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ID#99999: Thesis: Fantasy Literature allows readers to empathize with marginalized people. 

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ID#99999: Thesis: Fantasy Literature allows readers to empathize with marginalized people. 

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In the CW television series, The Vampire Diaries, the writers gain sympathy for people who are different through the characterization of the lead vampires, Stefan and Damon Salvator. These brothers are vampires who are trying to live a normal life. They move back home after 150 years since their kind was originally hunted down and killed. In 1864, the townspeople had assumed the attacks on their people were because of the vampires; therefore, they blamed them, tracked them down and killed them (“Blood”). The townspeople were scared--they did not understand the vampires nor their ways of life. Therefore, they eliminated them. The audience of Vampire Diaries get to know the good character of both Stefan and Damon. Because of this, they gain sympathy for them.

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ID#187822: Thesis: In communities, people silence others because they do not want to accept change and create a new society. 

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ID#187822: Thesis: In communities, people silence others because they do not want to accept change and create a new society. 

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In a poem called  “Things Haunt” written by Joshua Espinoza, a trans woman in America, the struggle of being silenced because she was born differently is expressed. The author believes that society is limiting her ability to share who she truly is to the world because they do not want to break stereotypes and create a new normal. She shares that, “ The road ahead bends sideways and I lurch within myself. I’m full of ugly feelings, awful thoughts, bad dreams of doom, and so much love left unspoken” (Espinoza). Joshua is trying to determine how she identifies and it shows her internal struggle of trying to find herself when the world deems her a misfit. She includes the word “unspoken” in her poem which signifies her torment of not being able to say everything on her mind. Society is forcing silence on her because they do not want to create an inclusive place that accepts all people.

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ID# 189522 Thesis: Many societal norms are put into place in order to allow certain people to have power over others by the silencing of a certain group.

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ID# 189522 Thesis: Many societal norms are put into place in order to allow certain people to have power over others by the silencing of a certain group.

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Additionally, societal norms are a large part in creating inequalities in power in order to give one group power over another. In Dorothy Parker's (Underlined) The Waltz, we can see her being taken advantage of through norms. “What can you say, when a man asks you to dance with him?” (Parker). The social norm is for people to say yes when a man asks them to dance regardless of what they think. The girl does not want to dance but has no choice because it would be going against what is considered proper by the society around her. This gives the man power over her, and lets the man do what he wants since the author has been silenced and is unable to stand up for herself.

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ID#238379 - Thesis :The promise of America tells us that everyone has the ability to achieve freedom and equality, however, this is something that is only accessible by a small section of the population. In order to make this promise of America a reality for all, giving marginalized groups a voice to share their experiences and accepting them without questioning their identity are some steps we can take to create a more inclusive society 

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ID#238379 - Thesis :The promise of America tells us that everyone has the ability to achieve freedom and equality, however, this is something that is only accessible by a small section of the population. In order to make this promise of America a reality for all, giving marginalized groups a voice to share their experiences and accepting them without questioning their identity are some steps we can take to create a more inclusive society 

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After her struggles of losing her sense of identity due to society’s prejudices, Espinoza pleads society to listen to marginalized groups’ experiences and give them a voice through the poem “Things Haunt”.As a result of not being taken seriously by society being a trans woman, Espinoza has one request -  “I give and I ask for only one thing--- Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me.”(Espinoza)The repetition of the phrase “Hear me”(Espinoza) highlights the tone of desperation that is seen in the last stanza of this poem. Espinoza’s tone is significant of the extent to which society has forced marginalized groups to hide their voices and stay quiet about how they are mistreated.  They have been suppressed for so long that they are not even begging to be treated differently or for change, rather they just want society to listen to their experiences without doubting or questioning them.  Society has conditioned marginalized groups to accept the way that they are treated and accept that they will always be second class citizens, making them feel trapped. This sheds light on an inherent problem in our society where there is an abuse of power for the happiness of only a very small section of the population, i.e. white males. To move towards a more inclusive society, Espinoza tells us that society should take the struggles and experiences of marginalized groups seriously by giving them a chance to be heard instead of continuing the systemic oppression and discrimination of these groups.

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ID#233377: Thesis: Freedom is the ability to express one's mind and to accept oneself without doubt and discrimination, and through the works of poems “Things Haunt” and “Basketball”, it is clear when one knows if they are free or not by their internal mindset.

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ID#233377: Thesis: Freedom is the ability to express one's mind and to accept oneself without doubt and discrimination, and through the works of poems “Things Haunt” and “Basketball”, it is clear when one knows if they are free or not by their internal mindset.

