In Claudia Rankine’S Citizen An American Lyric, Many Themes

In Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric, many themes come together to show the intricate and fragile lives of black people within the racist construct of America. Anything from the game of tennis filled with bad calls to the outright brutality of police violence against blacks is represented by Citizen. Rankine creates a narrative of the everyday lives of blacks through not only her own experiences but the experiences of others. Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine seeks to bring to light the issues surrounding identity within the racial constructs of America. Within the quarter of the novel Citizen, a major theme is introduced. The theme of tennis is discussed in detail in an essay about Serena Williams. Serena†¦show more content†¦Yet the sport of tennis and the society it has created is reluctant and even defiant to accept her. The ideal tennis player is defined by Rankine as, â€Å"be ambiguous, be white. †¦ image of smiling blond goodn ess† (Rankine 36). This is the image more people in the world of tennis are quick to accept. The image that most people are comfortable with. This image comes to life in the form of Serena’s opponent Caroline Wozniacki, a blond, skinny, beautiful former number one tennis player who, â€Å"imitate[d] Serena by stuffing towels in her top and shorts† (Rankine 36). This only proves, by the lack of protest to Wozniacki’s actions, that racism is not dead. When a black woman protests something that is obviously racist, she is only met with resistance and fear. Yet when the blond, white, and ambiguous tennis player pretends to be Serena, people have gotten just what they have wanted all along. For Serena Williams to be the familiar white role model they have always pictured to be the number one tennis player in the world. And yet Serena embodies more than just a black woman who is excellent at tennis, for many people she is a symbol as well as a human. She is, â⠂¬Å"a black woman winning in a white world, despite all the obstacles standing in her way† (Corbett †¦). Rankie capture the anger that racism traps within the body in vivid detail. Anger seems to linger like a cloud that hangs overShow MoreRelatedRacial Profiling And Discrimination By Claudia Rankine s Citizen : An American Lyric Essay1366 Words   |  6 Pagesunderlining theme in Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric. The author uses everyday encounters to expose the harsh reality African American people live. Rankine’s perspective on racism is applicable to years dating from 1860 and to present day occurrences. Discrimination against African Americans is a continuing problem. Although slavery does not exist today, African Americans continually grieve the agony their ancestors faced throughout the Civil War up to World War II. African Americans overcameRead MoreCitizen An American Lyric By Claudia Rankine1505 Words   |  7 PagesCitizen An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine is a unique piece of literature that truly encompasses the concept of being a Black Intel lectual assessing the state of Black people in the American society. Among many of Rankine s passages in Citizen, she addresses microaggressions, racial incidents and current events surrounding Black Americans. From there her novel further transitions into assessing high profiled racial and political cases in America of Blacks who have died unjust deaths, as well

