Jesenia Arzaga

peer draft essay 3

My first quote is from Act II “It ain’t much, but it’s all I got in the world and I’m putting it in your hands. I’m telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be. - mama” Mama is telling Walter that it's time he lead the family. It seems that mama is definitely is old fashioned in her view of gender roles. Mama seems to feel guilty that she hasn't let Walter take his place as the "man."  Another quote I have is from Act III “Somebody tell me – tell me, who decides which women is suppose to wear pearls in this world. I tell you I am a man – and I think my wife should wear some pearls in this world! - Walter” Walter believes a man should be able tp provide beautiful things for his wife but because Walter doesn't have the money to buy expensive things for his family, he feels like less of a man. These quotes are based off of gender norms of men and what expectations as a man are.

one social issues I want to might focus on is environmental racism I would want to focus on this topic because a big issues in the book is how mama and her family were being kicked out because white people were started to movies in there area and making their home more expensive for them to live there with the environmental racism issue it was unfair for them to be kicked out for living there just because more wealthier people were moving in and they weren't as wealthy as those moving in  another social issue is black nationalism  this topic is interesting to me because it based off how African Americans appear to look like during that time to society  black nationalism shows how people thought African Americans dressed, lived, decorated their home, styled their appearance etc.  another social issue is gender norms I thinking of picking gender norms because it was interesting to me that in the book the way they see ruth as a woman who is trying to become a doc...

One social issue from act 1 is how the African American family in the book is living in a small apartment with multiple people are getting kicked out of their home because there are rich white Americans who are starting to move in and pay more money than the family who are already living there. This is important to me because its unfair for the family living there already who probably have been living there for a few years and just because a few white families start to move into the neighborhood they have to move out.  Another social issue in act 1 is how there is a lot of arguments going on inside their home they're living in. Mostly about money because they are struggling with paying for their home and also the other issues they have with money like how  beneatha wants to become a doctor but is struggling because she won't be able to afford going to school. 

essay # 2

essay 2 draft

"Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries?" This quote to me talks about the author Maya who's is saying how others want to see her fail and look down to her "You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise." This quote is saying how those people who say hurtful things about Maya and give off bad body language towards her won't affect her she will still rise from it meaning succeed from what to is she's doing "Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise." this last quote above here means even through the rough times high or low she will get through it

The main theme/ message of my poem is that women can do what they wasn't no matter what anyone thinks or says otherwise. Also the message of this poem is that even when others try to judge you or put you down it shouldn't affect what you believe in. I think that my poem can be added to the canon because it has to do with women's history.  The poem talks about Maya the author and how she sees herself as a African American woman and how others see her differently but it doesn't stop her from what she thinks about herself and what she can do. In my opinion I do believe that this is important literature because it focused in the 1900s where not only women but African American women were seen to only be nothing else but a house wife.