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"Things Haunt" by Joshua Espinoza expresses the idea that freedom is found through the views of yourself and if people can accept your views without a discriminatory perspective. From the fifth line of the solemn 16 line poem, Espinoza starts to write about the views of others. “Is mercury in retrograde? someone asks. Someone answers, No, it’s something else like that though. Something else like that. That should be my name. When you ask me am I really a woman, a human being, a coherent identity, I’ll say No, I’m something else like that though.” (Espinoza, lines 5-11) The phrase “mercury in retrograde” (Espinoza, line 5) is an allusion to an idea in astronomy in which is defined as a make-believe phenomenon which “occurs around three times a year, and when it happens, the things the planet rules tend to be ‘buggered up.’ This may mean if you’re meeting a friend for coffee, you go to the wrong cafe. Or you experience minor car troubles, like a flat tire.” (Hensley) This use of allusion implies that people view the subject in this poem as different, or rather abnormal or bugged. She is not free from the prejudice or opinions of others, thinking of her as such an anomaly.  “I’ll say No, I’m something else like that though.”(Espinoza, line 11)  is meant to represent how even within her conscience she is unfree to truly accept her own feelings, being forced to express negative connotations of herself for her own safety from discrimination. She even uses the word “someone” (Espinoza, line 6)  when describing the reply from herself to a question asked by someone else, further exemplifying how little she is free to express herself.

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ID#213875: Thesis: Although being American means having equal opportunities and freedom of expression, these privileges only apply to white Americans as minorities and the LGBTQ community are marginalized because they don’t fit the stereotypical image of an American.

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ID#213875: Thesis: Although being American means having equal opportunities and freedom of expression, these privileges only apply to white Americans as minorities and the LGBTQ community are marginalized because they don’t fit the stereotypical image of an American.

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Discrimination is discrimination regardless if it is over somebody’s 🤬 or ethnicity. In both of the perspectives mentioned above, a certain population is marginalized and subjugated by white Americans who believe they are superior to them. Many families are forced to assimilate into American cultures in order to feel more accepted and countless LGBTQ people live in the closet due to the fear of being an outcast. I believe that all the authors would agree with one another and support each other as they are both facing discrimination, just through different facets.

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Thesis: People silence others by judgment that can be cruel and rude, this   breaks down and destroys a person’s well being resulting in a person  to hiding their true self or true emotions.

The primary method Dorothy Parker uses in the story The Waltz is she gives an example of how she is afraid of being judged which silences the character in the story and. Also, women in the eighteenth century were silenced because of their gender. The woman in the story of after being kicked by a man she does not want to dance with explains “Die he must, and die he shall, for what he did to me. I don’t want to be of the over-sensitive type, but you can’t tell me that kick unpremeditated” (Parker 2). The author stated “over-sensitive type” to show the audience that the woman in the story will not speak her mind because she does not want to be looked at as being “over-sensitive.” The woman is so scared of the cruel judgment of other people that might judge her that she will not let her true emotions out and show because of the judgment she might receive. She does not want to be different than everyone else and she would rather choose to be silent than to explain her true emotions to the man. The author is showing a motif which is this idea of how the woman in the story can not speak her mind because of the fear of being judged This fear that she has is destroying her well-being and self-happiness because she is living her life in hiding from the people around her to “fit in” to societal norms. The text helps inform the audience that people in our society struggle with these same very problems as the character did and society needs to stop being so judgemental because it tears a person down.

According to the International Journal of Advanced Education and Research states “In the 18th century, women lived in an age characterized by gender inequality. It was the man dominated society. All the power and pleasure were only for men” (Renu). The idea of “All the power and pleasure were only for men” shows exactly why women felt they were unable to ever have power over their own life.The idea of a woman not having power show why women feel they can not speak up for themself or speak their mind because women feel they are not entitled to have power. By woman not feeling as if they do not have power as an individual, connects and funnels down to the idea of why women can not speak up for themselves. The fear of judgment from other results of women believing she does not have the power to speak up about what is on her mind

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ID#204775 Thesis:Freedom is the ability to do whatever you desire without having other people tell you that you can't because if you can't do what you desire you are restricted from happiness. 

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ID#204775 Thesis:Freedom is the ability to do whatever you desire without having other people tell you that you can't because if you can't do what you desire you are restricted from happiness. 

