Althuizen 1

Shelby Althuizen
Ms. Gardner
English 10 HON Period 4
7 November 2014

Controversy of Racism The Horrific Impact on our Everyday Lifes

"America in Black and White." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
This novel, written by Google Books, provides historic information about racism during the times
on the Civil Rights Movement including the Jim Crow laws in the southern states, the causes of
slave systems, and why so much of the souths population was black compared to the north.
Significantly, it explains the seriousness of racism; although still an occurrence is America, it needs
to come to a point of full equality no matter your ethnicity.
Ultimately, this novel offers disturbing information to raise awareness of seriousness of racism in
our American culture. The author is direct with the information making the readers understand
how twisted the history of racism in America truly is. The author uses precise diction to emphasize
the pain cause to many African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Using an ominous
tone throughout the sentence patterns creates tension that reflects the relationship between black
and white citizens as whites control every aspect of the lives of its black victims in order to extract
maximum profits from their toil (27).

"Porch Talk with Ernest Gaines." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

Althuizen 2

Gaines book offers a series of emotions in the nature of his writings and lines, which includes the
emotional stabilities of colored citizens throughout the Civil Rights Movement that are caused by
the universal failures of social equality. Taking an emotional path filled with jokes and sorrow of
the realities that rest in a black mans life he explains that the emotions the readers experience is
not intentionally meant to make them cry or laugh, but rather states that throughout the struggles
and laughter in his books it is based on how he feels internally. Therefore he creates the tension in
his text by supplying words and experiences that will move him, not what will make others react.
Ultimately, as Gaines put forth honest advice for struggling with the idea of how the readers react,
the writer must deal and incorporate their emotions before worrying about the people who read
their novels or books. His most important project throughout the text is experiencing his own
emotions, but not the readers actions to the words. Gaines states that if he wrote about murder he
wouldnt want people to act based on his text and point guns at the innocent, but rather feel the
emotions through his writings letting the readers struggle with their own feelings in the process.
The independent approach to his novels regarding feelings to honest perspectives and history lets
readers deal with their own opinions of the imperfect humanity that exists within the community.

"Porch Talk with Ernest Gaines." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

Gaines book offers very honest advice of the nature of writing that is complete with its failures,
insecurities, and struggles. Relating himself to other American writers as he approaches obstacles
that are relatable being a strong writer. His novels are shown in first person, rarely third,
Althuizen 3
regarding the internal struggle when it come to expressing emotions when stuck using the third
person. The interview states sane advice as writers tend to have a problem with not including their
experiences and direct emotions. Gaines includes the differences of emotional impact on the reader
when using first rather than third person.

Ultimately, Gaines includes sane advice and evidence for those with struggling with the perspective
in their novel and the anxieties that follow. His main goal; however, is providing is to guide the
reader with the realities of staying away from incorporating ones emotions when writing in the
third person. Humanity involves the everyday feelings of people, but to veer away from that and
make the reader experience emotion and have an opinion is what really makes a writer thrive.
Rather than sculpting the text and story to fit actual human experiences and emotions through
third person, first person tends to be easier to reveal emotion to readers because of its way of giving
one the ability to engage with the text by letting one have an opinion.

"Project MUSE - "You Think a Man Can't Kneel and Stand?": Ernest J. Gaines's Reassessment of
Religion as Positive Communal Influence In A Lesson Before Dying." Project MUSE "You

Think a Man Can't Kneel and Stand?": Ernest J. Gaines's Reassessment of Religion as

Positive

Communal Influence In A Lesson Before Dying. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.

Author from Project Muse describes the society as it reacts to church and religion throughout the
Civil Rights Movement down in Louisiana; although the majority of citizens had a strong
relationship with God some emotions differed. Taking a serious and ominous approach on the
subject Gaines includes the thought of death throughout his words making the individuals question
the lord for putting such an innocent human being in the hands of the devil because of
Althuizen 4
the color of his skin. The book is filled with insecurities and failures of the black community that
offer the steps to gain faith in god although it is hard living in such a harsh society.
Author from Project Muse shows a contrast of the spiritual ways that take up the Souths society,
but his main message portrays the churchs teachings throughout the Civil Rights Movement which
is also in Gaines book, A Lesson Before Dying. The inappropriate mannerism shows that the formal
teaching of faith contrasts to the emotions of the colored community as blacks realize there is little

to no equality that lives within the community. As they get accused of committing heinous crimes it
is hard for them to find faith in God when he isnt going his job of protecting them. Yet the words
that are displayed dont always represent the love of God-- although
powerful and moving-- the words of the community mark an everlasting struggle of the blacks
trying to feel equal as they are staged for taking part in terrifying actions.

Staples, Robert. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

This book, written by Robert Staples, provides clear information about the justices systems in the
time of the Civil Rights Movement, including the relationship between crime and race, lifestyles
that could cause hurt to one another, conditions that might make people act harmfully, self
definition of prisoners, and black communities that are controlled and lead by the superior racial
groups. Significantly it informs use why whites people continued to get favored when it comes to
justice systems and how they always defeat the colored communities and individuals.
This book offers precise information for those who are curious about why white people are favored
over colored when it comes to fighting for justice. It is a part of the human nature for lifestyles to
affect the way we go about struggles and obstacles; however, that shouldnt determine
Althuizen 5
if one if guilty or innocent, yet it is something to note if events get suspicious in the case. The author
organizes the information so that there is controversy between whether the lifestyles should or
shouldnt affect the justice systems, but provides the information of the low standards colored
people live in. The article uses clear diction in order to depict the control whites have over colored
citizens and how the whites take advantage of the justice systems in order for the blacks to get
locked up. Our society and country could either benefit from the words or manipulate the text
displayed in this book either making the justice systems better or worse.

"Washington, Jefferson, and Grant: Redundancy and Irony in Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying." Making Connections: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Diversity. N.p., n.d. Web.
16

Nov. 2014.

Michael Berrys book offers the background of the irony of Gaines writings of how the word
lesson is included in the title to go along with all the things to be learned throughout the novel.
Taking a very direct approach to the irony, he puts forth different perspectives makes no universal
argument, yet lets reads divide into three different opinions which are influenced by: the readers
experiences, what they emotionally learn from the text, and/ or the history from the context of the
book. Berry also includes the thought of lessons being learned throughout the book, but also the
feeling of death as it occurs in the title through the word dying and our everyday lifes.
Berry offers the different perspectives that could be taken throughout the course of the novel, but
his main point is including the readers state of mind as the events of readers past, learning

Althuizen 6
experiences from the text, or history which they sat through their whole high school years and how
it affects ones experiences when reading the book. Although he is direct with his thought of
irony of the words lesson and dying as the readers learn from the lessons and the deaths shown
in the text, he offers many opportunities for the reader to get involved with their emotions and ideas
as they read the novel.

Althuizen 7
Works Cited
"America in Black and White." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
"Porch Talk with Ernest Gaines." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
"Project MUSE - "You Think a Man Can't Kneel and Stand?": Ernest J. Gaines's Reassessment of Religion as
Positive Communal Influence In A Lesson Before Dying." Project MUSE - "You Think a Man Can't
Kneel and Stand?": Ernest J. Gaines's Reassessment of Religion as Positive Communal Influence In A
Lesson Before Dying. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.
Staples, Robert. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.
"Washington, Jefferson, and Grant: Redundancy and Irony in Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying." - Making
Connections: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Diversity. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.