All posts by j.chou

Peer Response Post

The Escape Into Another World

I agree with the many statements Jessica made in her post responding to J.K. Rowling’s novel. Harry Potter and the Prisoners of Azkaban provides thorough details that allow the readers to imagine and delve deeper into the fictional story. I believe this is what makes a novel successful. If an author is able to bring the readers on a mental adventure to explore the depths of an imaginary world, I would, and can, confidently conclude that the author has been successful in engaging its readers.

Just like our essays, the opening hook in our introductions are essential to the engagement level of our readers. Details are what keeps the readers engaged in novels and allows them to feel like an audience and possibly even a participant of the story. The game of Quidditch, for example, as Jessica mentioned in her post, is described vividly with the words of “zoom[ing]” and “soar[ing]” as Harry flies on his Firebolt in search and chase of the Quidditch (Rowling 309). The readers are similarly informed of the speed at which Harry flies with the sentence, “Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears…” (Rowling 310). Rowling’s many detailed descriptions provide the readers a visual image of the game and situation, stimulating their curiosity of the game and their longing to play too, all of which adds to their engagement into the novel.

Peer Response Post

The “Justice” of The Legal System

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I agreed with Angela’s claim in her post that the two instances of justice in both Earnest J. Gaines’ and J. K. Rowling’s novels were examples of how “the legal system is controlled by the superior.” In Gaines’ novel  A Lesson Before Dying, the whites dominated the legal system as both the judge and the jury were entirely composed of white men. Grant questioned the justice of the legal system by pondering upon the justice of Jefferson’s conviction when “[t]welve white men say a black man must die, and another white man sets the date and time without consulting one black person” (Gaines 157). Clearly, it is difficult to accept the justice of the legal system for the conviction of a black man by a court occupied completely by the opposite race.

In Rowling’s novel Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, injustice was evident when Sirius Black was wrongly accused for the betrayal of Harry’s parents and the death of multiple innocent lives. Here, I further agreed with Angela when she stated that The Minister of Magic solely wanted to kill Black to prove the department’s capability in capturing and punishing a loose criminal. Black’s escape, indeed, tainted the professionalism and reputation of The Minister of Magic and, similar to what Angela also claimed in her post, to restore the department’s competency, “Black must be convicted whether he is innocent or [guilty].”

Introduction Exercise #2

Introduction Exercise #2

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In modern terms, education is the primary obligation children are held accountable of fulfilling. Previously in history; however, education served as something only the privileged whites acquired. For colored men, it was the golden ticket towards freedom and a form of withdrawal from the injustices of race and discrimination. Not only was physical freedom possible then, but education just as well enlightened and led an individual towards mental liberty. In Immanuel Kant’s “An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” Kant claims that for enlightenment, “…nothing is required but freedom, and… [the] freedom to make public use of one’s reason in all matters.” The character of Grant from Earnest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, exemplifies Kant’s claim that once a man is physically free, the individual also unlocks free mentality and, therefore, is enlightened which allows him to reason and question the injustices of society. With physical and mental freedom both acquired through education, one should use it as the initiative to gather the courage to embrace and forgive the cruelties of fate in order to view the world in brighter colors.

Thesis Exercise #2

Thesis Statement #2

Education once served as the golden ticket towards physical freedom but it just as well enlightens and leads an individual towards mental liberty. In Immanuel Kant’s “An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” Kant claims that for enlightenment, “…nothing is required but freedom, and… [the] freedom to make public use of one’s reason in all matters.” The character of Grant from Earnest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, is repeatedly demonstrated throughout the novel to be freer than his equals as he is not restricted to the fields where other colored men work because he has received the higher education that the others didn’t have the opportunity of. Furthermore, he is enlightened through the education he received to reason the injustice of society that binds him from leaving and abandoning the place where he doesn’t feel like he’s living to somewhere where he can “have a choice of things to do” (Gaines 29). Through physical and mental freedom both acquired through education, one should use it as the initiative to gather the courage to embrace and forgive the cruelties of fate in order to view the world in brighter colors.