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Freedom is when you can do and say whatever you want without having to be told you can't. As shown by the two authors, they aren't free from doing what they want. For example with Frohman,  LGBTQ arent free from coming out because of what other people think of them so they created a “closet” to hide in. With Lahiri, her character isn't free from her mother who is overprotective and wont let her do the things she wants to do. The two authors may differ at the meaning of what it means to be free, one isn't free from society and one isnt free from their parent to do what she wants.

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ID# 189411: thesis:  In order to fulfill the promise of America, the steps necessary to create a more inclusive society include listening and connecting with people whose beliefs or appearances may not align with traditional American values before criticizing or judging them, because this will create a safer and more welcoming environment for all Americans.

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ID# 189411: thesis:  In order to fulfill the promise of America, the steps necessary to create a more inclusive society include listening and connecting with people whose beliefs or appearances may not align with traditional American values before criticizing or judging them, because this will create a safer and more welcoming environment for all Americans.

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According to Lahiri, American society tends to stereotype and isolate immigrants whose appearances don’t match the status quo, to the point where immigrants feel like they don’t belong. “I was furious with my mother for making a scene before we left the house and forcing me to wear a shalwar kameez. I knew they assumed, from my clothing, that I had more in common with the other Bengalis than with them.” (Lahiri) Lahiri depicts how American society has created an environment where minority groups whose appearances do not match the status quo are automatically outcast from the majority, and stereotyped as too different simply because of their appearance. “He had arrived in January, in the middle of a snowstorm, and at the end of a week he had packed his bags and gone to Logan, prepared to abandon the opportunity he’d worked toward all his life, only to change his mind at the last minute” (Lahiri) Pranab was going to go back and turn down the ideal American Dream of being able to obtain a degree from one of the most renowned colleges of the US because of the non inclusive environment he perceived. Thus, in order to create a more inclusive society America should try to create an environment where we welcome immigrants, so they can feel safe and fit in with others. This can be done through social events, or support groups that are easily accessible to immigrants.  With a stronger community, immigrants are more likely to feel accepted and less likely to face the situation described by Lahiri.

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ID#205423: Thesis: Freedom is being able to express oneself without repercussions, and because of this it is crucial to not restrict others’ individual choices.

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ID#205423: Thesis: Freedom is being able to express oneself without repercussions, and because of this it is crucial to not restrict others’ individual choices.

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“Dear Straight People”, a poem by Denice Frohman, expresses her frustrations towards heterosexual people as someone part of the LGBTQ+ community. “Why do you have to stare at me when I’m holding my girlfriend’s hand like I’m about to rob you?” (Frohman). It can be seen that Frohman, as well as those part of the LGBTQ+ community, face rejection and isolation from society because of the fact that they do not fit into what is considered “normal”. Society does not accept them for who they are. When people like Frohman decide to express themselves, they are shunned and ostracized. The simile “like I’m about to rob you” effectively conveys to what degree Frohman is rejected by society. She is looked upon as dangerous by many because she is not straight, because her identity seems alien and foreign to them. All Frohman was shown to do was hold her girlfriend’s hand, but the response she received was one of fear and hostility. It is shocking that such an antagonistic reaction would be caused by someone holding another’s hand. Frohman and others similar to her are dealing with repercussions that go to the point of aggression just for being who they are. They do not have freedom as their identities deviate from the rules of society. The repercussions that Frohman faces from others is a horrible experience painful to even hear of. From this, it can be seen that taking away freedom from others causes great suffering. The benefit that certain groups receive is not worth the sacrifice others are forced to make. Thus, it is important to make sure others’ freedoms are not taken away by letting them express themselves without deprecation.

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ID#189479: Thesis: Freedom is the ability of a person to independently make choices, the recognition of a person’s voice, and the ability of a person to think for themselves. Freedom is taken away from people in modern society by subtle means by restricting any of these three prerequisites.

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ID#189479: Thesis: Freedom is the ability of a person to independently make choices, the recognition of a person’s voice, and the ability of a person to think for themselves. Freedom is taken away from people in modern society by subtle means by restricting any of these three prerequisites.

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While there are many differences between the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper and Espinoza, their struggle is very much the same. They are both deprived of freedom in all three ways possible. The narrator is denied the ability to make her own choices by her husband, while Espinoza is denied the freedom of choice by the intolerance of society. Both of their voices are silenced: the narrator’s voice is drowned out by that of her husband while people refuse to hear Espinoza’s struggle. Without being heard, one cannot even hope to gain the ability to make their own independent decisions. Lastly, both start to lose control of their own thoughts in their head. The narrator starts to go insane in The Yellow Wallpaper and Espinoza starts to doubt the veracity of her own sexuality and identity. Without freedom in their own minds, each of their own conditions can only become worse. They lose the ability to think or act in the favor of their own freedom, and therefore become less and less free. Freedom can ultimately be divided into three components- options, voice, and an untainted mind. Many people’s freedom is compromised by limitations on any one of these components. Without people being aware of what makes them free, they are susceptible to oppression.

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Thesis:  People are silenced because the silencers want to take advantage of them and keep society from changing and having dissent instead of universal conformity, ultimately leading to a basic society that cannot expand and grow.          BODY PARAGRAPH: “Terror in slogan clohting” and “ Shame our own opinion”  Both authors would disagree would the silencing of anyone.  THey would both call for everyone to have a voice and say in society without being silenced or having their voices ignored.  They would both think this because they both talk about how some experiences are unpleasant.  It can be inferred that the good experience would the opposite of the negative thing they are currently speaking of.  Pinero speaking of terror from the police would mean that he wants good police and a good society.  Emerson speaking of taking shame of own opinion would mean that he wants people to be able to have their own opinions and thoughts and be proud of them.

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ID#205233, Thesis:  People silence others because the idea of fitting into norms created by society are being targeted towards those who have different gender identities and sexualities, and when people don’t fit into these norms, they are often judged and ridiculed.

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ID#205233, Thesis:  People silence others because the idea of fitting into norms created by society are being targeted towards those who have different gender identities and sexualities, and when people don’t fit into these norms, they are often judged and ridiculed.

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These stories represent the harm that marginalization has on people, and that everyone is worthy of respect, no matter who you love. They also convey that telling someone they shouldn’t be who they are won’t change who they are; it just brings them down and encourages them to stay silent, which goes against the freedom to express oneself. Both, Frohman and Espinoza, would agree that people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community need to be heard, recognized and accepted. Frohman emphasizes, “Dear Queer Young Girl, I see you” (Frohman), to express that queer people are silenced and shouldn’t feel the need to “change the pronouns in your love poems to ‘him’ instead of ‘her’” (Frohman). Frohman includes the words “I see you” (Frohman), to inform members of the LGBTQIA+ community that they aren’t alone, and that they deserve to be treated as equal. Espinoza expresses the internal struggle of hiding someone’s true self and shares the feeling of pressure experienced through her lines, “I give and I ask for only one thing--Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me.” (Line 15-16, Espinoza). Espinoza uses repetition of the phrase “Hear me” (Espinoza), to emphasize her desperate tone to be heard and to express who she really is.

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ID#189041 Thesis: American culture means assimilating American culture. 

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ID#189041 Thesis: American culture means assimilating American culture. 

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America is not not like other countries, it appeals to the individual. You are self reliant and watch out for yourself. In "Children as enemies" An asian family was in turmoil as one side still kept their asian roots while slowly adapting to the american culture. The rest of his family wanted to abandon the asian roots and fully assimilate into americans. "This is America, where we must learn self-reliance and mind our own business."(Children as enemies)
This meant that we should learn not focus on other people as americans, but focus on ourselves. People should maintain their cultural roots while also embracing the amercian side finding the perfect balance.

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ID#201297  Freedom is being able to be yourself and make your own choices. It means that you can do whatever you want to do and are free to use your voice to express yourself how you please.  

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ID#201297  Freedom is being able to be yourself and make your own choices. It means that you can do whatever you want to do and are free to use your voice to express yourself how you please.  

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If the two authors met then they would agree that freedom is the ability to choose what you do and express yourself how you want to. However, Pinero would disagree that people are free if they can choose who they want to marry, and live their own life with ,because there are still other components to freedom that he expands on in his poem that arent in  pranab's story such as police, government laws , and other outside factors that can prevent somebody from having freedom. The puerto ticans in new york could choose who they wanted to marry but they still were not free, because they were silenced, oppressed, and were not given a voice to express themselves.

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Puerto Ricans are being marginalized and harassed for trying  to buy their flag in souvenir stores by the police and are looked at with suspicsion and as non-americans.

This seems to be unfair and being racist because although they come from a union territory it does not mean that they should be  treated like non-americans and as seperatist groups in their own country.

1.  Moving on,  some groups are also marginalized because they have different opinions about what is considered being an American. Some believe that becoming American means to leave your traditional roots behind and become westernized and act like white people do. Others want to live in the USA and follow their culture and they think being an American means to be accepted in society regardless of their ethnicity and race, and be treated with equality.

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ID#230491: In order to align the reality of America with the values of equality it supposedly holds itself by, we should be more tolerant towards those who are marginalized by today's societal standards.

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ID#230491: In order to align the reality of America with the values of equality it supposedly holds itself by, we should be more tolerant towards those who are marginalized by today's societal standards.

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1. Joshua Jennifer Espinoza, the author of “Things Haunt”, shows the unfair, unconscious treatment of transgender individuals by greater society, even if it is widely accepted.

2. ”When you ask me am I really a woman, a human being, a coherent identity, I’ll say No, I’m something else like that though.”This shows that even though she is not directly discriminated against by others, Espinoza is still hurt by the default conception of her as a trans woman rather than simply a woman.

3. While both types of marginalization are vastly different and are executed in separate ways, both are the result of a society that puts too much faith in the social norms and gives too little acceptance to those who are exclude

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ID# 188593 thesis: People silence others because they gain power by keeping others down and not letting them speak, which is important because keeping people from voicing their opinions and speaking out their thoughts because of their race, gender or how they identify isn't fair to the victim who isn't being treated equally which isn't giving everyone fair rights. 

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ID# 188593 thesis: People silence others because they gain power by keeping others down and not letting them speak, which is important because keeping people from voicing their opinions and speaking out their thoughts because of their race, gender or how they identify isn't fair to the victim who isn't being treated equally which isn't giving everyone fair rights. 

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If Ronald Dahl and Joshua Espinoza were to talk, they wouldn’t see eye-to-eye. Dahl was born in 1916, a time where being gay was heavily shunned and being transgender was unheard of completely. I suspect he wouldn’t necessarily agree with how Espinoza identifies, but I think he would listen to her. He would, at least, be able to admit that the silencing and marginalization of others is a huge problem, and should be stopped. He obviously understands people who are oppressed and treated unfairly, because it's a common theme in his writing. Not only “Lamb to the Slaughter” but also “Matilda” and “Boy: Tales of Childhood” where it tells about how he was often beaten by his school and parents because of the time period he grew up in. He would understand more than anything that being silenced is a very demeaning thing, and unfortunately also a very common thing. Even though he wouldn't agree with Espinoza's identity, he might at least listen and would agree with what she says about being silenced. Espinoza would definitely listen to Dahl, and would sympathize with what he’s gone through, given that she seems to have had a rough life so far too.

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Thesis: Because the main reason people are excluded is due to them being viewed as “different”, in order to create a more inclusive society, individualism should be normalized and valued more.

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thesis:
Freedom does not exist for people recognized as colored or the LGBTQ community because of injustice, discrimin
ation and certain conventions placed in today’s society
Synthesis:
One can not have full freedom with these limitations and conventions. As part of the lgbtq community and immigrants who are considered minority to white citizens they must accept the  consequences and responsibilities that come with this sort of freedom. The freedom we are provided with does not allow us to make choices for our own life and develop our true potential and value as citizens living in this country.  In both Dear straight people and West Side Story, people are discriminated for who they are as individuals. Due to them being looked at differently, they feel the world they live in is an estrange place where they don’t feel belonged. As much as we believe that America is the land of opportunities and freedom, every individual living in this country does not have the right to full freedom due to injustice and discrimination.we all come from different backgrounds when coming into this country. As much as we hope to become accepted so does every other citizen no matter their gender, 🤬 and nationality. No one deserves to feel as they are a minority compared to others. For everyone to have their full right of freedom we have to accept people for who they are and not judge them based on how they express themselves or where they come from

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ID#226766 Thesis: In order to create a more inclusive society that fulfills the promises of America, we must acknowledge that inclusivity is a multi-dimensional issue that requires not only individual allyship but in addition, political action.

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ID#226766 Thesis: In order to create a more inclusive society that fulfills the promises of America, we must acknowledge that inclusivity is a multi-dimensional issue that requires not only individual allyship but in addition, political action.

