In both of their respective texts, Marjorie Garber and Roger Baker discuss the ever-increasing prevalence of “transvestism” (or what is modernly known as “drag”) in popular American culture. Although the American public typically disapproves of individuals blurring the boundaries of gender, the use of cross-dressing as entertainment has generally been embraced and met with great acclaim. In Vested Interests: Cross-Dressing and Cultural Anxiety, Garber argues that films like Tootsie (1982) is significant in that it portrays a heterosexual man living as a woman. While many enjoyed the movie believing that Tootsie was commentary on the relationship between men and women, Garber claims that the film is actually about transvestism. To ignore this…
The main characters are brave and determined. Lewis is determined and refuses to give up. Clark is brave and is extremely optimistic. The Indians are wary, but most turn out to be friendly. Sacagawea is helpful.…
The placidity between the colonists and the Native Americans was declining. The colonists were on a rampage of encroachment into lands owned by Native Americans. This triggers a 3 year war between King Philip, a Wampanoag chief, (referred to as Metacom by the Native Americans) and the colonists. This war had a major impact on the author's life, if not the Native Americans life as well. During the war the English colonists run out of food. In order to obtain food they drive Algonkians out of their own country and accumulate all their provisions and supplies. This shows the inhumane treatment meted out to the Native Americans at that time. The Narrhagansets, a Native American tribe, who had formed allies with King Philip, were one such group who came under this tyranny of the colonists. Narrhagansets having run out of food, try to seek retribution by killing some of the colonists and holding some colonists captive as servants.…
Describe how these similarities and differences affect your life. How has your own cultural background contributed to the mix that is the dominant American culture? How did you learn your culture? Have you developed a new culture as an adult? If so, what influenced you to do so?…
The defined lines of what Christianity was amongst Africans and Europeans, and the roles each played in this new-found life, quickly took a turned into personal interpretation. In chapter four you quickly see how the institution that was presented to the enslaved to control them became a different truth…
In today’s society, the norm has become to contradict the norm. American culture focuses on the acceptance of the individual and acts of rebellion against the hierarchy. Yet when analyzing literature that takes place in another era, the audience cannot deny that there is a sense of conformity. People are never distinguished from being an outsider or insider, but instead they grow into a certain role. In the PBS documentary, “Minik: The Lost Eskimo”, explorer Robert Peary introduced the protagonist, Minik, to western culture which led to the American citizens to exclude him. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Europeans arrive to Africa and colonize several tribes including the one that belongs to Okonkwo, the protagonist. The tribe ends up excluding Okonkwo, although he was trying to enforce similar ideals. Additionally, there is Meursault, from…
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart exemplifies two sharply contrasting sides of the impact that religion can have on a society, being its ability to unify and segregate the people of a community. In the book’s first part, religion acts as the glue holding together the structure of Ibo society: it is the basis that helps to found the society’s rituals, moral code, and gender roles. Religion’s position as the leading authority in the tribe also helps to communicate a major theme in the book: the idea that society determines what is worthy of respect. Yet, in parts two and three of the book, the introduction of another religion, Christianity, to the tribe of Umuofia divides the Ibo people and creates immense controversy. Furthermore, even though there are major similarities in the religion of the Ibo and Christianity, the various more minor…
Most of the American history serves a great deal of pride, acknowledgement, and importance to its culture. Spreading democracy and liberty all over the world yet forgetting some part of the history full of abusement, racisms, and evil. The novel, Between The World And Me, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, who is know for expressing black culture by writing novels, talks about some of this history. In his novel, he confesses all the fears filled in black Americans’ body in a letter that he writes to his fifteen year old son. When I first learned about the history of African Americans, I was shocked and I wanted to know even more about their culture and their backgrounds since, my culture is different from theirs. I was also disguised because American history was so cruel. One of the reasons that I took this class was also to learn more about African American culture. Ta-Nehisi Coates is also African American which helps the novel show his personal feelings and opinions…
