Paying Its Dues

As Cose writes, “The problem is not that black Americans never got forty acres (and a mule); it is that so much was taken and so little given that impoverishment and despair became self-perpetuating… One need only make a decision that a damaged community, whatever the cost, must be restored (502-503).” Cose believes that the poor treatment of minorities and the poor decisions made by state officials have undermined America. Failing to compensate those who have been hurt has lead to a distrust of the American legal system and government. When, in 2003, the descendants of the survivors of the 1921 Tulsa riot were denied compensation for property damage and the like, these survivors felt rightly cheated and forgotten. Many of the actual survivors of this riot were dead or were falling ill; their descendants felt that the Oklahoma state government owed them money. They felt cheated because the Japanese-Americans harassed during World War II were eventually awarded settlement claims for their mistreatment. The black Tulsa residents had certainly been mistreated during and after the riot. By admitting one problem but denying another, the government, state and national alike, had failed. Cose thinks that those who have been mistreated should receive compensation, for if these debts are not paid, the events that lead to the mistreatment will be forgotten. Although the American government did not fully pay back every Japanese survivor and descendant of the World War II encampments, what was given to these people was still important. Indeed, when, in 1990, the American government admitted its mistake and began repaying its Japanese-American citizens, General Richard Thornburgh exclaimed, “‘By finally admitting a wrong, a nation does not destroy its integrity, but rather reinforces the sincerity of its commitment to the Constitution, and hence to its people. In forcing us to reexamine our history, you have made us only stronger and more proud (494).'” When the American government compensated its wronged Japanese citizens, a trust in its rule was reestablished among these citizens. However, black community wondered about its compensation for its mistreatment. America cannot admit one problem but forget another. Cose wants all wronged people to receive American money to strengthen trust in America’s government and to even out the disadvantages given to these wronged people. When America pays its wronged citizens, it admits its mistakes, allowing it to learn and move forward towards towards a more united nation.

Cora and Willy

Cora Tucker is quite different from Willy. Cora is an active member in her community, fighting for the civil rights of blacks and raising awareness about the availability of food stamps. She has been able to rise above the hardships in her life. Raised in a sharecropper family, she grew up in a shoddy house and with a mother who was not well educated. Even at a young age, she recognized the poor treatment of the blacks in her town and was determined to do all she could to cause change. Since this vow, Cora has tirelessly battled with local lawmakers and officials to pass unbiased laws and has continued to aid those in her community in a multitude of ways. Cora helped to register hundreds in her community to vote. In 1975, Cora created CBA, Citizens for a Better America, an organization that conducts studies on the activities of blacks and protests against governmental members and businesses that practice unequal treatment of African Americans. When Cora had to undergo surgeries and treatment for cancer, she still continued her work. She’s been threatened, had her house broken into, been spit upon, and had family members turn against her, and yet Cora continues her march towards a better America.
Willy Loman is a ruined man, depressed and unable to ascend to happiness. He offers none of his time to charity. He, unlike Cora, is unable to look outside of his own drama. The community around him does not benefit from his existence. He crusades for nothing of worth. Distracted by work and his sons, he is concerned with money and his likeability.
While their differences are plentiful, both Willy and Cora have difficulties with members of their family. Biff and Willy have relationship issues, and Cora, her husband, and some of her children disagree on issues. Both are wrapped up in their work- Cora’s cause and Willy’s sales. But their similarities stop there. Cora is too active and hopeful to be like Willy’s mentally unbalanced and eternally unhappy character.

Willy, Miller, and Individual Opportunity

Throughout “Death of a Salesman,” Willy Loman stresses his belief that if a man is attractive and well liked, he will succeed. As said in Act I by Willy, “Because a man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want.” (20) Willy believes in the American Dream. He truly does think that a combination of genetics and hard work will open doors. However, as we’ve discussed in this class, other elements will prevent the accomplishment of the American Dream. In Biff’s case, his own indecision about joining the work force hinders the holding of a respectable job. Billy longs to out in the world, working with his hands, but he also wants to make a salary. He attempts several times to get a job, but his distrust of corporate America and his propensity to steal squelch his opportunities. Willy is unable to gain respect because he jokes too often with his customers and colleagues. Happy, like Biff, is called to nature and manual labor, but he stifles these urges and works in a department store to earn a salary. Happy cannot succeed because he is held down by family drama and his immature pursuits of women. Dispute all this disheartening evidence against his rationale about individual opportunity, Willy still chooses to believe that an attractive and liked man will be happy and successful.
Arthur Miller, by having Willy commit suicide and by having Happy and Biff so distracted and unable to create achievable goals, reveals that he does not believe in individual opportunity. Miller shows us that Willy, a somewhat normal family man, is unable to be happy and is eventually ruined by his pursuits of hope. Biff and Happy seem content, but in moments of anguish or distress, they unveil sullen attitudes and disrespect for their father. By making his characters so miserable in their jobs and lives, Miller curses individual opportunity.

