WELCOME to your online discussion of The Road to Memphis!
Together with members of your book group, you’ll be reading The Road to Memphis over the next several weeks. Although you're not required to take notes while you read, it would be wise to keep track of important events and characters for your own clarification. You are, however, expected to participate regularly and thoughtfully in an online discussion of FOUR essential questions.
PROCEDURE
Divide your book into three roughly equal sections. You need to have read and blogged about these sections by the due dates below.
There are two kinds of posts in this discussion: responses and comments.
Responses = direct responses to the essential questions below
- Post at least TWO responses for each section of your book (SIX overall).
- You must comment on all of the essential questions over the course of your reading.
- One of your six responses can be a “free-response" post.
Comments = comment on someone else’s posted response or comment
- Post at least THREE comments for each section of your book (NINE overall).
DUE DATES
- Post your first set of responses and comments by Monday, March 23 (Blue), and Tuesday, March 24 (Red).
- Post your second set of responses and comments by Thursday, April 2 (Blue), and Friday, April 3 (Red).
- Post your third set of responses and comments by Thursday, April 9 (Red), and Friday, April 10 (Blue).
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- How does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) illuminate aspects of African-American culture? Be specific! (Page references are helpful.)
- How does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) illuminate aspects of African-American history?
- In what ways does this book refute the notion of the “single story”?
- How does the story (setting, characters, plot, etc.) reflect or illuminate the current state of race relations in our country? Have we made any progress as a society?
** Free-response option: Address another issue/episode/or passage in the book that you find
significant for any reason.
Assessment: To earn maximum credit, post thoughtful responses that are at least a short paragraph in length—and carefully proofread! Do not misspell characters' or authors’ names! Also, be sure to include specific references to the text (either details or short quotations). Page numbers, too, are always helpful.
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ReplyDeleteTaken down for revision, now the response is back bellow this.
DeleteOne the biggest if not biggest parts of African-American history is racism. Racism itself is a branch of xenophobia as fear is what normally leads to hatred. For example, if an arachnophobe encounters a spider they will probably jump and shout, but they will also probably use all the power they have to get rid of it which means killing it. Since Americans at the time had more power than African-Americans and couldn't kill them because they're still human they enslaved them. When slavery was abolished the next best thing would be racism which alone is the cause of slavery. This aspect is illuminated much in the book as it's about the main cast dealing with racism. One the most prominent clashes in the beginning being the conflict between Harris and Statler. To sum it up, Harris is a overweight black man who has trouble speaking up for him self while Statler is a white man who decided to toy with him. Statler bullies Harris because he likes messing with him and there's nothing black people can do against white people without facing serious consequences. Americans could treat them like dogs essentially; the owner can mess with the dog to the owners content, but if the dog bites back the owner can punish it appropriately. While Statler is described to be teasing but the way he responds to Harris says otherwise.
ReplyDeleteStatler: "Clarence and you, huh? You sayin' you ain't wantin' to hunt with us?"
Harris: "Why - why, no, suh, I ain't sayin' that-"
Statler: "I find that insultin'."
Harris: "Why, no, suh . . . ain't meant it t' be. I was jus' sayin'-"
Statler:"Or maybe you too dumb to know when you insultin' somebody. Listenin' to you here, I'm thinkin' maybe you make a better monkey than a coon. Seem like to me you a bit too dumb to make a good coon. I'm figurin' a coon's too smart for you, boy. But tell me, Harris, which one you figure you be? (Page 13)
What Statler says is very aggressive and intimidating to poor Harris. This only gets worse when they the cast actually goes hunting. Cassie and Harris encounter Statler and his group which leads to them deeming Harris 'The coon" and hunting him with dogs. When the cast finds him he is hiding in a tree with Statler's gang below him. He soon falls out which leads to him being grievously wounded by both the fall and the dogs. Statler says "Y'all know we ain't meant harris there no harm. we was funnin' with him, that's all.", but whether or not Statler meant what he said is left up for debate. There was also nobody telling Statler if it was right or wrong either, so did they really care about the problems of black people?
Great response, Matthew! Black people were often derided by whites as "coons," so it's not surprising that Statler uses that insult. So what do you think about Statler's intentions during the hunt? Did he intend to harm Harris or was he just playing around?
DeleteI couldn't really say if he was really playing around or not. But after reading the chapter "Incident in Strawberry" I think that his intentions then might be true, but I'm still not sure. Everyone has standards and he could have easily been repulsed by what he did to Harris. However, what he did in Strawberry crossed the line twice for me and I can't really trust any of his further actions
Deletein the book any more. He could've easily just have been trying to bury some intentions of harm and feelings of sadism he had during the hunt by covering it with the claims of innocence and poor decisions just to alleviate some of the punishment he might get. Emphasis on "might", as it wouldn't surprise me if he got away with an incident that during that age of time.
