Assertion Analysis #8: City Upon a Hill

     The Puritans came to America because they were kicked out of Europe for being crazy with their religion. John Winthrop, a Puritan coming from Europe to America, gave his sermon City Upon a Hill to a group of other Puritans as they were getting off the boat onto America. He discusses what they have to do now that they're living in America.
     John Winthrop tells them that they "shall be as a City upon a Hill" because now, all eyes are placed on them; they will be watched by everyone. God is watching them to make sure that the Puritans stay faithful and the rest of the world will watch them because they're going into new territory. If the Puritans become unfaithful, God will forsaken them and the people in the rest of the world will put curses rather than prayers onto them.
     John Winthrop's use of syntax is very interesting. His sermon City Upon a Hill is all one sentence. He does this so that he can get what he wants to say out first, before the Puritans can even respond. Had this speech be a couple sentences, his audience would have time to stop and digest the things he is saying. Winthrop also appeals to their fear, the Puritans followed their religion strictly and were scared of committing a sin, they live their life constantly thanking God for not dropping them into Hell for each step they take. If Winthrop wants those religious people to stay faithful, he's going to scare them into it.
     The things you say and the way you say them illicit different responses from people. John Winthrop uses fear back then to get his Puritan followers to stay true to their religion. In today's society, Donald Trump uses fear to get himself into the presidency. Another example of this is how John Winthrop told his sermon all in one sentence, to make sure he can say what he wants to say, and have his followers respond while Barack Obama tells his speech in parts, so his listeners can understand what he is saying.


   

Socratic Seminar Online #2: Black Elk Question #2

     Black Elk's Great Vision talks about his dream about the future of the tribe. However, Black Elk had this dream when he was 9 years old and he's telling this story 80 years later. His tribe, the Sioux, were once prosperous, with the coming of the whites, have lost their sense of community. All of that happened before he retold his vision. It is very unlikely that he is able to recall his entire vision, and have it be as accurate to the events that occurred. That is, if that was his actual vision. There are non-native, religious themes incorporated into his story. "The men from the clouds" represent angels, Black Elk himself represents Jesus. Those elements were added by John G. Neihardt because this is his interpretation of Black Elk's story. Not only did he retell this dream 80 years after he had it, but it was translated by his grandson and told to John G. Neihardt, a white man, there is no doubt in my mind that this story has been edited after the fact.

Assertion Analysis #7: Wooden Leg

     Complete removal of a culture is sickening. Many Native tribes in America aren't even known, they have been forgotten because no one knows their language, or they have been killed off. Wooden Leg, a Cheyenne Native, believes that someone's culture shouldn't be removed completely, but they can change and adopt new ways of life. Act of Sadness, describes this view.
     Wooden Leg starts us off with an old Indian teaching, "that it's wrong to tear loose from its place on the earth anything that may be growing there." The Native Americans had a spiritual connection to nature. They did not believe in completely removing something in nature "It may be cut off, but it should not be uprooted." Natives believed that removing grass and trees should be done in sadness and will pray for forgiveness "because of his necessities."
     Wooden Leg is not only using the removal of trees and grass to show the readers or white people that, that goes against their beliefs. He uses that as a metaphor for his own life. Wooden Leg was a pastor, trying to combine the whites and Indians together, to live peacefully with one another. Wooden Leg has also been pictured wearing a suit, a hat and holding a gun, which are items that the Natives wouldn't typically wear. While he believes that trees should not be uprooted, he feels the same way about his own culture. He's still a Native at heart but has adapted white culture.
     The removal of cultures is sickening, but it doesn't have to be that way. If the dead Native tribes learned to adapt white culture they wouldn't be alive. However that wouldn't necessarily mean their culture might survive, they would still need people speaking the language. It seems as though that's the only way to live in America, to adopt white culture.

Assertion Analysis #6: Chief Joseph is tired of fighting

    After the arrival of the colonists to America, the Native tribes started to fight for their land. Many tribes were wiped out, others surrendered to the colonists. Chief Joseph's speech "I'm tired of fighting" to General Nelson A. Miles is a very popular example of a Native American tribe surrendering to the colonists.
     Chief Joseph starts off with, "I am tired of fighting." A simple sentence, however the Natives choose their words very carefully. You instantly know what he's going to talk about by hearing that. You can also tell that the tone is of a person who's been defeated, who has nothing left to lose. "Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead." Everyone close to him is dead. It carries an emotional appeal, making the listener, General Nelson A., hopefully understand that it's over, this man is done. Chief Joseph then begins to explain further that his tribe is freezing to death. "Hear me, my Chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever." A very powerful speech, talks about how he's finished and how he doesn't want to withstand anymore wars being fought.
     Chief Joseph is a famous example of a Native tribe surrendering to the colonists. It's hard to believe that his tribe is on the verge of being nothing but a memory, but that doesn't compare to being forgotten forever, having no more of your tribe still alive. That's what has happened to the majority of the tribes in America, being totally wiped out, losing their entire culture. All of these tribes are language based so if no one speaks the language, it is as if they never existed at all.