Death of a Salesman Discussion Question

Do you think Willy's suicide was selfish? Was it right for him to end his life? Consider the family he leaves behind.

Speeches Part Deux

Aside from the fact that after my speech, I wanted to bathe in nail polish remover and use a skunk as a loofah, today's speeches were kind of fantastic. The presentation about the Julian Center was very compelling and interesting. I liked how Elise didn't use the lectern, so she was free to move around, creating something to look at besides someone's nervous hand gestures. I also liked how Elise used the story of Grace to introduce the Julian Center's importance. I thought the facts Elise chose to use in her speech really helped to make her argument. I was especially intrigued by the fact that there are more animal shelters than domestic abuse shelters in the Indianapolis area. Henry's use of humor in his speech about Keeping Indianapolis Beautiful made his speech more amusing than others. I also liked Daniel's speech because he too didn't use the lectern, making him seem more open to the audience. After the speeches were made, I felt that several organizations deserved my money, but I ended up giving a large chunk of my donor bucks to one organization that seemed more important than all the rest.

Today's Speeches

I managed to dodge the speech bullet today, and I'm glad of it. The speeches made today would have put my speech to shame. My speech seemed childish in comparison to the well-researched presentation given by JP, and my writing seemed unemotional when looked at after Amy's speech. Speaking in front of a group of jaded high-schoolers is obviously not easy nor fun, but today's group was professional and calm when voicing their information and thoughts to the class. I noticed how essentially all the speakers used an appeal to pathos, and some used an appeal to ethos. Many used quotes and statistics from studies to fortify their argument. Although the statistics were somewhat boring, especially if mentioned in the middle of the speech, they did make the speaker appear more knowledgeable about their charity. I applaud the speakers today for their well-written speeches and for their obvious labor.

An Update

I've worked for awhile on this project, and I feel confident that my speech will be a good one. Habitat for Humanity, the organization I've decided to rally behind, is an organization I am familiar with and trust. It was difficult to come up with a rebuttal, but I think my rebuttal is a question that's often posed when dealing with charities that handle those down on their luck. This weekend I'm going to do research into home equities, and I will read more studies that revolve around poverty and how a home can ease the strains of poverty. And then I will give my speech. And win.


Claim: Habitat for Humanity is an organization one should give money to.

Reasons: Because Habitat for Humanity provides homes to those unable to buy a typical home in their area and to those whose homes have been destroyed by means of natural disaster. Because Habitat for Humanity recruits teenage and adult volunteers to create a sense of community. Because Habitat for Humanity does not simply give away homes- the recipients of the homes help build them, and the new owners eventually pay back Habitat for Humanity, allowing more homes to be built for those in need. Because Habitat for Humanity uses local materials to build homes, stimulating the local economy. Because the homes built by Habitat for Humanity are environmentally friendly, cost-efficient, and safe.

Warrant: Homes provide a secure place to raise a family. When one lives under a stable roof, they are more likely to be healthy and more likely to be safe. A person is more likely to be hired for a job if they are able to provide an address of residence. Owning a home not only gives the owner a sense of pride and accomplishment, owning a home increases one’s wealth through means of equity and savings resulting from mortgage payments.

Backing: Personal testimony from volunteers and recipients of homes. Statistics- Planning and Development Collaborative International 2006 report, Emory University 2001 report, UN 2003 report, National Low Income Housing Coalition 2004 report. Research- How do equities work?

Rebuttal: Habitat for Humanity gives away free homes to recipients of welfare.

Qualifier: Habitat for Humanity does not gift homes to those in need. People who come to Habitat for Humanity usually are working people who, due to harsh circumstances, take in an income 30 to 50 percent less than their area’s median income. Habitat homeowners are required to make a $500 down payment on their home and are asked to help in the construction of their home. Usually, a Habitat for Humanity home recipient contributes 300 to 500 hours to the making of their home. Furthermore, many Habitat homeowners go on to become volunteers of the organization.

