When Ruth McBride was a teenager in Suffolk, VA, all she wanted was to be like the other teenagers in her school, white Anglo Saxon protestant Americans (McBride, 2006, p 109). In other words, she would have liked to conform to norms of the society that she spent most of her time with. However, because she was a Jew in the rural south in the 1930’s and 40’s, and because she was the child of an abusive and overbearing Orthodox Jewish father, she never had a chance to try (McBride, 2006). To conform to the norms of her society, Ruth would have had to remain obedient to her father and had as little interaction as possible with non-Jews and African American people but that was not what Ruth did. As a result of the situations that Ruth found …show more content…
Ruth had been forbidden to spend time with Frances or any other non-Jew by her father. As Myers tells us, there are four factors that determine obedience, emotional distance, closeness and legitimacy of the authority, whether the authority is part of an institution respected by the person and the effects of having an associate that is willing to be disobedient (Myers, 2015). There was an emotional distance between Ruth and her father as he had not shown love to his family. Because of this lack of a loving home, the emotional and physical abuse she endured, and the mistreatment of the African American people whose seeming happiness and warmth she admired, Ruth did not have a strong sense of her father’s authority. Similarly, she did not view the Jewish “institution’ her father was part of as legitimate because she had felt ostracized by them due to their judgment of her family business. Lastly, Ruth had a confederate in Frances, as she was willing to break with the social norms of her society and befriend Ruth (Myers, 2015; McBride, 2006). Ruth was starved for love and companionship and perhaps for someone else to confirm her worth because she lacked this in her home life (McBride, 2006). Having taken this small step to nonconformity, it was easier for Ruth to move on to larger acts of nonconformity. Similar to the foot-in-the-door phenomenon and Milgram’s experiments described
1) In the article, “How the Jews became White Folks,” written by Karen Brodkin, she argues that the Jewish populace was able to assimilate into the American culture, “with the passage of time and their assimilation into mainstream culture, people from these backgrounds "became white. " That is, they were accorded (assigned) membership in the ‘white race’,” (Brodkin, 2009, p.128). The idea of race and ethnicity is socially constructed, which allowed the Jewish Americans to make a contribution in the making of social identities in the United States. Brodkin claims that the Jewish success was based on the upward mobilizations through the aid of Federal programs, where the Jewish emergence into the whiteness construct allowed them to utilize the,
Coincidentally, Susan Paul, Paul’s daughter, was a highly recognized female reformer in Boston and was a life member of the Massachusetts Anti Slavery Society. The pattern of family involvement over generations was widespread, not only among black leaders but more generally among black Bostonians. If one member was involved in civil rights, anti slavery, or general social reform, other family members were likely to take part as
The grandmother’s bigoted self-elevation quickly taints her moral reputation. While common in her environment, the grandmother does not resist racial slurs. In fact, she wields them as an integrated part of her vocabulary to undermine her supposed inferiors. She first exemplifies her instinctive racism when she calls a black child a
It is truly evident that the fundamental focal point of the whole motion picture is bigotry. Bigotry is characterized as the conviction that all individuals from each race forces attributes or capacities particular to that race, particularly to recognize it as substandard compared to another race, which prompts preference and oppression somebody of an alternate race. The film determines its attention on bigotry in the unified states. As we clearly all know, prejudice has been one of the greatest issues that american culture has looked since its establishing and even previously.
In his book the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie portrays a teenage boy, Arnold Spirit (junior) living in white man’s world, and he must struggle to overcome racism and stereotypes if he must achieve his dreams. In the book, Junior faces a myriad of misfortunes at his former school in ‘the rez’ (reservation), which occurs as he struggles to escape from racial and stereotypical expectations about Indians. For Junior he must weigh between accepting what is expected of him as an Indian or fight against those forces and proof his peers and teachers wrong. Therefore, from the time Junior is in school at reservation up to the time he decides to attend a neighboring school in Rearden, we see a teenager who is facing tough consequences for attempting to go against the racial stereotypes.
Her mother was crippled, spoke no English, and was not loved by her husband. Ruth was sexually abused by her father and began to look for a better life filled with friends, a home, and love. The day after high school graduation she fled Virginia to New York to live with her grandmother and aunts. She got a
One example of how Ruth’s sorrow is shown to the reader is early in the story when the narrator introduces Ruth, saying that “Ruth’s arm, linked with Matt’s tightened, he looked at her. Beneath her eyes there was swelling from the three days she had suffered” (111). This introduction to Ruth’s character is able to display her feelings of loss because of the fact that one of the first traits the reader learns about Ruth is that she had cried for three days after the loss of Frank, which does clearly show her sorrow because of the fact that three days is definitely a strangely long time to be crying for, especially since it seems like the entire family, besides her, had already moved on from crying about the loss. Another example of how Ruth is affected by loss is shown the night of Richard’s murder when Matt reflects on how “he believed Ruth knew... When Ruth said good night she looked at his face, and he felt she could see see in his eyes the gun, and the night he was going to” (116-117).