Assertion Analysis #5: Seeker of Visions

     Every Native American tribe in America is on the verge of dying because their cultures are all language based, many Native American people are not able to speak their language therefore the culture can't survive. Although their native culture won't survive, the white culture will take over in its place. John Lame Deer, a Lakota holy man, uses satire to criticize the white peoples' culture.
     Lame Deer starts it off with, "Before our white brothers arrived to make us civilized men, we didn't have any kind of prison" implying that without the white people coming over to America and giving them prisons, the Natives would be uncivilized. However, with the introduction of prisons, that brought along delinquents, he says, "Because of this, we had no delinquents." After that he tells us other things that white people have introduced to the natives, and without those things, the natives would still be a culture that respects and trusts each other. In the last paragraph, he uses satire to poke at the fact that the white men didn't make them "civilized" because having prisons, having locks and keys, having money and private property, as well as written laws, transformed their culture of community into one where one person cares only about themselves.
     Just because they didn't have prisons, they were uncivilized even though that introduced delinquents; because they didn't use locks or keys, they were uncivilized even though they all shared with one another; because they didn't have money, "their value of a human being was not determined by his wealth." He presents all these ideas just to bring it to his point that before the white men arrived, they were a civilized society and they survived without all those things.

Socratic Seminar Online: Ta-Nahisi Coates Question #1

     This fear distorted Coates's life in multiple ways. For example, when he and his friend were in Paris, he made sure that his friend was walking in front of him, to make sure that his friend wasn't going to turn the corner and get him killed or hurt (Page 126). He is constantly afraid of his surroundings and has learned to be wary of the people and things around him. The fear of getting stopped by the Police and getting killed, the fear of being shot by a kid in school, all of that contributes to the fear that is living in America. This fear makes the American Dream dead. This fear makes you realize that the white, rich people are living on top, with all the power in the world, and the minorities are on the bottom, constantly being criticized and struggling to try and touch some of the power which they'll never be able to do. This fear, I believe, is not inevitable. It really depends on the person. I don't have to fear the police or being shot on the street because I'm Asian, I don't have the fear that black people, or even Mexican people have. Mexican people won't have the fear that Asians and black people have. Fear is inevitable, this kind of fear isn't.

Assertion Analysis #4: The American Way

     There's no way like the American Way right? Driving down the road on a sunny day, with your wife, kids and dog, perfection. A billboard put up all over America during the 1950s depicts that. Curtis Mayfield, American Singer-Songwriter, sees that and in his album There's no place like America Today gives us his own interpretation of The American Way, it's slowly fading away.
   The "There's no way like the American Way" was a billboard that was put all across America during the 1950s, telling the viewer, 'If you come to America, this is how you'll be living'. "World's highest standard of living" is printed on the top inside a banner that's red, white and blue, those are the colors of the flag. Next, there is your stereotypical 'American' family. The dad, mom, son, daughter, and dog, all of which are white. They all seem happy, the sun is out, they have smiles on their faces, this is truly The American Dream.
     Curtis Mayfield's There's no place like America Today album cover depicts a similar image of the billboard except the colors are a bit different. The bright blue sky now is an afternoon, "the dream is starting to fade away." The family, still the same except their skin tone is not as bright as in the billboard. The juxtaposition of having the family living The American Dream on the billboard being happy and the people of color standing in front of the billboard is the first thing you would notice. While the billboard behind them is not as bright in the previous pic, the colors are not as dull as the people standing in front of the billboard. The people in front of the billboard are also heading the opposite way of the family, and the way that they're standing there alludes to The Great Depression. The people standing, looking for food or jobs, trying to make something our of their current situation. They won't find in The American Dream, that's why they're heading away from it. Finally, in the background of the cover, there are buildings that also contrasts the colors on the billboard. Symbolizing that America, isn't as bright and beautiful as it may has been, or how it is advertised.
     Curtis Mayfield depicts The American Way in a different light than what is advertised. 'If you live in America, you'll be happy driving down the road with your family, I forgot to mention that you're supposed to be white.' My father, when asked the question "Are you living The American Dream?" would respond with, "Yes I am." It is what you consider success to be. For my parents, it would be having a job, and raising kids here in America. They could've have went and lived back in The Philippines but they chose America and are happy seeing me and my brothers grow. It's the same with my extended family. Of course, there are people of color who are living terrible lives, but there are people that have rose against that and became successful, like Tupac. I'm sure that The American Dream exists, it's just that people aren't working hard enough.

