American Literature Project

       When I first heard about doing a group project, I was really confused. I did not know what topic to start. Two of the people in our table were not in class today, so we will decide how to separate into two groups tomorrow in class. However, I do have some "potential topic" in mind. I am thinking about Ernest Hemingway, or maybe the Slave Civil Right movement. Our group will talk more deeply in class tomorrow.

Diigo

        I love using Diigo! Before this project, I have been using it for my online reading. I highlight words and sentences a lot even when I am reading books. Diigo makes my online reading very organized. However, I have not shared my notes and highlights with anyone yet. Therefore, I think if the whole class or the groups can use it effectively,  we can all be more efficient and get the project done!

The Yellow Wallpaper

        This is one of the most depressing writing I have ever read. The lady used so many "nervous" in her writing which make me feeling the same way. I think she is kind of paranoiac and too scared to speak up her mind to her husband who always take very good care of her. In my opinion, she was too overprotected that she did not feel the purpose of living and appreciate her social status. At the same time, there were still blacks and the Indians suffering while she was creeped out by the yellow wallpaper in this nice house they rent. As her description of her feeling and the creepy yellow wallpaper progresses, I felt very paranoiac too...

Impressions of an Indian Childhood

        Today in class, we read the "Impressions of an Indian Childhood" which the Indian culture is described by a child. However, I found it interesting that how the writer always go along with whatever her mother says and respect the elder a lot. After finishing the story, I realize how elders are so important and are always respected by the young people. One fact that stood out to be was the names that people in the tribe called each other like they are one family. But, I do not see the purpose of this piece that connects with the materials we were reading earlier, besides both Indians and the blacks were considered to be the unimportant races by the the whites.

The Progress of the Black Movement

        In the early 1900, Washington advocated that by giving up their social and political equality, the blacks would be able to comfort the frighten whites and gain the opportunity to work and earn money, and then, moreover, gain the respects from the whites. At almost the same time period, Douglas proposed an different idea. As an ex-slave, he had seen many inhumane actions to the blacks done by the white population. At the beginning, he had the same idea as Washington; however, he realized that they can never acquire respects and equality by tolerating the wrong doings of the whites. In his speeches, Douglas mentioned the importance of the right to vote which Washington did not view as the priority. Only with the right to vote, can the voices of the African Americans be heard, and start to react strongly. He understand that the black races have to maintain their strong resistance, because compromises never work.
        After approximately 70 years, Martin Luther King Jr. appeared as a significant figure of leading the Black Movement. He urged for nonviolent movements with four steps: "collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action."  In his Letter from a Birmingham, he addressed the same idea as Douglas. "We [the blacks] have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure ...privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily." Even after more than half century, the blacks were still treated as slaves: no right to vote, segregated from the white race... There were little differences even after a lot of civil right laws were passed. Both Douglas and MLK declared that it is time for the blacks to fight back!

The wealthy people were responsible for this?

        Washington, Du Bois, and Douglas had been expressing their ideas about the civil rights of the blacks. However, they all have different direction. Washington was willing to compromise while Douglas and Du Bois were eager to earn the right to vote and let their voice heard. They believe that the rich people who have most of the control were the roots of the problems, and I totally agree with them. The wealthy people had more responsibility for suppressing the slaves and causing the conflicts between the races. Most slaves were owned by the wealthy ones; 80% of the southerners had no slaves. After the Civil War, the blacks were still subordinate to the whites who still treated them like slaves. Never had they thought about being socially or politically equal to the blacks. Therefore, the wealthy people suppressed the African American horribly: hanging them, or even massacres. Due to their own fear of the black revenge, the white people denied the requests of any equalities. They were accountable for the whole movements.

Frederick Douglas- The Lessons of the Hour

        Frederick Douglas, an African American ex-slave, abolitionist, and leader, delivered his last speech at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church of Washington, DC, on January 9, 1894. "The Lesson of the Hour" begins by identifying"negro problem" as a problem of white violence. Especially in the South, mobs were mostly made up by the better classes. He then deeper talked about the whites  disenfranchise the blacks so they still lived like slaves. 
           Compared to Booker T. Washington's  and W.E.B. Du Bois's thought about the development of the freed slaves, Frederick Douglas agreed with Du Bois more on slavery situation. 
           Washington believed that political freedom was not the first aim of the development. He wanted the whites to provide vocational education for the blacks; even the African Americans have to begged for the work and claimed their inferior.
           However, Du Bois criticized Washington's idea, and stated that without the right to vote, they would not be different from their status before Civil war -- slaves. Douglas assented the opinion of Du Bois that the African Americans should not accept their subordination, but fight back for being a real American citizen. 

Naturalism Challenge and Presentation

       Today in class, we divided up into groups and started to organize our thoughts into a presentation. My job in the group was to define Naturalism, which was quit difficult for me. At first, I read through my notes in class; however, it was so broad that I was unable to put in my presentation.
       I started some research on Jstor, but there was no specific information. Luckily, I found this site made by a college professor that justified Naturalism and Realism. I read the bulletin point on the site, and then came up with my the outlines by my own understanding.
       As an honor student, I am required to read one short story and determine whether the work is about Naturalism or not. I picked Jake London, read one of the stories, "To Build a Fire." This is a story about a dog and man who died because of his own pride thinking that he is better than the nature world.  

Booker T. Washington's "The Atlanta Exposition Address" and the criticism from W.E.B. Du Bois

        Washington's "Atlanta Compromise" speech stated that vocational education (a form of education in which people are provided with practical skills which will allow them to engage in careers which involve manual or practical abilities)gave blacks an opportunity for economic security and was more valuable than social advantages. One of the quotes in the chapter summarizes the Washington's idea really well: "In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress." In order to remain peaceful and to be socially separated, the whites should accept responsibility for improving the social and economic conditions of the blacks. Washington wanted the support from the white race and to have the opportunity for success in the work places. However, he is willing to give up getting into the political world and even abandon the eagerness of striving to be equal. Furthermore, he admitted blacks' inferiority and garantied their loyalty to their employers. 

        While Washington was focusing on vocational education for his race and white leasers in the South and the North agree with him, other black intellectuals feared that Washington's philosophy could doom the blacks. The most active one was W. E. B. Du Bois. In his "The Souls of Black Folk," the third chapter is titled as "Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others," and stated that "Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission...[His] program practically accepts the alleged inferiority of the Negro races." Du Bois, on the other hand, advocated fully civil rights. 

        In my opinion, I agree with both Washington's and Du Bois's point of views. However,  in different circumstances, the two philosophy would have to cooperate with each other to earn freedom for the blacks. I understand that how Washington thought that it was more important to earn a job from the whited than to fight for social equality. Since one third of the southern population was black race, the whites were feared that the African Americans would rule them as soon as they got freedom. Therefore, Washington explained that they were willing to make compromise to give up their social equality in order to earn the money and to feed themselves. However, the African Americans should still keep in mind what Du Bois talked about, they are not inferior to the whites; this is just the really first step of fighting for equality.