High School and Black Table

THE “BLACK TABLE” IS STILL THERE

COMPREHENSION
1.What exactly is the “black table”?
A: the black table is a table where black males and females reunite to talk during lunch.
2. In paragraph 1, graham says that on a recent visit to his old junior high school he “came upon something that he never expected to see again.” Why do you think the sight of the all-black lunch table was such a surprise to him?
A: because he wasn’t expecting such a thing again and that color shouldn’t play a role in what or who you hang with still.
3. In Graham’s junior high school, what factors determined where students sat?
A: color of the skin
4. why didn’t Graham sit at the “Black table” when he was in junior high?
A: the reason why he didn’t sit at the black table was because he was afraid that by sitting at the black table he’ll lose all his white friends.
5. when he was a junior high school student, whom did Graham blame for the existence of the exclusively black lunch table? Whom or what does he now see as the cause of the table’s existence?
A:

PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE

1. What is Graham’s thesis?
A: Grahams thesis was that the students did not separate themselves by race, they didnt it according to their interest. he mentions that their was a pot and metal table. On this table their could be all type of races smoking pot not just white and black. It helping communication among the student much easier. basically he is saying that dont students dont separate themselves by race instead by common interest.

2. Rather than introducing outside supporting information- such as statistic, interviews with education, or sociological studies – Graham relies on his own opinions and on anecdotal evidence to support his thesis. Do you think this is enough? Explain your reasoning.
A: as i read and understand, yes he does have enough info to support his thesis. I say this because he was in the the middle of the whole black table, white table, jewish table thing. He sat with the black at the black table and experienced it first hand on how it felt to him and everyone around him. Especially when he came back to find it there is also enough to support his thesis because wen he came back of course he see's the black table still standing. And all the blacks sitting there.
3. Why does Graham give background information about himself in this essay- for example, in paragraphs 2 and 12? How does this information affect your reaction to him as a person? Your reaction to his essay? Do you think he needs to supply additional information about himself or about his junior high school? If so, what kind of information would be helpful?
A: ill say itll be interesting to find out this info about his life because almost his whole life, it seems, he dealt with racial action like described in paragraph 12 when he went to the country club pool. the whites would pull there kids away from him just because of his skin color. At the time he was probably surprised or angry, but its these kind of actions that helped him become the indivual he is now. Because of his endevour in the past it makes me think that hes a strong willed person and intellegent as well. Hes been through enough to know what he is talking about.
4. Do you think Graham’s primary purpose here is to criticize a system he despises, to change his audience’s views about segregated lunch tables, or to justify his own behaviors? Explain your conclusion.
A: Graham’s purpose for this essay is to open the eyes of the readers, to not be ashamed of your race/color, ethnicity, raise, or whatever it is; be yourself . Be proud of whom you are and no matter what society does, the influence you should take is your own perspective.
5. In paragraph 5, Graham tells readers that he usually entered the cafeteria with a white friend; in paragraph 12, he reveals that his best friend was white. Why do you suppose he wants his audience to know these facts.
A: He stated the fact that his best friend was white letting us know that it doesn’t matter about the color of the person, everyone needs to be treated equally.

STYLE AND STRUCTURE
1. Throughout his essay, Graham asks rhetorical question. Identify as many of these questions as you can. Are they necessary? Provocative? Distracting? Explain.
A: yes most of his rhetorical questions he asked are necessary ill say. Why does it has to be a black table at a public school? Shouldn’t be like that at a junior high schoo.
2. in paragraph 16, Graham quotes his long-ago classmates. What do these quotations reveal? Should he have included more of them?
A: I think it reveals as a black person. Yes I think he should of have added more of them to give the readers a better clue of what he is trying to let us know.
3. Is Graham’s focus on finding causes, describing effects, or both? Explain.
A: graham’s focus is on finding causes and effects because the theres so many reason why he didn’t want to sit athe black table due to the fact that they’ll look at him different. He also couldn’t get away with the fact that he didn’t sit at the black table with the rest and was being called “ white boy” which he was being hurled at from the black table, he also had to dodge impatient from white classmates.
4. This essay uses first-person pronouns and contractions. Do you think Graham would have more credibility if he used a less personal and more formal style?
A: no i think the fact that it was more of a first-person pronouns really gave us a picture of what he was trying to tell us. It made it more official and clear to understand his point.