James McBride was born in 1957 to an African-American father and a Polish Jewish immigrant mother. McBride's biological father, Andrew Dennis McBride, died of lung cancer while his mother, Ruth McBride, was pregnant with James. Therefore James regarded his stepfather, Hunter Jordan, as "Daddy." James's mother eventually had twelve children, eight from her first marriage and four from her second. James grew up in New York City and Delaware.…
In the front part of the essay “ Just walk on by”, Brent tells a few little stories which are talking about how bad racism is hurting him. He is hurting for racism as a child, as an adult, as a student and as a journalist. People are giving a mark of bad people on him. However, in the last paragraph, he “whistles melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi....” (qtd. in Brent) and “Even steely New Yorkers hunching toward nighttimes destinations seem to relax, and occasionally they even join in the tune” (qtd. in Brent). He chooses the right way to make people think that he is a good person in side. He is not a threat. When most people are facing challenges…
At the beginning of the book it starts to talk about Ruth, James McBride's, mother. We learn of the life Ruth had and who her family was. Learning that Ruth was Jewish and the her family consisted of two siblings and her parents. The father was Fishel Shilsky and the mother was Hudis Shilsky. These two got an arranged marriage in order to get/stay in the U.S. Fishel, or Tateh (meaning father), was a mean and crude father and never really liked his children. Hudis, or Mameh (meaning mother), was kind of mild and loved her children, but also suffered from polio. Tateh used to be a rabbi, but then moved to the colored part of town and started a business. Mameh never really loved him, but she could not leave him because she could not provide for the…
Have you ever been in the position where you had to choose if you wanted to do the right or wrong thing? Would you describe yourself as a virtuous person? Well, the short story called “The Man In The Water” involves a character with moral features, as the author Roger Rosenblatt uses the literary elements of character and conflict to express morality. Morality means principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good or bad behavior. This story shows that you have to act with courage no matter what. “The Man in the Water” had the compassion to place others before him. This story also reminds us that humans don’t have the real power to overthrow a force as big as a nature.…
Although “Education of Frank McCourt” also features Frank McCourt as the main character, this Frank McCourt is much older; being a middle- aged man. As an English teacher in the United States, Frank struggles to tell his students about his poverty and lack of education during his childhood in fear that they will think badly of him. Teaching his students, he helps them to find their writing voices by recording them speak and writing it down. He gave them encouragement with phrases like, “Dig deeper. Dance your own dance.” Later in his retirement, he finds that he needs to take his own advice when it comes to him writing his own book. All he had needed to do was pick up the pen.…
According to the article by David Foster Wallace, “In His Own Words” the “most obvious important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about.” Wallace argues that a liberal arts education gives you human value instead of just materialistic reward; therefore it not only fills you up with knowledge but “teaches you how to think”. Not the actual capacity to think, but your ability to make choices of what to think about.…
In The Color of Water by James McBride, we are taught through the eyes of a black man and his white mother that color shouldn’t matter. Although Ruth McBride Jordan had grown up as a Jew and had a father who disliked Jews very much, she was never prejudice against them and learned that she fit into the black world better than the white world. When she married a black man, she accepted Christ into her life and told her children, “God is the color of water.” She taught her kids that color didn’t matter, because God loves all races.…
You bring up a good point; one of the strongest themes of The Drew Breaker is shame. The father was so ashamed of his past that instead of omitting it from his stories; he made up a new one. In the Water Child, Nadine is definitely depressed. The shame that she carries from her abortion has caused her to isolate herself from those around her.…
There's many factors that leads to one's survival. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is a creative non-fiction story about the life of one of the Lost Boys from South Sudan during the Second Sudanese Civil War; whose name is Salva. His journey wasn't the easiest in fact he was at risk for dying at any given second. There were multiple factors contributing to his survival, his uncle, determination, and physical resources. Salva's uncle was one of the main factors. He gave Salva the will to go on so he doesn't lose sight of what's important. Traveling across the hot dense desert isn't easy. Given the circumstances survival wasn't likely. But Salva proved that with willpower the toughest challenges can be overcome. While entrenched in the ongoing war, Salva needed physical resources to survive this includes people and necessities such as food and water. Although Salva's journey wasn't easy the reward was worth the effort. So factors such as his uncle, will power, and the obvious physical resources pushed Salva to become a successful person.…
I am reading the book “True Notebooks” by Mark Salzman. It is about a teacher who teaches a writing class in a juvenile detention center. The student wrote about their life and some of the things they wrote were interesting and deep. For example one of the students wrote about hate and how it been through his life “hate taught me how to speak, hate taught me how to love, and eventually hate taught me how to hate. This kid also said that his partner was the person who changed his life because he taught him how to speak, love, and hate.…
For my entire life of schooling, both my parents and I would agree that I constantly complained about the educational systems in which I was enrolled. But when I actually take the time to think about everything I have been through, I realize that I have indeed had an excellent education. My schooling was full of opportunities and experiences, all of which contributed to the person I am today; adequate education has been an indispensable facet of my being. Sadly, not everyone has had this same privilege. And now as a college student, I am becoming even more aware of this sad fact. Looking around me in such a diverse city as Chicago, I find myself being more and more grateful. When I read Jonathan Kozol's Fremont High School, this these feelings were even more reassured.…
Freedom Writers is a movie that tells the story of how a teacher, Erin Gruwell influences the education and lives of a group of students at a very diverse high school. As a novice to the classroom Mrs. Gruwell struggles to discover how to help impact her class deemed as misfits, and students who are incapable of learning. In beginning to understand the life stories and environments of the students she is able to connect with them as an educator, and meet the students where they are. Furthermore she gears their learning towards the person in the environment and sees their potential beyond the classroom. Intertwining the characters of the movie are the concepts of grief and loss. In order to gain a clinical perspective on how the students in Mrs. Gruwell’s class move towards success, one must understand their journey towards a level of restitution. Grief and loss as a concept of this non fictional story is best understood through: a definitive knowledge of grief and loss, the losses experienced by the characters, and the interventions that are applicable to persons experiencing loss.…
world of the untamed wilderness. The authors meaning was to express the story of his hike and educate the reader with historical facts and his observations along the Appalachian trail. Bryson's overall achievement is positive as he challenges himself and embraces nature. As tough as this journey was Bryson couldn't go alone so along with him accompanied his childhood buddy Stephen Katz.…
Jesse Stuart’s autobiography, “The Thread That Runs So True” helps both students and teachers perceive the concept of teaching and how it affects one's life. The author faces many challenging situations while educating his students and sacrifices all he can for the love of his career. He fights and strives to make situations fair for his community. He continues instructing and inspiring other teachers to withhold through the multiple hardships they all have to undergo. Stuart brings many diverse ideas to his way of teaching, attempting to work with his students instead of working against them. Throughout the book, Jesse Stuart often shows his deep affection for his students and their education.…
Sundara’s life may be seen as a river or a road. At some points in the book children of the river it seems as if Sundara’s life is forced along like a river. But at other times it seems like she can chose where to turn like a road. Her aunt and uncle pick who she marries and who she talks to. But Sundara also goes against what they say often.…