Community posts

University Days:
James Thurber passed all his other classes except botany. He had trouble looking at cells through a microscope, he simply saw the cells as plain milk he and his teachers had frequent arguments on the act of pretending he couldn't see when in reality he was capable of seeing and drawing the cells like every other student in the classroom.  His teacher didn't believe him since he adjusted the microscope to ever scale known to man and James still claimed he couldn't see the cells. Once he thought he saw the cells and began drawing only to realize he had drawn his eye as he was looking at a reflection. Another class he had trouble with was economics, in his class there was a student that was on the football team and needed to take economics in order to be eligible for the team. His classmate had trouble as well in that class. In his gym class he wasn't able to wear glasses so he would get pushed around and bumped into. James seems to be struggling at seeing what is in front of him, literally and figuratively.   He needed to pass swimming as well but he had another person take the exam for him. James seems blind in not knowing what to do, he is attending a university but it seems as if he sees it as a chore, like he was forced to go. He also relates to another classmate who seems as if he was forced to take the class as well, to stay on the football team. This classmate was interested in journalism but had trouble with it. He wasn't able to keep his stories interesting until he wrote about what he loved, horses. They were also required to train as soldiers and he was able to drill longer than anyone had ever drilled  and was made a corporal for the achievement of being the only one to march right. The general called him to his office as he swatted flies but the author thinks he doesn't remember him, much less the reason he called him. He yelled at him for scaring the fly when he about to kill it. , stared out the window noticing the coeds crossing over to the school and then let him go. The author doesn't know why he called him over, he was confused, but doesn't think much of it anymore. It was amusing to read how the author thought he was in trouble, and the thoughts that floated in his mind, when in reality there was no real reason for the general calling him. This reminded me of parents and how sometimes they call you, but sound mad. One assumes you did something wrong, and they found out, or that you're going to be in trouble when in reality, they were calling you for dinner, or an errand, etc.  I enjoyed reading this story and the difficulties he had in his botany class. I found it funny how his teacher tried everything he possibly could to help him see the cells but James saw nothing, but "milk."

An Account of an experience with discrimination: 
In this letter sojourner Truth gives her experiences with discrimination  sojourner got into the bus but was violently being pushed and being told to get off of the bus. Truth refused to get off and was aided help from her friend by talking back to the driver saying she was a human as well. The case was tried and Truth won. She says its hard for the old slave holding spirit to die implying that once a racist, always a racist. once they put something into your head it is really difficult to change your way of thinking, much less forget what they taught you. Even though racism wasn't allowed during this time period, some people continued discriminating against African Americans believing it was the 'right" thing to do. a community shapes a persons beliefs as they grow older what surrounds a person throughout their childhood affects them as an adult. Ones' mind adapts to what you see and what you grow up with developing your beliefs as an adult. In a primary document you have an omniscient perspective, all knowing. you know what the character sees, thinks, and feels.  you are able to capture the ideas and emotions as to where on the contrast, a report is just what we are able to observe. As a community there's more knowledge when having a primary document.

To be young, gifted, and black :
the author is convinced that people make up likes to come up with our own perfect images, though no one is close to being perfect. He described the south side as each part of living a protest. Everyone seem tired and poor but determined to live. I really liked the way he stated that there are two things that should never be betrayed. ( family and race) Family is more obvious, and expected. Race though surprised me but it made me realize that race joins a community, and communities form families.His father died soon after he saw all four "children: grown up. caress embarrassed this family but embraced it and showed love to one another in the funeral home. The author learned to play alone, being the youngest. I can relate to this because i always grew up with adults. i was the youngest of the family. i had to learn by myself anything i wanted to accomplish. my sister is 13 years apart and my other  sister is 17 years apart. I liked the mood the author created when explaining how at times they would tell stories and sleep in the park. No one believed though that the stars could be that far, not anything can reach to be that high in the sky. .