Independent Reading

Racism and cruelty

Deborah Adekoya

Deborah Adekoya

Question: First, write a paragraph explaining why you chose this particular story out of the three. What drew you to it? How did you make your decision? What did you base your choice on? Then, write in another two paragraphs about the following questions: What is Colson Whitehead saying about racial relations within an institution such as education? How does he express the capacity for cruelty, as bolstered by racist ideology? Give specific examples from the text.  Your post should be well thought out, written in complete sentences, and in good grammatical standing. Remember to make it colorful and media-rich as well.

Answer:

I decided to answer this question before I actually read the story, I picked this story because it is about critical race theory. I really enjoy talking about and reading different forms of literature that have this concept. I entirely based my choice on the topic and my interests.

I believe Colson Whitehead is saying that racial relations affect institutions badly because the students can’t have fair opportunities in their educational places. In the story “The Match” we learn about black students and how most of them do boxing. The school holds this important boxing match, that brings the only form of happiness the black students feel if a match is won over a white student. Griff, a black student, was made to believe his match was fair, till the white superintendent came and told him that in the third round he should let the white student win or else they’ll kill him. I believe they instructed Griff to do so because the white people didn’t want to place bets on black students. This story highlights most systems that are part of critical race theory. Were black folks are put “lose situation” and there isn’t such thing as justice.

What I found different about this story is, that Griff who was put in the “lose situation” did not give in to what the white man wanted. This doesn’t usually happen in these narratives. Whitehead definitely emphasized cruelty when in the story we find out that Griff was not counting the matches, and in the match, he was supposed to give up in the continued fighting because he thought it was the second match. The white people ended up killing him anyway, this part was definitely very cruel. This narrative like most racial-based narratives definitely shows the white man as the bad one and the black people as the victims, just like many other racial-based stories. I feel like the unfairness in this story adds to the cruelty capacity, the fact that grown men have the guts to ruin young boys’ games in order to “keep the system alive.”

Happy endings

Atiyyah M Hussein

I chose “Happy endings’ ‘ by Margaret Atwood because it’s a story that’s relatable to almost all age groups, a mixture of second and third person omniscient narrative point of view. I chose this story because it conveys a different kind of message, a message that it is not the end point that matters in a relationship, but the process. I think the main point Atwood is making is any difficulty in achieving A, a happy death, is our struggle. And Atwood wants us to focus on how we overcome these challenges, because the end does not matter if we succeed.

     Atwood makes a good argument but is it more important to to know how or why it happened than to know what happened. “Knowing” and “understanding” is two different things. Knowing is static and  while understanding is active, describing the ability to analyze and place those facts in context to form a big picture. Without knowledge, understanding is impossible. Knowing ‘how & why” something happen can make you understand a situation better and know how to prevent it from happening again.

The horror of Frankenstein

natalie hoosain

In Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein,” I would define the scenario as one of a “fabricating” that was imagined and designed to be ideal but was neglected by his maker and humanity. Victor, who had at long last realized his lifelong dream of employing science to create true existence. Due to the way Frankenstein seems and behaves, the creator begins to regret his decision to make him. Victor is haunted by Frankenstein, and when he dies, he leaves Walton his wish to kill him. Despite being classified as a “monster” species and despised by even his own creator, Frankenstein laments the death of his father.Despite being regarded as evil and solely being described with adjectives like terrible and other labels that accurately reflected his lifestyle, Frankenstein nevertheless felt the pain of losing a loved one. Frankenstein disintegrated into a shell who was disoriented with himself, even after being used as a dangerous weapon. We saw how he came to the decision that he wasn’t worth living in a world that hates him because of his misery. The cherry on top was Victor’s death, which put a stop to his will to live.

According to the concept of critical disability, a person’s conduct and behaviors are influenced by how they are recognized and viewed by the society in which they live. People are more likely to act impulsively when they are treated unfairly. Because of the harsh society appraisals and sympathy it experienced as a result of its physical appearance, the monster Frankenstein was driven to murder his creator. The story is used to show how the energy mass views anything that isn’t a direct reflection of themselves as terrifying and worthy of contemplation. It shows that all he needed was one person who understood and possibly appreciated him in order to live a life free of prejudice.