Free post

The Path Towards, But Not To, Freedom

Within Earnest J. Gaines’ novel A Lesson Before Dying, education was emphasized to be a source of hope and possibility to make a difference for the colored race. Grant, a teacher who has obtained a higher education, demonstrates an alternate tier in which he stands when compared with his equals. Upon leaving for the university, his aunt assured him that it was unnecessary for him to come through the back door of Henri Pichot’s house where the family served for the whites anymore (Gaines 18). Through these words, Grant’s aunt is portraying the notion that with an education, Grant will no longer be the same as those who stay back in the fields and can finally move on from the restrictions of a colored man. Education has granted him the ticket towards the freedom many others didn’t have the access to and the opportunities of. As Grant explains it, he was “too educated for [his white master] Henri Pichot” and so “he [Pichot] had no use for [him] at all anymore (Gaines 21). But even so, education is only a path towards, but not to, freedom and as described in the novel, “…it’ll take more than five and a half months to wipe away—peel—scrape away the blanket of ignorance that has been plastered and replastered over those brains in the past three hundred years…” because skin tone is binding and it will always serve as the root to discrimination and inferiority for colored men (Gaines 64).

In an alternate scenario, Emma’s somewhat indirect but similarly direct persistence to have Grant help her greatly exceeds just giving Jefferson back his innocence and is instead, an offensive move to defend their race. Emma states that she is not “begging for his life no more” but all she wants is for Jefferson to die a man (Gaines 22). This makes it clear that she is certain that no matter what evidence or truth arises, Jefferson is guilty regardless and nothing would reverse the predetermined verdict. The emphasis Emma tries to make that Jefferson is not a hog is essential to how colored men would be treated after Jefferson’s execution. It is apparent that she is trying to take the initial step to stand up for justice and the race of her people. If she successfully proves that Jefferson is not a hog but instead a man, colored men will essentially be treated more or less differently than before because they’ve made it clear that they are no longer going to remain submissive to the white race and is daring to speak up and have a stand in their position. Just like many other causes and movements, it always takes one courageous change to make a universal difference, and in this novel, Jefferson’s transformation from a hog to a man, is that ultimate turning point to a new chapter in the history of race.

Through the lens post

Self-Actualization through Time Efficiency

In the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, “industry” was listed as one of the thirteen essential virtues Benjamin Franklin organized to arrive at moral perfection. He emphasized that this virtue was to “[l]ose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; [and to] cut off all unnecessary actions” (Franklin 9). Through this lens of Benjamin Franklin’s, it is evident that Malcolm X mastered this virtue of “industry”.

At first when Malcolm picked up a book to read in the Norfolk Prison colony, motivation was required to induce himself to forge “book-reading motions” (Malcolm X). Continuing such an act wasn’t going to help Malcolm resolve his dilemma of skipping words he didn’t recognize and understand, causing him to have “little idea of what the book” was about (Malcolm X). As a result, Malcolm shifted his focus to first building his vocabulary by reading the dictionary. This instance demonstrates Malcolm’s efficient use of his time while he was in prison.

Soon after, Malcolm began copying the dictionary and was eventually successful in his self-education as his “word-base broadened” (Malcolm X). Now able to read and actually understand the content, Malcolm had the opportunity to view the world at an alternate perspective through the books he read. He took advantage of his newly acquired capability and read “until three or four every morning” during his time in prison (Malcolm X). As Malcolm stated himself, “You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I’m not studying…” emphasizing his mastery in Benjamin Franklin’s “industry” virtue as he makes the most out of his time to strive for a worthy and worthwhile goal: to help the black man (Malcolm X).

Close Reading Post

Beatings of Enlightenment or Punishment

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In Jean Jacques Rousseau’s treatise on education, he emphasizes that “cruel education… burdens a child with all sorts of restrictions and begins by making him miserable…” (Rousseau 4). Therefore, Rousseau concludes that one should be “kind” to their pupil and not “rob these innocent…joys” during early childhood as they are only temporary and never long-lasting (Rousseau 5).

Jose’s description of his experience with school and education in Joseph Zobel’s novel Black Shack Alley challenges Rousseau’s ideas on education. Beatings of punishment are often described in the novel such as when the mistress would always find an excuse to “scold or punish [Raphael]…with a bamboo cane on his legs, or a ruler in the palm of his hand” (Zobel 65). Even the brave Raphael “couldn’t help writhing hideously and bursting into tears” (Zobel 65). Another scenario where beatings were described was when Mam’zelle Fanny questioned her class regarding their previous lesson and most, if not all, were whipped for not knowing the answer Zobel 94. As Jose narrates, he explains that those with poorer memories, like Jojo, “would sometimes [even] leave with their legs bleeding” (Rousseau 94). Although these beatings may have served as a factor and initiative to get the students to study and behave, this strategy of motivation is often subject to backfire. These beatings of enlightenment, when failed, only become the more obvious: beatings of punishment. Not only does it not work, but it works against the teachers and discourages the students to learn. Overall, it is a lose-lose situation and no one benefits.