Thoughts on Charity

Although I’m not too enthusiastic about speaking in front of more than three people, I do like this assignment. Charities better our nation and help those in need. Betterment is necessary, and therefore charities are an essential part of our society.
My parents have always been generous, donating money and time to charities like AMVETS and Planned Parenthood. As a child, I helped my elementary school raise money for Riley’s Children Hospital, and I loved walking around my neighborhood, picking up trash. As a Girl Scout, helping those in need has become a habit.
I’m researching into several organizations that I think are worthy of note. I was contemplating writing about Crystal House, an organization that feeds the homeless, but was unable to find any recent information about this charity’s strides. Perhaps Crystal House is no more? There are many praise-worthy charities that exist in Indiana or have chapters in Indiana, so this will be difficult.
As for my speech, well, I’ve never been one for public speaking, but I know this is a fear I must conquer. I fully intend to appeal to pathos, as feelings are both powerful and convincing. I also plan to cite statistics on Indianapolis homeless numbers and other such facts as an appeal to logos. I’m eager to see what other charities people plan on researching.

Bucking the Trend

Emerson’s lengthy exploration of self-reliance basically states that one must reject conformity, and one must rely on their intuition. In the beginning of his piece, Emerson writes, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius.” He goes on to write, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” Emerson repeats this advice throughout his essay. He ends by writing, “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” By finishing the essay on this strong note, Emerson clearly states his belief that, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”
Emerson evidently believes that the rejection of conformity and the embrace of intuition will ensure success. He says to reject conformity because what is right for others may not necessarily right for you. Emerson also hints that your refusal to conform may bring you prosperity. For example, at one time, many Americans held stock in a company known as Enron. My parents felt uncomfortable investing in this popular energy company and refused to purchase its stock. When Enron went under after a series of scandals and poor business decisions, my parents were certainly glad they had ignored the Enron trend.
Emerson writes, “When we have new perception, we shall gladly disburden the memory of its hoarded treasures as old rubbish. When a man lives with God, his voice shall be sweet as the murmur of the brook and the rustle of the corn.” With this sentence and a succession of similar sentences, Emerson is explaining that when a man trusts in God, this man’s intuitions and “gleams of light” will have come from God. “My friend suggested, ‘But these impulses may be from below, not from above.’ I replied, ‘They do not seem to me to be such; but if I am the Devil’s child, I will live then from the Devil.’” If Emerson’s reactions came from the Devil, he would have to worship the Devil because the inspiration for these moments of genius is an inspiration worth of praise. However, it is Emerson’s belief that our intuition comes from God, and therefore we should follow our urges because they are from the Man himself.
While following your heart and rejecting conformity are nice messages, they are messages difficult to observe. Sometimes gut reactions turn out to be false— just think of the first impressions we have of other people. These snap decisions often turn out to be untrue. Or we don’t trust ourselves enough to obey our intuition. It’s even harder to reject conformity. Although many of us claim to do this successfully, we usually end up submitting to the laws and opinions of others. Our ancestors were forced to adapt to the wills of others to survive. Quite simply, we naturally to want to please others. It’s fascinating to read about conformity; countless studies have been conducted to research into the matter. The results, with slight variations, show that it’s much more natural to go along with everybody else. Conformity is possible to refuse, but it takes a strong will to break chains. Emerson writes lovely sentences, but his advice is ultimately hard to accept.

Class in America

This essay does not state or hint that the rich are exploiting the poor. As stated explicitly in the text, “One is not rich because the other is poor (309).” As Mantsios writes, “Class standing, and consequently life chances, are largely determined at birth (320).” The rich do not cause the poor to be indigent. Birth standing, as well as education, race, and luck, are factors that can either make or break a person. Mantsios discusses that “class standing has a significant impact on our chances of survival (318).”
He goes on to write about how people who toil in low-wage jobs have lower life expectancies than those who work in high-paying positions. This statement makes sense, but then the author writes about how “the higher [a] student’s social status, the higher the probability that he or she will get higher grades (319).” I can assume many reasons for this occurrence, citing how teenagers living in poor families will often take on a job or somehow assist in household responsibilities. I can assume these reasons are true because of Cheryl Mitchell’s profile on page 316.
Mitchell is a black woman currently working as a nurse’s aide at a municipal hospital. Before holding her current post, Mitchell was employed at several places, including working as a supermarket checker. She was just seventeen when she held her first full-time job as a counter clerk at a local bakery. She was forced to take on this job after she left college due to financial difficulties. Abandoning her dream of becoming a social worker, Mitchell took on her low-paying nurse’s aide post to be able to take care of her son and mother. Had she not had to drop out of college to take in an income, Mitchell might have been able to earn a degree, but, as cited by Mantsios, “Socioeconomic background… operates independently of academic ability at every stage in the process of educational attainment (319).” Even if Mitchell had made it through college, there is no guarantee she would be successful or even earn good grades. Class standing determines so much in America, from our health to what we’re able to do in our free time, whether we are willing to accept this reality or not.