Atwood’s Endings

Shakhrizoda Sadriddinova

I chose this particular story because the author provides hope in “Happy Endings,” establishing the faith that challenges can be overcome, love can last, fences can be rebuilt, and good can prevail. The main point of “Happy Endings” was for Margaret Atwood to help readers and other novelists understand the significance of the “how and why” conclusion is reached rather than what the conclusion itself is made up of because all stories end in death.
Once all of the story’s versions have been presented, a narrative view leaves to inform the reader that the ending of each version is the same, which is the true ending as follows: John and Mary will die. The tone, on the other hand, notes that the writer has more will to change in determining what to add in the beginnings and middles of stories. Is it more important to know how or why it happened because more how gives you a deeper understanding of why and more why gives you a deeper understanding of how.

The horror of Frankenstein

angelica.singh001@stu.bmcc.cuny.edu

I would classify the story in Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein” as that of a “fabricating” that was conceived and supposed to be ideal but was ignored by his maker and humanity. Victor, who had finally achieved his lifelong ambition of using science to create a true existence. The creator begins to regret his decision to create Frankenstein due to the way said creation seems and behaves. Victor haunts Frankenstein, and when he dies, he leaves his wish to kill Frankenstein to Walton. We discover that Frankenstein laments the death of his father despite being labeled as the “monster” species and hated by even his own creator. Frankenstein still felt the agony of losing a loved one despite his suffering of being labeled as evil and only being described with adjectives like horrific and other names that described his lifestyle thoroughly. Even after being utilized as a dangerous weapon, Frankenstein eventually degenerated into a shell who was disoriented with himself. We witness how all his suffering led him to the conclusion that he wasn’t worth living in a world that rejects him. Victor’s death was the cherry on top, putting an end to his will to live.

A person’s behavior and behaviors are influenced by how they are perceived and viewed by the society in which they live, according to the notion of critical disability. When people are treated unfairly, they are more inclined to act erratically. The monster Frankenstein was tormented by the negative societal evaluations and pity it received because of its physical appearance, which drove it to murder its creator. The story is used to demonstrate how the energy mass regards anything that isn’t a direct mirror of themselves as frightening and deserving of contemplation. It demonstrates that all he needed was one person comprehended him, and potentially appreciated him in order to live a life free of bias.

The Horror of Frankenstein

Sicong wu

The reason I choose this article is I love sci-fi genre novel. It brings me out of the real world, and it expands my imaginary. Also, Sci-fi novel makes me realize that there are many possibles for human. Before this assignment, I had already heard about this book. Therefore, I am curiosity what are some details in Frankenstein and how does it plot go.

Frankenstein inaugurated the sci-fi genre novel, but is also inaugurated the horror movie age. In my opinion, horror movies are so popular because they creates a different type of scare for people. This kind of scare is not like that we are afraid of receiving punishment from our parents when we were kids. This scare come with horror movies is having a little excitement and curiosity. In my own experience, most of my friends and me are like having the same feeling when we watched a horror movie. We will feel scare when we saw the horrible scene, and we will try to use the pillow to hide screen. But after that, we will still curiosity what would happen in the next plot. Some of pressure will disappear after I finish watching horror movie. In a way, horror movies can help people adjust their emotion. That is the reason why I think horror movie is so popular.

The Horror of Frankenstein

Alkasti

Independent reading Alkast Grullon

The particular reason why I chose this shirt story was that I like things that have to do with horror. Some factors in my decision-making process were social factors, past experiences, and my interest in horror. Another particular reason why this story called my attention was that the story taps into fear, by combining the unnatural and exposing terrifying acts.

I don’t agree that only the privileged are good enough to enjoy the horror genre. I strongly disagree because to feel fear for fun you don’t have to be the richest in society nor have the freest time of all. Horror is a genre of speculative fiction, which is intended to frighten/scare. Horror turns psychological fears and trauma into a real external presence.

I believe that horror movies have become so popular over the years is because individuals find it enjoyable to pay to feel fear. Horror movies became more accessible, allowing a genuine fan base to form. The VCR grew in popularity, allowing a new marketplace for horror movies. Horror is pleasurable to many people because it lets us play with negative emotions and develop coping strategies. We learn what it feels like to be truly afraid, and we learn how to handle negative emotions.