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To further the understanding and to voice the perspectives of these alienated groups, we must also have a look at the systems currently put in place that have caused for the continuing of their oppression. Inclusivity is about support and while individual mindsets and verbal affirmations do have a large impact, we must view inclusivity on a broader spectrum. Political reform of many systems currently in place in the U.S. are essential to the inclusivity of marginalized people. In an article written by Paul Pierson and Michèle Lamont called “Inequality is a Multidimensional Process”, they discuss the prominence of our government on alienated groups and the importance of political action. They say: “...structures of inequality are self-reinforcing and cumulative; they become durable.” (Paul Pierson and Michèle Lamont, American Academy of Arts and Science Daedalus)

Certain structures and systems including out criminal justice system, our healthcare system, our employment climate, housing climate, etc. are strongly resistant to positive change, and must be reformed with action of equal strength of that trying to preserve its exclusion. Taking effective action is so incredibly crucial when it comes to diversifying a society. Performative activism and shallow public statements are nothing more than marketing. In order to dismantle a system that has been purposely put in place with explicit bias and are created intentionally to perform in a harmful way, we need to be taking functional and productive measures.

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ID#221894 Thesis:Silencing people can diminish individuals and groups because it takes away opportunities to think and restricts their freedom as people

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ID#221894 Thesis:Silencing people can diminish individuals and groups because it takes away opportunities to think and restricts their freedom as people

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In Self Reliance, Ralph W.E highlights that to speak your own mind is true thought. The smartest and most influential people in our history are those who spoke their own mind, and to silence yourself is losing an opportunity.
Self Reliance emphasizes that rejecting our own thoughts because we believe they are wrong may cost us later when, “[e]lse to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time”(Emerson, 1). The reader can understand why, because the fear of being wrong is inherent in every individual.
The shame comes from realizing that we will be forced to hear what we already know, from someone else, with no credit nor praise. 
Emerson uses famous historical figures such as Plato, Moses, and Milton to convey his point that only those who speak can be heard. In describing the law and restrictions placed on us by society, he acknowledges that self reliance is the only form of resistance.
An individual’s fear of being wrong or rejected is what keeps his thoughts from helping the world around us. Even though we may not have genius or world changing thoughts hidden away, there is still a certain benefit to speaking up. Whether that be helping a friend or simply sharing ideas, it can help not only you but those around you. 

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ID#187860: Thesis: Those with power will silence others because it gives them the ability to eliminate different opinions.

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ID#187860: Thesis: Those with power will silence others because it gives them the ability to eliminate different opinions.

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In “Things Haunt”, Espinoza talks about her struggle with her identity. She explains how she has been prevented speaking, using analogies and descriptive words to show it. She tries to get the point across that she only wants to be heard, not to be silenced and allow bigotry and hate to grow. To address this issue, at the end of the poem, she says: “I give and I ask for only one thing-Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Bear the weight of my voice and don’t forget-things haunt” (Espinoza 16-18). The repetition of the phrase “hear me” is used 6 times at the end of this poem. It is used as a way to bring the feeling of desperation in her voice. Espinoza says that she is essentially being silenced here. By saying “hear me”, it means that no one bothers to listen to her ideas. The main reason this is the case is because some people want to silence her opinions. Many people have the power to silence her differing opinions on gender, sexuality, etc. The result is shown here, where her voice is not heard and she is desperate for people to listen. From an oppressor standpoint, they were successfully able to remove her opinion by silencing her. She also says “bear the weight of my voice”. She does so because other people need to stand up for her and spread her ideas. Otherwise, her voice wouldn’t be heard and she wouldn’t be able to speak out. By asking others to bear her voice, it shows that her voice has been silenced. Again, it was only silenced because she has differing opinions from those in power. This power was gained through suppressing those with different ideas.

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ID#187804 Thesis: Being ‘free’ is being able to express yourself without fear of scrutiny or consequences

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ID#187804 Thesis: Being ‘free’ is being able to express yourself without fear of scrutiny or consequences

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In Hell-Heaven, Jhumpa Lahiri tells a story of a man named Pranab Kaku moving to America, being welcomed by a family he found, and marrying an American girl. Neither his own family nor most members of his foster family approve of the marriage, but he marries anyways, creating a happy family. Pranab breaks the news to his newer family first that he intends to marry Deborah, and they, reluctantly, agree to put in a good word about this with Pranab’s real family. His real family is outraged, calling Pranab spoiled and corrupted. In spite of his family rejecting the marriage, Pranab states that he will marry anyways because of the support of the new family. “ In the face of this refusal, Pranab Kaku shrugged. “I don’t care. Not everyone can be as open-minded as you,” he told my parents. “Your blessing is blessing enough.” (Lahiri 5) Pranab chooses his feelings over his families’ approvals and goes on to raise a family that he is happy with.