Well said. I agree that, given his later actions in Strawberry, he was probably exercising his sadistic tendencies at Harris's expense. I wonder if he would've suffered any punishment if Harris had died in the woods.
DeleteOne thing that's interesting is how color makes a huge difference in the world. It's why African-Americans are hated by others when they're really just human beings like everyone else. The cast of the book might be African-Americans, but they still have similar qualities of any other american at the time. They go to church, work at jobs and even have education. Stacey bought a car and has taken great care of it, Clarence joined the military because he personally wanted to do so. All of the main cast have their own aspirations and lives unique to them like any other human being. They also have similar problems at the time as well. Cassie wanted to go hunting with the boys but both Big Ma and Sissy said no as they both thought women shouldn't hunt because of the gender stereotypes at the time. More serious problems include the friendship between Stacey and Jeremy eventually breaking due their different races or as previously mentioned the grievous damage Harris took and had to be taken care of.
ReplyDeleteThe point is that no matter what differences people have, every person on the planet is a human being that goes through life. Some Americans just found the color of African-Americans strange, couldn't explain it at first and didn't like them because of it. It just goes to show that color makes a major difference in how we think, for it is a major characteristic of the world and having two things of different colors does differentiate them because they're different colors. Color might make little or major difference, but even the slightest difference can influence what people think.
Agreed
DeleteEXACTLY!!! THANK YOU!!! I really don't see how as human beings, we can discriminate someone just the the color of their skin, it sickens me in fact.
DeleteYes, it's hard to justify racism. It might help to remember that, historically, racism helps to perpetuate a social hierarchy, and the people at the top (whites, Westerners, men, American citizens...whoever) don't want to give up power, so discrimination works to reinforce the status quo. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar makes that argument in the third article we read in class.
DeleteIt really is sickening that people can discriminate someone by their race. It shouldn't have to be this way. Some people go way to far sometimes and that should be stopped. There is no reason to judge someone by the color of their skin. Its not their fault that they were born a different color then someone else.
DeleteMatthew, I agree because society has really been shaped to teach white Americans to be discriminatory towards African Americans. To me, it makes no sense why they can't be accepted as easily as everyone else. I think that every American could be the same but the way that they act, is the way that they were brought up.
ReplyDeleteI partially agree with you Meri because people use racist terminology all the time and don't realize it, but are not actually racist the people that are racist are only really a small percentage of our countries population. Social media just really blows things up.
DeleteI really hate how much bulling there is in our current and past society. In the text, the Aames brothers really beat up on Harris in more than just one way. They use his race and his obesity to bring him down. Is bulling really that satisfying to the bully? Bulling as well as racial discrimination are still huge problems in our world and I also think that they are two of the biggest things that are trying to be fixed and solved.
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely right about bulling meri it really is to bad because judgement
Deleteis one of the human diseases that is in everyone
Meri, I completely agree it is horrible on how much bullying there is, and why do we do it to feel good about yourself because how could you possibly feel good about yourself after you say such awful things to others and especially the other race.
DeleteBullying is just something people feed off because they have something they want that you have and they don't. If people that were getting bullied realized this and found that one thing. Lots of people would stand up to bullies and I think it would be a lot less of a problem.
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ReplyDeleteThe setting in the book Road to Memphis is really important when you are looking at how it illuminates and shows the current state of African American history. The aspects of racism that take place are just so sad. In the first four chapters, it takes place in 1941 in Great Faith, Mississippi, which is a rural town. Cassie loves the country but since she attends school in Jackson, she is not comfortable . She has had verbal abuse and physical abuse by white folk which has makes her worry whenever she has to go to the near by store owned by the Wallaces, the Logans neighbors. When they also go hunting she has encountered racial discrimination and bulling to her and her friends. This part of the book really shows how black women were standoff-ish to even go anywhere where there might be a black man. I know that around this time, the slave masters would rape their female, black slaves, which is very disturbing. I is sad that white people weren't accepting of blacks in these years of history.
ReplyDeleteI like what you've stated here Meri. Black woman who were slaves were targets of both racism and rape, so it would be very hard to try and go forward from that. The only thing I want to point out is that I'm not sure if there was still slavery in 1941. Anyway, I'm surprised that color makes a huge difference in society. It's like painting the same toy multiple colors to then market the toys as different from each other when they really aren't. It might not seem like it, but color is a major difference because two things of different colors are different as it's in the name. