The Political, Feminist, and Religious view of Frances...

The Political, Feminist, and Religious view of Frances E.W. Harper, Phllis Wheatley, and Alice Dunbar-Nelson Phillis Wheatley, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, and Francis E. W. Harper were all groundbreaking and poignant authors whose works have remained influential throughout time. Feminism, politics, and religion are three aspects evident in their personal lives an d literature. Wheatley was considered a feminist icon because she was the first published African American female poet. However, her writing did not deal with feminist issues, rather, they focussed on religious and political themes. Unlike Wheatley, Harpers femi nist views are incorporated into her work. She uses religion as a method to express her political and social views.†¦show more content†¦Probably due to the poor post-revolutionary economy, this volume was never publi shed. After Wheatleys death John Peters, her husband, went to the house of a woman that. Wheatley used to live with and demanded the manuscripts for the second volume of works. Unfortunately these manuscripts disappeared with Peters never to be recover ed. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Phillis Wheatleys political poems have been largely ignored even though she lived in Boston and was a witness to many events that led to the revolution. Poems such as To Samuel Quincy, Esq; a Panegyric, To the Kings Most Excellent Majesty, To t he Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth, To His Excellency General Washington, and Liberty and Peace all describe political events and figures. Each poem dramatizes a decisive moment in Americas struggle for independence. Wheatley writes a l ot of political praise poems, which means this, was probably a very important subject to her. Since Wheatley was a domestic female slave she was very bold to compose such commentaries which suggests that maybe an African tradition taught her that politic al praise was the most important to all poets (Robinson, 93). Phillis Wheatley was a minority because of her race and her sex. In the eighteenth century woman writers were the visible minority and black-female writers were non existent. Male critics felt that there were to many female writers and that they wer e a threat to

Euthanasia Essay - 1375 Words

Euthanasia, People should be able to take there own lives nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The beliefs and views of our country are hypocritical and unjust. As we grow from a young child to a mature adult, we are taught many things such as that killing another human being is wrong, it is against the law and goes against most peoples religious beliefs. Yet, there are some instances when this rule does not seem to apply. If someone kills another in self-defense it is seen as an act of bravery, if a soldier kills an enemy in war it is seen as courageous and honorable. But who is to say that these acts are more justifiable than allowing someone who is in extreme pain and suffering to be given an†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Another argument supporting the use of euthanasia is that everyone would benefit if it were legal to show mercy when death becomes preferable over life. With that in mind one must look at the families and loved ones of those who wish to end their extreme suffering. No one would want to watch a loved one die in extreme agony, while sitting there not being able to do anything. This feeling of helplessness and despair would almost be unimaginable. Making anyone watch this while hoping for a quick end to his or her loved ones suffering, would be wrong in itself. Although this type of case is rare in the real world is very rare, just one case alone would be argument enough for the use of euthanasia. While the views of many people may be against the use of euthanasia, its sad to say that in all actuality it goes on almost everyday. Many people have heard of doctors who report that they have, out of compassion and mercy, given heavy doses of morphine to relieve the pain and suffering of patients who are near an inevitable death. While doing this, the doctors know perfectly well what the ending result will be that death will come quicker. Somehow this is right, since the goal of this is to ease the pain and not actually to kill the patient. But would it not also be right to do the very same thing with the goal of making death come to the patient? WhileShow MoreRelatedEuthanasia Essay : Euthanasia And Euthanasia863 Words   |  4 PagesThis is why Euthanasia is important and summarizing the research that I found on Euthanasia. Euthanasia is important because there is a lot of arguments about Euthanasia. Some people support it and some people do not support Euthanasia (Euthanasia and assisted suicide- Arguments). Euthanasia allows people to be free from physical pain. It is the hastening of death of a patient to prevent further sufferings (Euthanasia Revisited). The religious argument states God chooses when human life ends. EuthanasiaRead MoreEuthanasia Essays : Euthanasia And Euthanasia1432 Words   |  6 PagesDoes euthanasia assists patients to die with dignity? From fresh to dying, is the humanity multiplies the development natural law. Along with medicine progress and life enhancement, the people besides pay attention to eugenics, simultaneous starts to pay attention to the euthanasia. Since this century 50 ages, regarding euthanasia, many countries’ medical arenas, educational world, and ethical groups have been arguing about the euthanasia argument for many years, although many person of ideas haveRead MoreThe Debate Of Euthanasia And Euthanasia1429 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION: The debate of euthanasia is an ongoing one that’s shrouded with much controversy and ambiguity regarding the ethics of it in contemporary Australian society. However, the frequency of this topic being debated by physicians, influential figures and the media has become more prominent now than ever. In particular, in association with its impending legislation within Australian states. (The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists,2012) Various types of euthanasia are recognised,Read MoreEuthanasia Essay : Euthanasia And Euthanasia Essay1223 Words   |  5 Pages Euthanasia James Dudley Euthanasia continues to be an ongoing issue in modern society. Over the course of history, there has been a multitude of debates that have tried to justify assisted suicide, or euthanasia. Gallup’s study in 2013 openly shows this statistic by showing that over 75 percent of Americans trust that euthanasia should be acceptable. However, what Americans don’t comprehend is that making any form of euthanasia legal infringes upon the right to life as stated in the constitutionRead MoreThe Issue Of Euthanasia And Euthanasia2073 Words   |  9 Pageslife is beyond toleration or they feel as though there is no point to living, the issue of euthanasia often arises. Euthanasia is technically defined as â€Å"the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering†. In america people have the right to end their life. The topic of euthanasia is one that is highly disputed among people over the world.† Euthanasia means killing someone who is very sick to prevent more suffering† (Weaver 1). An example ofRead MoreEuthanasi Euthanasia And Euthanasia1515 Words   |  7 Pagesetymology of the word ‘euthanasia’ originates from the Greek language which has a literal meaning of â€Å"good death†. Other names for euthanasia are ‘assisted suicide’ and ‘mercy killing’. Euthanasia is done when the person is suffering from a terminal illness such as cancer, and then steps are taken to end the person’s life so that they no longer have to suffer. [Helga Kuhse. July 1992. Bioethics News. The World Federation of Right to Die Societies. http://www.worldrtd.net/euthanasia-fact-sheet. AccessedRead MoreEuthanasia Essay : The Euthanasia989 Words   |  4 Pagesthe euthanasia process and what to expect. The euthanasia can take place in the privacy of yo ur own home or you may choose to have it done at your veterinarian’s office. Your veterinarian may offer at home euthanasia or you may be able to locate a veterinary service that does at home euthanasia such as Home To Heaven. This is a personal choice and should be made with you and your pet’s comfort in mind. Additionally, you may want to decide if you wish to be present during the euthanasia. SomeRead MoreEuthanasia And The Death Of Euthanasia1351 Words   |  6 Pagesfor the dying who request euthanasia to be able to end their suffering. Euthanasia is considered a â€Å"gentle and easy death† because it comes from the Greek words, Eu meaning good and Thanatosis meaning death. Euthanasia is illegal in most of the United States. However, assisted suicide, is legal in six different states. The states that assisted suicide is legal in are California, Oregon, Colorado, Washington DC, Vermont and Washington. The key difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide is whoRead MoreEuthanasi Euthanasia And Euthanasia861 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia, the practice of medically terminating life in order to relieve pain and suffering of a patient, has been a complex and controversial topic since its conception. In ancient Greece and Rome attitudes toward active euthanasia, and suicide had tended to be tolerant. However, the rise of the Christian faith reinforced the views of the Hippocratic Oath, a swearing of ethical conduct historically taken by physicians. This shift concluded a medical consensus in opposition of euthanasia. IssuesRead MoreThe Debate About Euthanasia And Euthanasia1631 Words   |  7 PagesThe debates about euthanasia date all the way back to the 12th century. During this time, Christian values increased the public’s opinion against euthanasia. The church taught its followers that euthanasia not only injured individual people and their communities, but also violated God’s authority over life. This idea spread far and wide throughout the public until the 18th century when the renaissance and reformation writers attacked the church and its teachings. However, the public did not pay much

How African American Humor has Evolved and the Way We Look at Comedy Free Essays

string(81) " people watching the show the most funny and exciting part was the joke telling\." Professor Jim Gray of Sonoma State University defines culture as a means of survival. Going by this definition of culture the evolution of black humor has definitely been a foundation in the survival of the comedy in America. This paper will be a discussion of how African American Humor has evolved and for centuries has changed and continues to change the way we look at comedy. We will write a custom essay sample on How African American Humor has Evolved and the Way We Look at Comedy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before beginning this paper, I must stress the importance of humor for all races. Truly, the environment in which most humor takes place has helped American culture and people survive. According to Constance Rourke, humor is important because: â€Å"1. Humor is a part of the natural life process and is commonly taken for granted or not recognized as having serious importance. The fact that humor is a framework for `non-real’ or `play’ activity and not taken as a `serious’ interaction allows messages and formulations to be `risked’ within its framework which would not otherwise be acceptable or possible. 3. Humor allows the exploration of new ideas in situations of uncertainty or unfamiliarity. Similarly allowed are the negotiation of taboo topics, sensitive issues, and marginal serious content. 4. Humor performs a boundary function on both internal and external lines, policing groups in terms of membership and acceptable and competence behavior. 5. Humor can function as a coping device to release tension, allay fear, forestall threat, defuse aggression or distance the unpleasant. 6. Humor can represent an implicit contradiction, paradox or `joke in the social structure’ made explicit. The `joke’ constitutes a reversal within its boundaries of the patterns of control in the real world. 7. `Canned’ jokes and `situational’ jokes are not entirely separate. Canned jokes are not sealed from the situation in which they are told as they always affect it and incorporate interaction into their pattern; situation jokes always have some impact beyond their context. Langston Hughes says, â€Å"Humor is laughing at what you haven’t got when you ought to have it. Of course, you laugh by proxy. You’re really laughing at the other guy lacks, not your own. That’s what makes it funny-The fact that you don’t know you are laughing at yourself. Humor is when the joke is on you but hits the other fellow first-Because it boomerangs. Humor is what you wish in your secret heart were not funny, but it is, and you must laugh. Humor is your unconscious therapy† (Hughes, 1966) Laughter for centuries has been the medicine that has helped to ensure the survival of African Americans. â€Å"Herded together with others with whom they shared only a common condition of servitude and some degree of cultural overlap, enslaved Africans were compelled to create a new language, a new religion, and a precarious new lifestyle. † (Joyner, 1984) As Africans were unloaded by boat and placed onto plantations, slave masters were completely enthralled by the way they spoke, moved, and danced. Out of slavery emerged a culture that would influence America’s mainstream culture for infinity. Slavery created bondage for Africans and when it looked like they were going nowhere fast; they laughed, sang, and amused one another with riddles, jokes and animal tales from the homeland. Slave masters could not conceive why slaves in such a miserable state were so joyous, what they did not know was many of the songs, jokes and riddles were more than surface deep and many times about the master. The slaves made the best of the circumstances through humor and by laughing at the way the slave master treated them and their reaction to this treatment. They were laughing at the slave master and at the same time laughing at themselves. However, it did not take long before slave masters made slave merry-making public. Many times slaves were called upon to entertain master and their guests. Slave merry-making was also encouraged because it also increased the price of the slaves. â€Å"People took notice to the way slaves spoke and moved, out of slavery evolved Blackface Humor. (Watkins, 1994) Blackface comedy was when a person (white) painted their face with black makeup and acted like a slave (Sambo). Blackface humor gave whites the chance to lift African American Humor from its original context, transform it, then spotlight it as their own entertainment, amusement (for non-black audiences) it became popular for it is supposed originality. As blackface entertainment became more popular so did the actors. George Washington Dixion introduced â€Å"Coal Black Rose† (Watkins) one song â€Å"Sambo and Cuffee†, (Watkins) was a comic song about a black woman and her lover. Dixion performed this act all over the world; some would argue that Dixion was the first white blackface performer to establish a broad reputation. By the 1830’s, blackface performers were everywhere becoming one of the most popular attractions of the American stage. Billy Whitlock, Frank Brower, Frank Pelham and Dan Emmett were also very popular blackface performers. Dixion created the one man, show but these men created a troupe of blackface performers. They also firmly established the image of blacks as happy-go-lucky plantation darkies, outrageously dresses and ignorant. Although there were other blackface performers before them, these men were the only ones who could give a real show from the makeup to the costume. â€Å"By the 1840’s blackface performances had reached an unprecedented level of national popularity. â€Å"(Watkins) There were many performance troupes, even professional juvenile troupes. Each followed a standard; they had a three-act presentation. The first act opened up with a walkaround where the entire troupe came out made up in face paint and dressed in suits. They than gathered in a semicircle to alternate comic songs and jokes. Here is a common type of joke many used; it is called; Mr. Bones: â€Å"Does us black folks go to hebbin? Does we go through dem golden gates? † Mr. Tambo: â€Å"Mr. Bones, you know the golden gates is for white folks. † Mr. Bones: â€Å"Well, who’s gonna be dere to open demm gates for you white folks? † For many of the white people watching the show the most funny and exciting part was the joke telling. You read "How African American Humor has Evolved and the Way We Look at Comedy" in category "Essay examples" In the second act-the â€Å"olio or variety segment†- was the stump speech speaker. This occured when one member performed a comic, black version of a topic. Topics would range from, emancipation, women’s suffrage, education or another current political or scientific topic. The goal was to show how blacks could not comprehend nor interpret sophisticated ideas. The third and final part of the show was a slapstick plantation skit, featuring song and dance with costumed men and women dressed as slaves. After the Civil War, blackface troupes hired on free black men and women to perform with them. White audiences became upset and angry at many troupes. After the war and emancipation – during the reconstruction period constitutional amendments were passed to assure civil rights and voting rights for former slaves and some blacks were elected members of the House and Senate; Whites wanted to be assured that blacks were still inferior and blackface troupes were not showing this by continuing to hire blacks. Therefore, audiences depleted, and many troupes that had incorporated blacks started to perform on circuits like the â€Å"Chitlen circuit,† which hit most black owned theaters. Blacks who were part of the troupes started to branch off and start their own troupes. In doing this, they altered the usual blackface performance routine. First, they altered song lyrics, instead of singing songs that downgraded blacks; songsters would play on white fears and mock them. Many blacks took off the face paint and introduced musical comedies. Black musical comedies made many black performers successful. White already loved black music so the musical comedy fit right into the market. Still many of these comedies were on the circuit, and confined to black theaters. It was not until later that musical comedies were featured on Broadway. When musical comedies appeared on Broadway â€Å"Lyles and Miller a very successful team created a whole new approach to the comedies. â€Å"(Watkins) They presented at the end of their acts a group of women who danced and sang with the stereotypical attitude many felt black urban women had. This simple addition astounded Broadway and critics raved. Eventually, every black troupe evolved to use this form. Black Musical Comedies took blacks to another level of comedy yet, they were unable to shake the sambo stereotypical image given to them by white blackface performers. Licensed