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ID#189029: Thesis: People can be silenced through the societal expectations applied to their identities, and this silence can give other people more control over the dominant narrative. 

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ID#189029: Thesis: People can be silenced through the societal expectations applied to their identities, and this silence can give other people more control over the dominant narrative. 

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In Things Haunt, Joshua Jennifer Espinoza describes how she is silenced when she is open about her identity, and how it has affected her. She writes, “When you ask me am I really a woman, a human being, a coherent identity, I’ll say No, I’m something else like that though” (Espinoza). Trans people are often not accepted easily as their actual identities. When their identities are questioned so frequently by so many around them, it can cause them to doubt themselves. Trans people are also often dehumanized, since they do not fit the societal norms of gender. By being perceived as not or less than human, their credibility is attacked, and through that, their thoughts, opinions, and identities are invalidated. When someone doesn’t fit into the specific world that you are comfortable in, it can be easier to silence them rather than confront new ideas. Brushing off trans people’s identities on the merit of them not fitting into the structure of gender that has been previously used keeps new ideas about gender and humanity out of the conversation.

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ID#194650 Thesis: Silencing others begins from conforming to society’s judgements based on gender and communication can be lost when someone is silenced.

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ID#194650 Thesis: Silencing others begins from conforming to society’s judgements based on gender and communication can be lost when someone is silenced.

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“The Waltz” is a major story in revealing how peoples’ thoughts are lost and have to conform to society. In this short story a girl is asked to dance by a boy. When the boy asks the girl she accepts the invitation, but immediately wonders, “What can you say, when a man asks you to dance with him? I most certainly will not dance with you, I'll see you in hell first. Why, thank you, I'd like to awfully, but I'm having labor pains. Oh, yes, do let's dance together -- it's so nice to meet a man who isn't a scaredy-cat about catching my beri-beri. No. There was nothing for me to do, but say I'd adore to.” (Parker) This quote from “The Waltz” demonstrates the girls reaction to not being able to say, “no”. She feels that she can’t convey her true feelings because it would be rude, causing her to silence herself and be silenced by society. Society in this case silences her because the option to say, “no” in this case is rude and the concept that people will look down upon you if you are rude. However this happened multiple times throughout the story. During the dance, the boy missteps and kicks the girls shin. This causes the girl to have a conflicting view with herself on how the boy is rude. Even though she has these thoughts she say, “Oh, my shin. My poor, poor shin, that I've had ever since I was a little girl! Oh, no, no, no. Goodness, no. It didn't hurt the least little bit. And anyway it was my fault. Really it was. Truly. Well, you're just being sweet, to say that. It really was all my fault.” (Parker) This quote reveals the true thoughts of the girl to what she says. She does not say to the boy that it hurts a lot, but says that it does not hurt at all. This proves that she has to conform to society because she can’t convey her feelings and takes the blame for the boy’s actions.

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ID#220426: Thesis: True freedom is the people’s ability to have opinions on topics and to be able to act upon those opinions as they wish. This is because freedom gives people the right to choose what they want to do with their lives

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ID#220426: Thesis: True freedom is the people’s ability to have opinions on topics and to be able to act upon those opinions as they wish. This is because freedom gives people the right to choose what they want to do with their lives

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The authors share a common goal of showing how america has negatively impacted what they feel like is true freedom. While Jin came to america in order to have a voice, America was brought to Pinero’s home and he lost his voice. Where the two differ is that Jin would post likely have said he had a positive experience in america becoming a writer, while Pinero would say that America has only created negative experiences for him. This may be caused by the key difference in their stories. Jin came to america and Pinero had america come to him. Thi slight difference could account for the way that they view Americas impact. In the end both experiences focused on freedoms. Pinero who had his taken and Jin’s grandchildren who used theirs against his wishes.

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ID #189088 Thesis: People silence others because they gain a power dynamic.

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ID #189088 Thesis: People silence others because they gain a power dynamic.

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In The Waltz, the main character is reluctant to dance with a boy who asks her. With not much choice as a female during this time period, she accepts the request,  and throughout the story, she regrets her decision more and more. It is nearing the end of their dance and she doesn’t enjoy this dance. When the boy starts hurting her, she says to herself, “The only way I can tell when he steps on me is that I can hear the splintering of bones” (Parker 6). By saying the “splintering of bones,” it is clear that it is a near death experience and she doesn’t speak up. The fact that she doesn’t speak up might symbolize that there are consequences if she speaks up against a man because she is a female who must obey men during that time period. In summary, this is a power dynamic where the men have more power over women during that time period and it still exists.

