "The old path was a track now..." This is a symbol showing that sometimes things in the past grow stronger than they were as they age. If memories are avoided, they can too become stronger as time goes on. Finally, Sethe decides to remember Halle and imagines his "unmistakably caressing fingers" which later turn into Baby Suggs' fingers moving "harder...around...her windpipe" joking Sethe. Although Denver beleived Beloved choked Sethe, memories lead to imagination which can seem a bit too real. Once imagination gets out of hand, a person can mentally go insane. So what does all this say about memory? To avoid it? To embrace it? Sethe was trying to avoid it for so many years that it was too much to handle to embrace it all at once. The novel shows that we along with Sethe need to gradually remember things and slowly become one with our past self and current self so we can move on to have a strong future self.   

Thanks for reading, leave comments!

Emerson's Thoughts About Society

Hey guys, here are some thoughts about a thinker:

According to Emerson a person should define his/her place in society by being true to themselves. One should contribute to their society, and the biggest contribution one can give is his own thoughts about topics that concern him. Emerson states, "Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reenforce yourself." (23) It will make one feel better, and have an honerable place in society if they are true to their own ideas. When we are alone and isolated, we are not afraid to say what we feel. However, our voices "grow faint and inaudible as we enter the world." (21) Emerson is saying that when our ideas are judged by the world or the society around us, they go away and we don't speak them. We conform to the people's views around us so that we are not judged by our real views. Ironically, the people around us conform so we don't judge them. This makes a whole population stop speaking their ideas and feelings because they are afraid to be judged by their society. It is dangerous for an entire society to stop speaking of what they feel in order to please others because then one can make the society any better than it already is.

Thanks, and as always, let me know what you think!

9/11 Feelings: Church Quran Burning

Hey guys, get ready for post about a controversial issue!
Religion is a powerful force around the world and sometimes it leads to violence. After the 9/11 attacks, peoples' emotions were stirring. I remember my teachers, not being able to teach because their feelings were taking over. I was not able to go out to recess but was not exactly sure why. An article quickly summarizes what a pastor in Florida wants to do:
"As thousands of Afghans protested a tiny Florida church's plan to burn the Quran, the church's pastor said he wouldn't follow through with the burning if he were able to meet tomorrow with the organizers behind a mosque planned near ground zero in New York."

Burning the most religious book of a people is extremely offensive. Hate breeds hate, and if the Pastor burns the book to get back at the Muslim population, it will cause even more hate against the U.S. in other countries.

The American Constitution says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." This means that  the Pastor has the right to burn the Quran because it is his freedom of religion. Muslims also have the right to build a mosque because that is their right of religion. These are two very conflicting viewpoints, the only difference is the mosque will not be built to get back or threaten anyone.

In my opinion, the Muslims should be allowed to build their mosque because it is their freedom to do so. To burn the Quran will stir up emotion, and cuts into the freedoms that Muslims have whom praise the book.
Just like how 9/11 caused fear and hatred for the American public, the burning of the Quran will cause fear and hatred in the Muslim people and will ultimately end in more distrust, more hate, and ultimately, more war.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed it.

American Crisis: Fear Not

Dear fellow bloggers,
Thomas Paine has interesting viewpoints pertaining to what the American people should during the Civil War. He beleives that America's only chance at Independence is by working together. In one section of his writing he says "I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state; up and help us" (52). America is only powerful as a whole, if certain colonies decide not to go all in then America won't have a chance to become independent. I agree with Paine's main points, but when he says "I see no real cause for fear" (53), I have to disagree. Having a great world power against your country causes fear, it is dangerous but I know that he is only saying it to rally groups of people to come together. His message is to act now and be confident because " by cowardice and submission, the sad choice of a...ravaged country..." (54). By saying the word "choice" really makes it seem like I have an option and choosing the wrong one could result in tragic changes. Paine's writing says its every man's duty to fight, and everyone can "rejoice alike" (52) which is hard for me to agree with. One reason is because the African Americans will not rejoice if they fight a war that they don't beleive in. Overall this was a persuasive article (similar to his first one pg 45-50 AM) with much leadership, and helps to change my viewpoints on the war.

Thanks for reading!