This autobiography described in detail the struggles that African Americans had to go through from their point of view. Throughout our school years, we have learned about slavery and the civil rights movement and how unfairly blacks were treated compared to whites. Considering this story was in first person, it really gave me a new point of view on how poorly these men and women were treated during this time. I noticed a difference between this story and what I have learned just through textbooks and teachers, which is why I particularly liked this autobiography.
A theme that I noticed throughout this autobiography was how dominant the white men were compared to the black men and women. The fact that Richard had to suffer through getting beaten by his white coworkers just because of a lie that Morrie had brought upon Pease just breaks my heart. I have always known that white men felt superior over black men and women, but I never got to see what it was like from a black man's perspective. In Richard's eyes it was as if he did one thing that the higher power did not like, he was to be beaten or in other's case, killed. One part of the autobiography really caught my attention. When the woman was beaten for not paying her bills, Richard seemed appalled, but the part that had me locked in was when one of Richard's fellow porter said "Huh. Is tha' all they did t' her?" This is the moment that I felt fear through Richard's eyes.
Another theme I visualized throughout this story was boundaries. I first saw it in the beginning when Richard describes how the tracks separated the blacks from the whites. "Nothing green ever grew in that yard. The only touch of green we could see was far away, beyond the tracks, over where the white folks lived," I pictured one city but two halves of it. One where it was all dirt, pillars and black families, and another that had green grass, large houses, and white families. The tracks were only crossed one way, for the blacks to enter the white land only to be slaved over a stove or working in 100 degree heat in a white mans yard or factory. Whether Richard was on his half of the land or on the other side, he still felt small compared to the whites. From Richard telling his story, this is how I pictured their terrible experience as.
Danielle, I particularly liked the point in your post where you stated, "I noticed a difference between this story and what I have learned just through textbooks and teachers..." This is similar to what I took away from this first hand experience. In school it seems like the teachers just give us the facts, where this story allowed us to experience discrimination in a whole new light. The insight into the perspective of a black man allowed me to see just how small of a chance a black man had against a white man during the era of Jim Crow laws.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you brought up the point about boundaries. This aspect of the autobiography didn't come to my mind until you mentioned it. Your comment stating "I pictured one city but two halves of it" was spot on; I couldn't have said it better myself.
ReplyDeleteNice job on this, Danielle- you raise some good points. I like your observation that it being in first person making it more effective. Good job, also, bringing in quotes from the essay to support your points. Keep up the strong work!
ReplyDeleteDanielle-- I also really liked where you pointed out that being given a first-person perspective was very powerful because it gives far more depth and realness to the situations that are hard to comprehend completely when reading in a textbook.
ReplyDeleteIt was very shocking and unsettling to see how much systematic control white man had over black men. It seemed hopeless for black people to fight back when all white people are in charge and you risk getting possibly killed. I also agree with how visual the essay made the divisions between black and white communities; it almost seemed as if they were different towns entirely.