Assertion Analysis #3: Rose from Concrete

     Tupac Shakur, was an American rapper, grew up out of East Harlem, New York and became one of the most influential rappers in history despite going through many hardships in his life. His poetry often reflects those hardships. "Rose from Concrete" one of Tupac's poems, reflects his view on The American Dream, even though someone may be successful and influential, they would still be judged based on their background.
     Tupac starts the poem off by telling the reader that if they saw a rose growing from concrete, then they would "marvel at seeing a rose grow through concrete." He compares that to a ghetto kid growing up in the streets and becoming successful. After the comparison, he relates that to his own life, saying "all you can talk about my dirty rose, my dirty stems, and how I'm leaning crooked to the side." He is criticizing those who only look at the negatives of his life. He ends the poem off with, "You can't even see that I've come up from out of that" Tupac is disappointed in the people who cannot look past that fact that he grew up in Harlem.
   Tupac started from the bottom, and is now at the top as one of the most influential rappers. There are those who truly believe that his story is inspirational and are trying to make it to the top as well, but at the same time, there are those who will criticize him and call him out for being raised in Harlem. The American Dream was reality for Tupac, and it could be a reality for anyone if they work hard enough.
   
   
   
   

Assertion Analysis #2: Burger King Bill of Rights

      The American Bill of Rights states the "unalienable rights" that this country is founded on. It is also the foundation of what The American Dream is all about; with these rights you would be able to be successful in America. Many people believe that, like the American Dream, it does not apply to them. Brad Blum, former CEO of Burger King, believes that those rights along with the American Dream applies to everybody in his Burger King Bill of Rights.
     Brad Blum starts it off with "You have the right" which already alludes to the American Bill of Rights. He follows that off with, "...to have things your way" which was the slogan for Burger King. Blum then starts to compare an American citizen, to a customer at Burger King, telling the reader that they have the right to "hold the pickles and hold the lettuce" "to mix Coke and Sprite" and even "the right to a Whopper sandwich." Which are all things you can do as a customer at Burger King; we, as American citizens, have all of these rights. Blum also starts to reflect his stance on The American Dream. "You have the right to put a paper crown... and pretend you're the ruler of '(your make-believe kingdom here'" you can make yourself a powerful person in the world, because you're here in America, you have all of these rights. And if you don't believe him, "You have the right to crumple this Bill of Rights into a ball and shoot hoops with it." because you're an American, you have these rights.
     Brad Blum believes that The American Dream is alive and well and that everyone in America has the right to do anything they want to. Whether the reader believes him or not all depends on the experiences an individual has had living in America.

Assertion Analysis #1: Cheerleader Sex in a Waffle House

     There are many immigrants that come to the United States pursuing The American Dream. The American Dream is the belief that every U.S. citizen can be successful and prosperous if they work hard enough, but that may not be the case anymore. John Green, an American Author who has written The Fault in our Stars, considers The American Dream to be a joke, it's not what it used to be.

     In the beginning of the quote, John Green starts it off with, "Lady and gentleman" which makes the reader believe that he is talking to two people, a man or a woman, or that he is just joking around and that this quote is not meant to be taken seriously. He follows that quote up by telling us that his parents left Korea, even though he is not of Korean decent, so we're left thinking that he is giving us the perspective of Korean immigrants. After that, he says, "They had a dream... their son would lose his virginity to a cheerleader in a woman's bathroom of a Waffle House just off the interstate." With that, he is comparing The American Dream to cheerleader sex in a Waffle House. The cheerleader represents, in most cases, the "All American Girl" and uses that to exaggerate his idea that The American Dream is all a joke. "My parents have sacrificed so much for this dream!" Many immigrants had to work hard to get to America to fulfill to pursue The American Dream, and his parents (in this quote) had to do the same. With this quote, John Green mocks The American Dream.
     John Green satirizes the American Dream by comparing it to having sex with a cheerleader. He also alludes to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech with his quote, "They (John's Korean parents) had a dream that one day..." which leads the reader to believe that his parents are dreaming of a perfect, realistic dream; but instead, their dream is out of the ordinary as well as stupid. And in the beginning, he uses "Lady and Gentleman" which is used as a joke because that's what he believes The American Dream to be.
     Although John Green believes that The American Dream is all an illusion, it is a reality for a lot of immigrants that come to America, maybe not for every immigrant but a majority of them do.