Welfare Reform The American People Lost Their Hope Essay

In 1930 the American people lost their hope. The stock market had crashed, and the infrastructure of America had crumbled. Families learned the true meaning of deprivation and hard times. The same fear was in the hearts of all the people†¦ Was this the end of the American dream? The citizens were starving, homeless, and hopeless. The only two things that rekindled their dim faith was their pioneer spirit, and a promise from Franklin D. Roosevelt. Those people knew that the only way to rebuild this country was to get back up again and work hard. The government knew that they had to do something, and that something was The New Deal. This was the beginning of government funded financial assistance, which is known today as welfare. This system has adapted and changed over the years. The biggest change that it has undergone was implemented by President Bill Clinton in 1996. The Welfare Reform Act vowed to end welfare as the people knew it, and there have been numerous controversies o ver the program since. Welfare negatively affects the American dream by devaluing hard work and creating economic unrest. The details of this program affect not only the people being supported by welfare, but the nation as a whole. The forty-seven percent of Americans (www.usgovernmentspending.com) that receive some kind of welfare benefits are soon going increase and become the majority of the population. The working class will become the minority and this will create an imbalance causing theShow MoreRelatedRoosevelts Socialist Plans Essay1732 Words   |  7 Pagesis what signified the beginning of the economic disaster known as, the Great Depression. During the Great Depression many banks failed, unemployment rates rose, and people lost faith in the economy. (About the Great Depression) A combination of all those things led to the downward spiral of the American economy. During this time people needed someone to look up to for change and guidance, that person was Franklin D. Roos evelt. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932. Once he was elected he cameRead MoreThe Rise Of The Great Depression1407 Words   |  6 Pagesuntil October 1929—when reality struck Americans with a collapsing stock market. The confidence of Americans in an unfailing business system suddenly deteriorated and caused many to terminate involvement in any type of investment, business, or banking activity. This event and other factors contributed to the prevalence of the Great Depression. During this period of an economic recession, most Americans were affected by the drastic effects: life savings were lost, unemployment reached its highest ofRead More Wellfare Reform Essay1590 Words   |  7 Pagestwenty years, welfare fraud and abuse has become an overwhelming problem. Large numbers of people are living off the government alone, with no attempt of finding work. Our welfare system is out of date and needs to be slimmed down. Congress needs to eliminate the mindset of Americans that wel fare can be used as a free ride through life. No matter how liberal or conservative, all politicians agree that welfare costs could be greatly reduced if abuse and fraud were eliminated. Welfare was first introducedRead MoreEssay on Financial Dependence: A Problem For American Business1134 Words   |  5 Pages it is dependence.† This rings true for Americans, who have a tendency to rely on others in search of solutions to our own problems. As a whole, we insist on sharing the burden, such as borrowing foreign money from countries like China to lessen our growing deficit. American businesses are similarly dependent on foreign relations, fueled by cheap labor for a greater profit on goods. On a societal level, Americans are dependent on our government for welfare and financial assistance whenever the economyRead MoreFranklin Roosevelts New Deal1672 Words   |  7 Pagesis March 12, 1933. Ordinary Americans and their families sit together in their living rooms as they turn the knob on their radios. The words â€Å"Good evening, my friends†¦Ã¢â‚¬  echo audibly over the static and ambient noise, and the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt informs the nation of his New Deal and planned solutions to the problems of post-Depression America. He speaks warmly and directly, addressing the American people â€Å"you† and himself â€Å"I†. Many people— unemployed or working, poorRead MoreCauses for Public Trust or Distrust of the Federal Government1594 Words   |  7 Pages American Government 2301 April 11, 2011 Do we elect officials to do what is right for ourselves, or to do whatever is better for the country as a whole? On the other hand, do they act in the most popular manner in order to secure their own re-election hopes? The two-party system is in continuous lockout. One party wants reform but another will try to block it just to show the public how incompetent they are without showing the truth. This paper will outline cases why the American PublicRead MoreLyndon B. Johnson And Andrew Jackson1605 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical gloom, won the Cold War without a bloody confrontation, and created more reforms for the economy, with an impressive increase in productivity and employment. He was the most successful president of the twentieth century. The 70 s were not the best of years. For nearly an entire decade, serious inflation and unemployment on the rise, racial tensions grew, and outside of the US, the American government lost the war for Vietnam. The public was weary and discontent, and Reagan s timeRead MoreApush Chapter 29 Study Guide1186 Words   |  5 PagesTo their utter dismay, Wilson was able to wage a passionate reform campaign in which he promised the return of the state government to the people. Once governor, he thrived. 3. Democratic Platform in 1912-In 1912, the Democrats nominated Dr. Woodrow Wilson, a once-mild conservative turned progressive on the 46th ballot. The Democratic ticket would run under a platform named, â€Å"New Freedom† which would include several progressive reforms. 4. Woodrow Wilson’s â€Å"New Freedom† program vs Roosevelt’sRead MoreFranklin Roosevelt (FDR) Essay1224 Words   |  5 Pages Napolean Bonaparte once stated, â€Å"A leader is a dealer in hope.† Hoover and Roosevelt had very different viewpoints on how to handle the Great Depression. Hoover preferred â€Å"rugged individualism,† and FDR preferred â€Å"helping hand† philosophies. Hoover believed in assisting business in hope that this support would create a trickle down impact which would lead to investment and more jobs. FDR, on the other hand, wanted to provide people with jobs to increase confidence and correcting failures in certainRead MoreMarch 4, 1929. Americans Appeared Shine Brightly When Herbert1326 Words   |  6 PagesMarch 4, 1929. Americans appeared shine brightly when herbert Hoover was elected President. October 24, 1929, at the same year happened, the longest and deepest depression of United States, the Great Depression . Known as Black days, October 24 and October 26 it was the collapse for this depression, 16 million stocks were traded, by any price. Banks were calling for loan, Dow Jones fells 23%, $30 billion in stock were â€Å"disappeared†, unemployment rate is higher than 24%. Smoot-Hawley tariff   Act, New

