C.P Ellis

After the death of his father, Ellis became a Klansman because he wanted to become successful for his family. Studs Terkel wrote about his life in the Klan, the process in which his ideas reformed and his choice to leave the Klan. When he had to step up and become the father figure in the family he became very concerned with the well being of his family. However, he had a hard time taking care of his family, and his position never was able to improve. This ultimately led to hatred in which he made people into scapegoats such as Blacks and Jews. His hatred is what led him to join the Klan. After some time in the Klan, Ellis realized that the people in the Klan used their power to achieve their goals, which he didn’t think was necessary. Later, he campaigned for a position on a school board and started to work more with the groups that he oppressed. Slowly he learned that the people that he once hated were people too. He stated, “I was beginnin’ to look at a black person, shake hands with him, and see him as a human bein.” (526)

The way Ellis was forced to interact with people that he hated caused him to change his views. Although the method may have worked for Ellis, I don’t think it would work in a larger group. If a larger group had to be forced to get along with people they hated, there would people that would be less open to change. The larger group would make people feel like they are being forced to change their beliefs; therefore many people would be more obstinate.

Freedom

Linda was able to achieve her secured freedom with the help of Mrs. Bruce. Her slave owners, Mr. and Mrs. Dodge were constantly searching for Linda to take back to the south. Mr. Dodge was actually a northerner by birth, but after he entered a southern society he accepted the idea of being a slaveholder.

The first time that Mr. and Mrs. Dodge came to look for Linda, Mrs. Bruce took a great risk by sending Linda away so that she may be protected from her slave owners. The second time the Dodge family came to New York to search for Linda. However, this time Mrs. Bruce declared Linda and her children free and bought Linda’s freedom from Mr. Dodge. Even though Linda was grateful for her newfound freedom, she was upset that Mrs. Bruce purchased her. Linda felt she was indebted to Mrs. Bruce for her new secured freedom.

After Linda obtained her freedom, she had mixed emotions about it. Even though she had a secured freedom in the North where slavery is prohibited, there were still prejudices that got in the way of how she lived her life. There were many dreams that Linda wanted to fulfill, but oppression often stood in the way of those dreams.

Honesty

Throughout the book Jacobs has established her credibility using her very honest personal stories. Her personal experience draws the reader in and is able to show the corrupt power that slavery is.

On page 114, chapter 27, Jacob states, “I was too proud to ask Mr. Sands to do any thing for my own benefit; but I could bring myself to become a supplicant for my children. I resolved to remind him of the promise he had made to me, and to throw myself upon his honor for the performance of it….Tell him I was not dead, and I earnestly entreated him to keep the promise he had made me.”

In this passage Jacobs establishes her credibility by being honest with herself as well as her actions. Jacob’s main character Linda, had an affair with Mr. Sands, but she may not actually trust the man. In this passage, even though she has doubted his honesty, she was being honest with herself. Her children were more important to her then her own ambitions and happiness. Therefore, as much as freedom means to Linda she is honest when she expresses the love that she has for her children to entrust Mr. Sands with a promise.

Truth

In class, we had discussed that personal stories can persuade and capture the attention of the audience. It is important that the book is based on truth, and not changed in any way because these are true events that occurred, and keeping them the way they are is more convincing. Many of the horrifying stories of Linda’s time as a slave capture and appeal to our emotion. Harriet Jacobs even personally addresses the reader a few times in order to justify the truth in her argument. In the introduction it states, “I had no reason for changing her lively and dramatic way of telling her own story.” (Child, 4) If this story had been fiction it would be harder to believe and connect to the horrible corrupt power of slavery. The language has not been changed because it gives the full essence of the character, being a southern slave. The true accounts pull the reader in, and make them feel like they are living the life of a slave as well. Because this book is based on truth and not fiction the public can become aware of its “monstrous features.” (Child, 5)

Extending the Critical Context

I cannot remember a time where I have been confronted about race. However, due to the media our society has become more aware that the word racism is overused, and the continuous use of the term racism has heightened my awareness and concern of political correctness. Even though I have not personally come into a confrontation about race, it does cause a conversion to come to a halt. The media uses the word racism all the time, and it has gotten to the point where we don’t know if we use the word correctly anymore. It halts many of our conversations because we no longer use racism as it is understood. So, now I am concerned that when I speak I don’t want to come off as a racist. The term now, is difficult to determine, which is what Wachtel stated, “no one owns a platinum dictionary that is the final arbiter of what the word “racism” should refer to.” (Rereading America) We need to be sensitive to the appropriate language used, and not make a speech based on political implications because most people in the media today use the word racism for political reasons and not as its intended use.

Socialization Process

According to Parrillo the socialization process is when individuals, “acquire the values, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of their culture or subculture including religion, nationality, and social class.” (Rereading America) This process encourages specific beliefs and attitudes, and what Parrillo believes is that the child conforms to the beliefs of the parents. The children don’t know any better, and don’t have beliefs of their own yet, so they often accept the beliefs of the parents to be true. As a result the children have their parent’s expectation of the world and not their own. For example, an individual has a choice to associate themselves with a particular political party. That individual might have just accepted whatever political party their parents believed in, accepting the beliefs to be true, and don’t even know why.

I think Parrillo oversimplifies it, and often we are influenced by our family members, but there are outside influences such as the media, friends, and teachers that can sway you personal opinion. There are multiple sources that will influence one’s social beliefs. It is okay to have the same views as your parents, but you have the freedom to change your opinion. I think often times the opinion of your parent’s stays with you because that is what you grew up hearing, and in the end you keep the same beliefs, which is what Parrillo was arguing.

Thomas Jefferson

In history class I have learned that Jefferson was a slave owner and also a defender of white supremacy. The Declaration of Independence stated that “all men are created equal,” but by this it was widely accepted that the only equal people were adult white males who owned land. My AP US History book stated that, “Jefferson suspected blacks were inferior to whites, yet he was a champion of democracy, limited government, and individual freedom.” (Carnes and Garraty) Jefferson actually owned slaves, and kind of avoided the subject of slaves altogether during his presidency. Since Jefferson believed that blacks were inferior to whites he would not be happy with the photo on page eighty-two. Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia stated that, “the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments of both body and mind.” (Jefferson) Jefferson believed that blacks affected both the white and black societies, so he would be unhappy that his family had become racially mixed and would have considered it “damaged.”