Paper by Erendi

Letter of Recommendation

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:08:37 UTC

'"This case represents, my dear Mr. Emerson, one of the rare, delicate instances in which one for whom we held great expectations has gone grievously astray, and who in his fall threatens to upset certain delicate relationships between certain interested individuals and the school. Thus, while the bearer is no longer a member of our scholastic family, it is highly important that his severance with the college be executed as painlessly as possible. I beg of you, sir, to help him continue in the direction of that promise which, like the horizon, recedes ever brightly and distantly beyond the hopeful traveler.

Respectfully, I am your humble servant, A. Herbert Bledsoe"'(191).

Sambo Dolls

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:09:50 UTC

"I turned and faced the map, removing the doll from my pocket and tossing it upon the desk. I picked it up with an unclean feeling, looked at the frilled paper. The joined cardboard feet hung down, pulling the paper legs in elastic folds, a construction of tissue, cardboard and glue...Then I saw a fine black thread and pulled it from the frilled paper. There was a loop tied in the end. I slipped it over my finger and stood stretching it taut. And this time it danced. Clifton had been making it dance all the time and the black thread had been invisible"(446).

Scholarship from superintendent

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:09:57 UTC

"That night I dreamed I was at a circus with him and that he refused to laugh at the clowns no matter what they did. Then later he told me to open my brief case and read what was inside and I did, finding an official envelope stamped with the state seal; and inside the envelope I found another and another, endlessly, and I thought I would fall of weariness. 'Them's years,' he said. 'Now open that one.' And I did and in it I found an engraved document containing a short message in letters of gold. 'Read it,' my grandfather said. 'Out loud.' 'To Whom It May Concern,' I intoned. 'Keep This Nigger-Boy Running."' (33).

e26618 — 2015-08-21 19:25:26 UTC

2015-08-21 19:25:56 UTC

Analysis

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:29:58 UTC

At first glance, the scholarship seemed like a very prestigious accomplishment, especially for a the narrator who is black. This seemed like a chance for the narrator to make his big break, but in reality, the scholarship signifies false hope. The superintendent gives the narrator the scholarship and tells him to "take this prize and keep it well. Consider it a badge of office. Prize it. Keep developing as you are and some day it will be filled with important papers that will help shape the destiny of your people" (32). In reality, the superintendent merely told him that with shallowness and did not really mean it. The scholarship signifies the immoral intentions behind the white people's motives toward his race. They wanted the narrator and his race to run after false dreams and false hope.

Analysis

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:38:42 UTC

The letter's were given to the narrator from Dr. Bledsoe. This was a symbol of hope for the narrator, despite being expelled from the school. The narrator believed that he could win Dr. Bledsoe back if he would work hard and find a job. Instead, he finds out that the letter's were the complete opposite, mocking the narrator and condemns his actions. This humiliates the narrator and realizes the ugly truth behind Bledsoe's intentions. This shows the power struggle between white men, powerful black men, and normal black people. Despite being the same race, Bledsoe was unwilling to give up his power for his own kin. He was more concerned about pleasing the white man than helping his own race. This reveals underlying truth of racial injustice and a major theme of lies and deceit.

Analysis

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:40:27 UTC

Despite their claims, the company did a lot in order to escape a financial burden. If they truly had a policy of enlightened humanitarianism, then they would have provided ample medical care, and a temporary leave. Instead they fired the narrator, and requested him to give up the right to sue for wrongful termination or bodily harm. This doesn't seem to be a matter of race, but one of lies. The doctor made it sound like this is the only option for the narrator, when in fact, it is the only option for the company. The paper served as a cover for their money-oriented attempts. The doctor's attempt to convince the narrator to get another job comes to show the underlying truth: The white man wants to push the black man out of view.

Analysis

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:45:05 UTC

The Sambo doll is based off of the Sambo slave. According to stereotypes, the slave acts lazy yet obsequious. The strings signify the stereotype of black entertainers who serve to entertain for whites. The string also shows the hold and power whites have over blacks even in a time when blacks are supposed to have more freedom.The puppeteer, white population, has the ability to control the doll, black minority, to their own advantage. This reveals the problems of prejudice and racial injustices that occurred during this time. On the outside, this seems like an ordinary doll, but the underlying truth reveals the power of manipulation that white people were capable over the black population.

Analysis

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:45:13 UTC

The letter seems like a warning, which can be misconstrued as a good thing. The writer feels that in order for the narrator to continue his work he needs to be more discreet in the company. However the malicious intent is more directly addressed when he says that it's a white man's world. This makes it sound like he shouldn't try to be begin with. It's as if he is reminding the narrator to remember his place in society. After this letter, the narrator becomes increasingly paranoid, fulfilling the letter's attempt to derail him. The letter was meant to set him off.

k26303 — 2015-08-21 19:47:05 UTC

e26618 — 2015-08-22 17:13:53 UTC