radio was introduced in 1920, because of the low budget and inadequate facilities, news shows and music provided by local groups dominated the airwaves. By 1922, there were over 522 licensed stations and radio sales increased from $1million in 1920 to $400million in 1925. By 1929, one in every three homes owned radios ten years later there was a radio in almost every home. Radio was a medium where its listeners could hear concerts, comic monologues, sporting events and political speeches as they happened. â€Å"(MacDonald, 1981) Radio at first initially ignored blacks, as in the blackface performance days they were imitated by whites. In 1925, Freeman F. Gosden and Charles J. Correll a minor duo debuted as musicians on a radio station in Chicago. They played at this radio station for a while and later moved to a station owned by the Chicago Tribune. There they were approached by management about doing a broadcast edition to the comic strip â€Å"The Gumps. † The two refused the offer but suggested an alternative, a black – dialect show. Gosden and Correll made a series based on two black names â€Å"Sam ‘N’ â€Å"Henry†, which would later become known as â€Å"Amos ‘N’ â€Å"Andy†. Sam ‘N’ Henry debuted on January 12, 1926 (Dunning, 1925-1976) The characters Sam and Henry still depended on the stereotypical images of blacks created during the blackface (minstrel) performance years. Blacks were superstitious, naive, easily influenced, lazy, ignorant and conniving. On March 19, 1928, three months after the â€Å"Sam† ‘N’ â€Å"Henry† show had been cancelled, â€Å"Amos† ‘N’ â€Å"Andy† mysteriously appeared on a rival station in Chicago. Gosden and Correll had come up with the idea presented it to the station and it was accepted. This show was far more successful than Sam and Henry; Amos N Andy was recorded and leased to forty other radio stations. In August 1929, Pepsodent became the first major sponsor of a black comedy show. Amos N Andy was the number one show in the country. By 1935, 70 percent of American home (40 million) listeners tuned in each night. Sayings from the show hit the streets â€Å"Ain’t dat sumptin’,† â€Å"Splain dat to me’,† and â€Å"Holy Mackerel† became popular. Even with its popularity, the show had a down time. Radio stations modernized their broadcast methods; comedians were no longer forced to work without an audience. This is when variety shows begin to take the market. In 1943, Gosden and Correl returned to the air with a thoroughly revamped half an hour version of â€Å"Amos† ‘N’ â€Å"Andy†. The show was performed before a live audience and featured an orchestra and chorus. â€Å"Amos† ‘N’ â€Å"Andy† represented a breakthrough for black comedians on radio and television as well. Although one-person acts were not popular during the variety show period, Moms Mabley set the stage for many comedians that would come after her. Jackie â€Å"Moms† Mabley. Born in North Carolina in 1897, Mabley grew up in Cleveland Ohio, by the time she was sixteen she had became a stage performer. She began as a dancer and singer and dabbled in comedy. During the 1920’s, she was performing on the chitlen circuit in Dallas, where another teams saw her act and helped her get better bookings. Like many performers, she appeared in skits with other performers at first. However, Mabley did not like this and she was one of the first comics to turn to monologue humor. She appeared on the stage with oversized clodhoppers, tattered gingham dresses and oddball hats she acted like a typical down to earth older black woman. Mabley worked with many performers but she did her best when she was alone. She was famous for her costume and her shuffle, she would sing some comical version of a popular song, tell stories or just stand there and the audience loved it. Mabley foreshadowed the shift to direct social commentary and stand up comic techniques that would dominate humor and comedians to come. Dick Gregory, Flip Wilson, Redd Foxx, Steve Allen, Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldburg, Eddie Murphy, and many other popular black and white comedians have evolved from the history of comedy. The images that were passed on from slavery still thrive at the root of jokes many comedians of today tell. Black comedians have finally gotten away from the white interpretation of black humor and created original black humor from an African American perspective to the world. Black comedy has come to be the voice of the struggle, pain, and joy African American people have gone through and are continuing to going through. Humor will continue to be a driving force to bring people of all ethnicities together to laugh at the good and bad times of our country. Without humor, would we really survive? How to cite How African American Humor has Evolved and the Way We Look at Comedy, Essay examples