Taking The Pill Depression And free essay sample

Social Stigma Essay, Research Paper Taking the Pill: Depression and Social Stigma Depression is widespread in today # 8217 ; s society and is called # 8216 ; the common cold of mental wellness problems. # 8217 ; But despite its prevalence, people are wary about the usage of a pill in order to trail the blues away. Some even liken anti-depressants to Soma as depicted in Aldous Huxley # 8217 ; s Brave New World. Soma is the perfect pleasance drug that provides a mindless, unauthentic felicity, which makes people comfy with their deficiency of freedom. Depression is frequently disregarded as a serious unwellness. Society, as a whole, stigmatizes depression and sees anti-depressants as a manner out alternatively of a legitimate medical specialty. But the people that feel this manner, frequently have non had any personal experience with this unwellness. The physical footing of depression involves neurotransmitters in the encephalon. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages from one nervus cell to another. Nerve cells do non touch. There are microscopic spreads between them called synapses. For a nervus urge to go from one nervus cell to another, the directing cell releases a bantam sum of one of the neurotransmitters, which transmits the signal to the 2nd cell, and so on around the organic structure. After a nervus urge has been sent across a synapse, particular enzymes clear off the neurotransmitter so that another urge may be sent. The first antidepressants, monoamine oxidase ( MAO ) inhibitors, were discovered by chance during the 1960 # 8217 ; s by research workers who were seeking to develop new drugs to handle TB. MAO inhibitors didn # 8217 ; t assist TB, but they elevated temper. Since so, many other types of antidepressants have been developed. They are all about every bit effectual. But the newer drugs are safer and for most people, have fewer side effects. In order of their development, here are today # 8217 ; s antidepressants: MAO inhibitors, Tricyclic medicines, Tetracyclic medicines, Wellbutrin, Desyrel, Selective 5-hydroxytryptamine re-uptake inhibitors ( SSRI ) , Effexor, and Serzone. The anti-depressant that is known by most people is Prozac. This anti-depressant falls under the grouping of selective 5-hydroxytryptamines reuptake inhibitors as does Zoloft and Paxil. SSRIs block the recapture of the neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine by nervus cells. The first SSRI, Prozac, was approved by the FDA in 1988. The other SSRI # 8217 ; s were approved as follow: Zoloft, 1991 ; and Paxil, 1992. Antidepressants help 60 to 80 per centum of those with moderate to terrible depression. It normally takes two to four hebdomads to experience any benefit. Drug intervention typically lasts six to twelve months. Depression is strongly associated with abnormally low degrees of certain neurotransmitters, among them: 5-hydroxytryptamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. Antidepressants increase the degrees of these chemicals by interfering with the enzymes that eliminate them from the synapses, a procedure called # 8220 ; reuptake inhibition. # 8221 ; The diagram below represents the basic manner that an anti-depressant such as SSRI works. Serotonin is created on the presynaptic nervus terminal. It is so released into the synapse and continues to the postsynaptic nervus terminal. Fresh 5-hydroxytryptamine is returned to the presynaptic nervus terminal for reuse or devastation. Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil maintain the 5-hydroxytryptamine in the synapse for a longer clip. There are legion stigmas that accompany mental unwellness. A Massachusetts study was done to raise consciousness of these stigmas. Ninety per centum of the four hundred grownups surveyed said that mental unwellness comes with a stigma. Forty per centum of those surveyed believed mental unwellness is the consequence of character defects and personality defects. ( # 8221 ; Survey finds Stigma # 8221 ; ) The effects of a kind of # 8216 ; coming out # 8217 ; for down people can ensue in political, professi onal and personal jobs. The slightest intimation of mental wellness jobs can ensue in the terminal of a political calling. Mental unwellness is used as a arm to project uncertainties on a campaigner # 8217 ; s fittingness for political office. During the 1988 presidential run rumours were circulated by Lyndon LaRouche protagonists that Michael Dukakis had been treated for depression. These allegations were intended to strike hard Dukakis out of the race. However, there does look to be a more positive displacement in elector # 8217 ; s attitudes toward mental unwellness. Last autumn it was reported that Alma Powell, married woman of a could-be presidential campaigner, suffered from depression, she and her hubby appeared at a nationally televised imperativeness conference and casually said it was so. Colin Powel did non deny this statement and stated that it was non a household secret. He besides said that it is controlled as easy with medicine as his blood force per unit area is. Traveling public is really difficult to some sick persons professionally. It helps to be in the right calling. The humanistic disciplines are likely the most tolerant. Rod Steiger # 8217 ; s agent was afraid that when he went public he would be blacklisted. However, as it turned out his following characteristic was Tim Burton # 8217 ; s # 8216 ; Mars Attack! # 8217 ; . Hollywood is considered easy when compared with more traditional occupations. Those in the field of concern may desire to believe twice earlier uncovering their depression. In the butch civilizations of jurisprudence and investing banking, he says, if you admit exposure. You # 8217 ; re a outcast. Many people will lie on occupation applications that ask if they have of all time been treated for a psychological upset. In most instances, if there are two qualified appliers and one has been treated for a upset, he or she will non be chosen. It is difficult to allow people cognize that you are on anti-depressants. In fact, there is even a site on the Internet that lists different scenarios and what the best manner to allow people cognize you are taking the pill. Many household and friends will non understand the demand for anti-depressants. They may even province that a down individual is merely # 8216 ; in a funk # 8217 ; and will acquire out of it. They might see anti-depressants as a weakness-the inability to cover with jobs. These stigmas of mental unwellness may do many people from acquiring aid, either reding or anti-depressants. Many people do non experience comfy # 8217 ; sloping their backbones # 8217 ; to a alien and welcome the alleviation that an anti-depressant brings. It is obvious that a combination of talk-therapy and pills would be the best solution to depression. Some people look for consolation in anti-depressants as a temper supporter. They are non clinically depressed but have are still given a prescription anyhow. One telecasting show believes that this may make unfairness in the concern universe by their increased watchfulness and thrust. # 8220 ; Would everyone feel compelled to take it merely to maintain up with the competition? # 8221 ; ( Breggin, 5 ) There is a belief that anti-depressants are over-prescribed. Doctors do non see five of the nine symptoms of depression, yet they are still mentioning their patients for anti-depressants. Kramer and Breggin, writers of Listening to Prozac and Talking Back to Prozac, both believe that this is an anti-sensitivity drug. Breggin believes that there is no such thing as being excessively sensitive. In being desensitized, less cognizant, and less in touch a individual loses basic human nature. Kramer agrees that Prozac may take away those emotions that make us most human. As their depression disappears, so does their sensitiveness to their ain and others # 8217 ; jobs. Should we experience our emotions deeply, even if these emotions may do injury to others and ourselves? Or should we be medicated and become # 8216 ; less of a individual # 8217 ; ? The sick persons of depression must reply these inquiries for themselves.