African Americans and Native Americans throughout history have suffered many unmentionable atrocities at the hands of the ‘whites’, whether from eviction of their ancestral lands to the evils of slavery. In Morrison’s Song of Solomon, the Dead family inherited their surname through the ignorance of a ‘white’ man and lost their patriarch at the hands of another ‘white’ man. In contrast to Morrison’s Song of Solomon, Silko’s The Ceremony, Tayo’s people have been forced to evolve due to the invasion of ‘whites’ on their ancestral lands and infiltration into their culture. Consequently, Morrison and Silko reveal through their protagonist that change occurs most conveniently when it has been beneficial to the ‘whites’.…
Thanks to globalization, people are expected to be associated with a variety of races. Along with these nationalities come cultures. The cultures around the world are so unique and each and every one of them is very different yet very alike all at the same time. There is a never-ending mound of questions that can be used to compare and contrast culture to culture, but the fact that there are so many connections in the midst, humanity should simply practice and preach multiculturalism and assimilation. Nevertheless, it can’t always be as straightforward and uncomplicated for some people. In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Poisonwood Bible, she introduces the Price family and its most important member, Nathan Price. Giving up their house in sunny Georgia, the Prices embark their new lives in the Belgian Congo as Christian missionaries. It was only until it was too late for the Price family, especially Nathan, to realize how many damaging effects could be done by ignorantly imposing one’s culture in another cultural location instead of accepting the differences.…
The phenomenal history our world has encountered in the past decades has brought such diversity in not only Americans but all over the world. The separation and isolation brought upon by the arrogance of the nation into culture has become such a tragic fate in years as early as the 1700’s to the present. In the novel “The Old Gringo” Carlos Fuentes develops a very dynamic controversial relationship between the very rich and miserable poor “When I grew up in the south, I was taught that segregation was the will of God, and the Bible was quoted to prove it. I was taught that women were by nature in inferior to men, and the Bible was quoted to prove it. I was taught that it was okay to hate other religions, and especially the Jews, and the Bible was quoted to prove it.” – John Shelby Spong. Spong refers to his own opinionated perspective on the way segregation was brought upon to himself. As stated in this quotation these are a few of the beliefs to many of the wealthy individuals. Many other civilians including the poor or what people use to refer them to as “colored” would have and were very blunt to the fact that they did not agree whatsoever to what they have done and what their beliefs were.…
Throughout American history, African Americans fought to establish their own culture. Even though they were silenced by white laws and stereotypes, African Americans created their own distinct culture, to a certain extent from 1800 to 1860. By mixing their African American traditions and Christian ideas, they formed a religion, their own version of Christianity. African American rebellions, though small and infrequent, were used to express their beliefs on slavery and add to their distinct culture. And, with the constant fear of being split up by being sold, African American families managed to form within plantations through marriages and children. Despite being limited by slavery, African Americans still managed to form a unique culture through their religion, fight for freedom, and family.…
“In the blink of an eye everything can change.” These words perfectly describe the short story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. In this short story, Mrs.Mallard’s world is turned upside down when she finds out that her husband has died. Within that hour Mrs.Mallard’s life continues to drastically change as she comes to realize that she is free to live her life how she wants. Mrs.Mallard only grieves the loss of her husband for a little while then she can’t help but say over and over that she is free. Although Mrs.Mallard was going to be sad at Mr.Mallard’s funeral she was looking forward to the coming years where her years would belong to only her. Despite the fact that Mrs.Mallard quickly got over her husband’s death her life changed…
The topic for discussion is the impact religion had between the African Americans and the Europeans that had migrated to Colonial America. This topic being very vast I will be focusing on specifically the Christian group the Puritans and the African American religion of Christianity. The argument that could be made is that even though both groups shared beliefs of the Christianity faith the Puritans lead a contradictory life style. The Puritans believed in being a Godly people extended a gospel message not only to friends and family but also to all of the community. It could be said that participating in the acts of slavery was not providing a positive example to all involved. Also, the way that the Puritans would treat each other one could…
Time is precious. It is invaluable. It is one of the powerful factors. Our life is measured in terms of time. We grow in time, live in time and perish in time. Time is fleeting. It is changing. It never stops. Neither does it wait for anyone.…