Racism In The Odyssey

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“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.” Alex Haley. Haley was an American novelist, his first book was, “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” but he is best known for, “Roots: The Saga of an American Family.” He was an influence to the public awareness of African American history. As the quote states, our life and essentially our fate begin with our family. Family influences our lifestyle in ways such as internal family conflicts, and that determines how one’s race, language, and or wealth affects one’s education. Race influences what opportunities are available in the future, such as the difference between the common black man and the common white man. Language and communication is a great influence …show more content…
Racism can be considered to be the biggest factor leading to family issues and child development. In several HWOC texts, racism was a constant topic. One of the articles used in the “To Kill a Mockingbird,” socratic seminar, students in a North Carolina high school discussed how degrading the word ‘nigger’ was for students of color. Brentwood, A Tennessee Middle School challenged the appropriateness of the book by stating that the sexual content was more adult oriented. They also stated that the book promoted “racial hatred, racial division, racial segregation, and promotes white supremacy.” The play, “A Raisin in the Sun,” includes many scenes where the Younger family were treated differently due to their ethnicity. Although it may not seem like your race affects your life, Walter thinks differently, “...We all tied up in a race of people that don’t know how to do nothing but moan, pray and have babies.” If something affects your life such as your race, the amount of children you bear, or other outside issues, there is a large possibility that it would also have an impact on your …show more content…
In numerous HWOC texts, the language that a character uses affects their personality and their development throughout the story. Family ties into this in numerous ways, such as in the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck’s mother died when he was young and his father is an abusive drunk that left and all of a sudden showed up and kidnapped him, forcing Huck to live in a shack secluded from the rest of society. “Yes, he's got a father, but you can't never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain't been seen in these parts for a year or more.” It is evident that Huck’s language is improper and sounds uneducated. He talks about his father, but there are numerous grammar and word choice mistakes. Huck did not get the education he needed to be successful because his father treated him like property, not his own son and did not give him the proper care and educational opportunities. In a socratic seminar article, Review of the Original 1959 Broadway Production, Brooks Atkinson states that all a mother wants is for her children to grow up in the best way possible based on the code of honor that she had taught them. Atkinson described the bond that a parent and their child share and how important it is on their development. The way that a parent teaches their child, provides a gateway into creating their own thoughts and
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