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ID#194523 Thesis: Freedom is so important because the world runs on freedom, so everyone granted true freedom would lead to a better and more productive society. 

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ID#194523 Thesis: Freedom is so important because the world runs on freedom, so everyone granted true freedom would lead to a better and more productive society. 

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According to Jhumpa Lahiri he says, “Don’t think you’ll get away with marrying an American, the way Pranab Kaku did.” His mother is restricting him from having true freedom which leads to conflict later on in the story, where if she had not said this and let him marry whoever he wants there would not be such conflict. This is a tendency in Asian American families as well because some parents would not approve of their children marrying a race outside of their culture. This is extremely wrong because it takes away one’s freedom and causes racial controversy.

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ID#213541: Thesis: The steps necessary to fulfill the promise of America to create a more inclusive society should involve removing the abolishment of using race as a way to marginalize people within a society, because this would guarantee equal opportunities and rights for everyone.

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ID#213541: Thesis: The steps necessary to fulfill the promise of America to create a more inclusive society should involve removing the abolishment of using race as a way to marginalize people within a society, because this would guarantee equal opportunities and rights for everyone.

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“this slave blessed land, where nuyoricans come in search of spiritual identity, are greeted with profanity, this is insanity that americanos are showered, with shoe shine kisses” (Pinero). This line comes from the perspective of a Puerto Rican immigrant who moved to New York. It states that as a Nyuorican, (slang for a Puerto Rican who moved to NY) he came to America searching for new opportunities and a purpose for his life, instead he was treated and discriminated against. He then states that it’s insanity that Americans are treated with shoe shine kisses, or just better in general. From this you can tell there is a clear discrepancy between how different races are treated in America, and he clearly does not feel welcome.

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  ID#189462 American's need to become open-minded to create a more inclusive society that fulfills the promise of America.

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  ID#189462 American's need to become open-minded to create a more inclusive society that fulfills the promise of America.

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ID#230650: Thesis: The main reason people are excluded is due to them being viewed as "different", in order to create a more inclusive society, individualism should be normalized and valued more.

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ID#230650: Thesis: The main reason people are excluded is due to them being viewed as "different", in order to create a more inclusive society, individualism should be normalized and valued more.

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In Emerson’s Self Reliance, he states that individualism is a necessity to a person’s growth. “There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide.” (Emerson). By having the confidence to believe in your own ideas, through communicating your own thoughts or another form of self expression, you are helping not only your knowledge grow, but yourself as well. You should be able to speak your mind, in any way you choose, because your intuition can be a huge form of enlightenment. On the other hand, he points out that by submitting yourself to other people’s ideals, you are destroying any opportunity you have for  improvement, that it was akin to “suicide.” (Emerson). People feel the need to disregard their own thoughts and ideas due to wanting to be seen as part of an “in group”. They readily accept other people’s beliefs, but refuse to believe in their own. While doing this might satisfy a person and give them the “inclusion” they desire, it also stunts their growth and keeps them from reaching their true potential. They should value their individualism more because it’s what separates them from other people, instead of just throwing away their chances of growth.

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ID#212762: Thesis: To fulfill the promise of America, we can create a more inclusive society by expressing greater empathy towards the LGBTQ+ community so that our society preserves the rights to freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all. 

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ID#212762: Thesis: To fulfill the promise of America, we can create a more inclusive society by expressing greater empathy towards the LGBTQ+ community so that our society preserves the rights to freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all. 

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As two members of the LGBTQ+ community, the authors Espinoza and Frohman clearly have some overlap in thought regarding the role of empathy of inclusiveness in society.
As Frohman expresses that she is left silenced by those who make it clear that they feel uncomfortable around her (Espinoza), Espinoza says the same in that she has “... so much love left unspoken” (Espinoza).
However, they do differ in their internal thoughts of themselves. While Espinoza struggles to express her identity as “I lurch within myself,” (Espinoza), Frohman expresses in her poem, “Hey Baby, can’t nothing stop this tonight” (Frohman) as she does not let society stop her.
These differences could be a result of upbringing and personal experiences, in which Espinoza, as a transgender, may have had different experiences than Frohman.
Regardless of these differences, the two speakers present a larger issue in our society. They reveal that the LGBTQIA+ community is underrepresented in America. But they provide a solution: Empathy. This would not only support the LGBTQIA+ community, but also all the underrepresented groups of America, so that we can support all of our communities and create a more equitable society.