Through the lens post

Happiness Embedded Within One’s Flaws

In the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin lists a total of thirteen virtues, which he orders accordingly in regard to acquisition, to arrive at moral perfection. Although he doesn’t succeed in perfecting all of the thirteen virtues he organizes, he states that he was “content…with a faulty character” and that “a benevolent man should allow a few faults in himself, to keep his friends in countenance” (Franklin 9). It is without a doubt that every man may be determined to be flawless but as easy as it is said than done, “a perfect character might [also] be attended with the inconvenience of being envied and hated” (Franklin 9). Striving to improve oneself morally is a bold act, but perfection doesn’t always lead to happiness and satisfaction. Sometimes, happiness is embedded within one’s flaws.

Through this lens of Benjamin Franklin’s, it is evident that Tom Sawyer from Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, greatly supports his belief that one can be happy even without moral perfection. Certainly, Tom never explicitly strives to acquire moral perfection but even so, he is a great example of one who, lacking and featuring some virtues of Benjamin Franklin’s, still maintains a happy and joyous life.

In chapter four of Twain’s novel, Tom refuses to bathe in preparation for Sunday-school which outright challenges the “Cleanliness” virtue of Franklin’s to “[t]olerate no uncleanliness in body, clo[the]s, or habitation.” He first tries to fool his cousin, Mary, that he washed up when truthfully, he only dipped the soap in the water to make it seem like he used it (Twain 4). After getting caught, Tom tried again but was caught once more by Mary as “the clean territory stopped short at his chin and his jaws, like a mask; below and beyond this line there was a dark expanse of unirrigated soil that spread downward in front and backward around his neck” (Twain 4). From this, it is evident that Tom finds his uncleanliness natural and a part of who he is.

On the other hand, Tom supports the “Industry” virtue of Franklin’s to “[l]ose no time; be always employ’d in something useful…” (Franklin 9). Before entering the church for Sunday-school, Tom exchanged a piece of “lickrish,” a fishhook, a small trifle, and other things he had in possession for tickets required to exchange for a “very plainly bound Bible” (Twain 4). Clearly, it wasn’t the prize that Tom sought after, but instead the glory, honor, pride, as well as the envy of everyone else upon receiving it (Twain 4). When Tom, indeed, exchanged the tickets for a Bible, the envy of others as they realized that they were “the dupes of a wily fraud” emphasized that Tom’s effort to collect the tickets for a prize he barely wanted proved useful during Judge Thatcher’s visit and he didn’t lose time at all as he completed all exchanges before entering the church that Sunday (Twain 4).

Peer Response Post

Education: The Threat to Slaveholders’ Supremacy and Authority

I agree with Jessica’s statement in her post that Frederick Douglass didn’t let his status as a slave hinder his desire of acquiring an education but instead, “made use of his surroundings to obtain knowledge, and therefore education.” With the advantage of having learned the alphabet from Mrs. Auld before she learned the “duties of a slaveholder” and her “tender heart became stone” under the influence of slavery (Douglass 7), Douglass continued striving toward his goal to learn how to read and write by making the most out of living in the city. At Baltimore, he was “almost a freeman” who was a step closer to freedom than when he was a slave on the plantation (Douglass 6). Through Mr. Auld’s strong disapproval of Mrs. Auld teaching Douglass how to read and write, Douglass “understood the pathway from slavery to freedom” (Douglass 6) which was, undoubtedly, through education since slaveholders were certain that “education and slavery were incompatible with each other” as it poised a threat to their supremacy and authority over slaves (Douglass 7). With a clear purpose to learn how to read and write, Douglass often made friends with “little white boys” on the streets and looked up to them as his teachers (Douglass 7). Sometimes, Douglass even brought along bread from the house to feed “the poor white children in [his] neighborhood” in return for the “valuable bread of knowledge” and Douglass eventually learned how to read (Douglass 7). Similarly, Douglass learned how to write from the ship carpenters in Durgin and Bailey’s ship-yard who “[wrote] on the timber [ready for use] the name of that part of the ship for which it was intended” and also from boys who he knew could write (Douglass 7). After continuous effort in learning from the good lessons from the boys and “copying the Italics in Webster’s Spelling Book…until [he] could make them all without looking on the book,” Douglass also succeeded in learning how to write (Douglass 7).