She grows old with the self-condemnation of staying with Nathan for as long as she did, for if she mustered up the courage to leave the Congo earlier, Ruth May would not have died. Ruth May’s plea for Orleanna to forgive herself, just as Ruth May has forgiven her, presents the possibility of repentance for anyone, no matter how great of consequence their mistakes are. Though she never passed the age of 6, Ruth May seems to have learned better than most the importance of finding strength from and learning from wrong-doings. Urging her mother to “Move on. Walk forward into the light”, Ruth may passes along her own moral reassessment to anyone whom will listen, telling the error in letting so-called sins weigh down ones self forever
Similarly, Raphaela appreciates Ruth’s welcome to the school, as being new is difficult for her. At a school with distorted hierarchy, emotional support is crucial. So, Ruth provides Raphaela a place where she could feel comfortable. Despite her appreciation, Raphaela often compares her bravery to Ruth’s.
In the narrative, Oates recalls her high school years in which she reconnects with Ruth Weidel, who gave teachers the implication that “something had happened” and how they “treated her guardedly” (Oates 561). This ties into the theme of the individual versus society. When she lived with her family, Ruth and the rest of her family were treated as outcasts and were talked about behind their backs. Now in high school, she remained alone until Oates worked up the nerve to befriend. Something had caused her to mature quickly and in the midst of that growth, Ruth created a barrier to protect herself from anymore pain.
The latter is described as being pretty and lively whereas Mrs. Wright lives the life of an outcast, keeping to herself. The loneliness in the two women’s lives adds a dark atmosphere to the respective stories as well as an undeniable gloom. In conclusion, Ruth Warren and Mrs. Wright share many life experiences and struggles, but what makes them different is the way in which those struggles shape them. While Ruth Warren retains her cheerful attitude despite her gloomy situation, Mrs. Wright becomes a shell of her former self, yielding her happiness completely to her
Instead of giving in to the man’s racist ways, Ruth holds her ground and honors her husband by displaying her pride for him and their relationship publicly. She was undeterred by the possible negative outcome of her bold actions, which is key in an effective leader. Her courage and confidence lead her to making daring decisions, like marrying a black man, moving away from home, and helping her husband create a church from scratch. “‘What color is God’s spirit?’ ‘It doesn’t have a color,’ she said.
Ruth May gives the closure that a novel needs by telling Orleanna to forgive and move on and by letting the reader know that she is at peace. The significance of the quote is to show that Ruth May is the congo now. She is apart of the congo and shares the same spirit that the congo has. Ruth May calls herelf muntu, “I am muntu Africa, muntu one child and a million all lost the ame day” (Kingsolver 537). She is saying that she is a person and that she has become one with the spirits of all those other children who have lost their lives in the congo and become a part of the congo’s
She points out how “children learn in social-studies class and in the news of lynching of blacks, denial of women rights, the murder of gay men.” How can unity and “crown thy good with brotherhood” be erudite and proficient when all that is being imparted in them is detestation and failures are being rewarded as success? In spite America’s differences, Quindlen reflects on the Arab and Jewish cabbies chauffeuring each other. Despite the fact that in their own country as well as in other countries, the two groups despise one another and are constantly at war, Quindlen exemplifies how they maintain their beliefs yet put aside their differences to obtain a better life in America. Furthermore, she explains that there are no variances between the older immigrants than the ones of today.
Morrison presents African Americans as conforming to the principles of society and utilizes Helene’s behavior towards Nel to exemplify it. Helene constantly reminds Nel to “pull her nose” so she could “grow up” with a “[nicer] nose” (55) and uses a “hot comb” (55) each week to have “smooth hair” (55). The act of altering Nel’s appearance displays Helene’s belief of Nel’s physicality to not be up to par with society’s standards, therefore discriminating against her African American heritage. The characteristics that Helene chooses to change make Nel unique to her African American heritage; therefore, by altering Nel’s image to that more of the white race, Morrison exemplifies the way discrimination influences African Americans to assimilate into the racist American society. Illustrated by the self-degradation of African Americans, Morrison displays the submissiveness and stupidity of racism.