The story NightJohn takes places during the Civil War on a slave plantation in Texas. This plantation was owned by a man named Old Waller who showed little mercy for his slaves. He was known to whip them with out hesitation if they did something wrong and even to send the dogs on them and allow them to be eaten alive for running away. Sarney, a young slave girl, had watched this happen many times and dreamed of a better life. She was curious and would try to interpret symbols (letters/numbers/words). However, Mammy an older slave who took care of everyone had made it clear that there was no escaping this place and there was no such thing as freedom for African Americans. She told Sarney that she must do as she was expected and that she should keep her curiosity to read and write out of sight and out of mind because if she was caught trying to learn she would be beaten. Sarney had listened and obeyed Mammy her whole life but this began to change when a new slave arrived on the plantation. The new slave was named Nightjohn he was strong and hard working but he was different. His different ways made Sarney extremely curious so when he offered to trade letters, something Sarney had never heard of, for a lip of tobacco she was quick to agree. Nightjohn wanted to teach her how to read and write and although Sarney knew that this could get her in deep trouble she wanted to learn. It turns out that Nightjohn had once escaped slavery and went up north to live but he came back to teach reading and writing to young children like Sarney. He did this because he believed that it was essential to teach so that generations to come could know about the terrible lives that slaves led because if they did not tell then no one would.
Mascot is the story of Malcom X. It all began in Michigan where Malcom was tring very hard to fit in. He was too awkward to play basketball and unlike his brother he was terrible at boxing. his inability to fit in caused him to act up and get kicked out of school. He was sent to reform school where he began to change his ways. He was one of two black children at the school, the other being from the Lyon's family who Malcom later became good friends with. Despite the minority Malcom liked it here he had good grades, was student president and was at the top of his class. He felt accepted however this all began to change when his english teacher, Mr. Otrowski, told him that he needed to pick a more realistic goal for his life and that he couldnt be a lawyer because he was black. This upset Malcom and he went to visit his sister Ella in Boston. He LOVED it there. It was the first time that he had been in a large black community and that he felt that the blacks had a society all their own. When he returned to the reform school he felt the barrier between himself and the whites for the first time and he began to feel like their mascot he was just as good as them but he was not the same as hard as he tried to be. He was not happy and was sent to live with the Lyon's family. Over the years Malcom realized that he was what he was and he should be proud and also that he could be whatever he wanted to be.
In class we read both of these stories as well as watched a movie called the Great Debators these three pieces were alike and different in many ways. The similarities between Nightjohn and the Great Debators are many. First of all in both the movie and the book the characters witnessed blacks being beaten. Both also wanted a way to speak out against how blacks were treated. Lastly Nightjohn was alot like Denzels character in the way that he didnt give up he very easily could have quit he had his freedom but he came back to teach what he thought was important as did Denzel. However, there was one major difference between the two and that is in the Great Debators they were allowed to read and write but in Nightjohn they had to sneek to do it. The story Mascot was also similar to the movie in the way that the girl on the debate team dreamed of being a lawyer as did Malcom. She was told that the possibilities were slim but she knew that she could do anything that she put he mind to. All and all the stories and the movie told the struggles that African Americans faced during the Civil Rights movement.
No comments:
Post a Comment