Paradise Lost Essays (1203 words) - Paradise, Morrison, Ruby

Paradise Lost Paradise Lost, Paradise Gained Nine patriarchs found a town. Four women flee a life. Only one paradise is attained. Toni Morrison's novel Paradise revolves around the concept of paradise, and those who believe they have it and those who actually do. Morrison uses a town and a former convent, each with its own religious center, to tell her tale about finding solace in an oppressive world. Whether fleeing inter- and intra-racial conflict or emotional hurt, the characters travel a path of self-isolation and eventual redemption. In her novel Paradise, Toni Morrison uses the town of Ruby and four broken women to demonstrate how paradise can not be achieved through isolation, but rather only through understanding and acceptance. Morrison opens her novel with a narrative about the origins of the town of Ruby and how this seemingly black paradise is born out of isolation. Nearly a century before the founding of Ruby, nine Old Fathers lead a group of ex-slaves on a quest for a paradise on earth. On this quest they face the phrase 'Come Prepared or Not at All' (Morrison 13); however, they feel they [are] more than prepared--they [are] destined (14). Having been shunned by whites and light-skinned blacks alike and [b]ecoming stiffer, prouder with each misfortune (14), they are led by a mysterious man to their promised land just as the fiery whirlwind led the Israelites to the promised land of Canaan. It is in this promised land that the former slaves, led by the nine patriarchs, begin to build the town of Haven. At the center of this town, they build the Oven, which becomes a symbol of their solidarity and isolation from the rest of the world that has rejected them. Soon a thriving town emerges with strong moral ideals and views in order to keep the rest of the world at bay. Despite this isolation, the second generation of the founding fathers, upon returning from World War II, come to realize that their utopia is in danger. The citizens begin to associate with the outside world that had once despised them, and they became eager to get away and try someplace else (6). The town of Haven had gone from feet to belly in fifty years (5) and because of this the New Fathers decide to dismantle the Oven and relocate. The New Fathers sought to keep the dream of a paradise alive because they knew what they might become if they did not begin anew (6). Fifteen families pack their bags and leave to found the town of Ruby, a town isolated by ninety miles from anything. Just like its predecessor, Ruby is founded on the concept that isolation equals protection. The citizens view Ruby as a fortress [they] bought and built up and [which they had] to keep everybody locked in or out (213). It is a town where outsider and enemy are '. . . two words [that] mean the same thing' (212). They believe in their isolation so much that the outsider, Reverend Misner, feels like he [is] herding a flock which [believes] not only that it [has] created the pasture it [grazes] but that grass from any other meadow [is] toxic (212). In an effort to retain this isolation which they believe to be paradise, the citizens did not build anything to serve a traveler: no diner, no police, no gas station, no public phone, no movie house, no hospital (12). In spite of these efforts of self-isolation, the older residents of Ruby begin to realize that their so called paradise is in jeopardy. The younger residents have become complacent and seek to learn about the outside world and their African roots. The sanctity of the Oven is now becoming sullied by radio music and vandalism. The elders begin to look for a reason of what might be causing the destruction of their meticulously created paradise. They seek answers to questions of why [a] mother was knocked down the stairs by her cold-eyed daughter. Four damaged infants were born in one family. Daughters refused to get out of bed. Brides disappeared on their honeymoons. Two brothers shot each other on New Year's Day. Trips to Demby for VD shots common (11). It is to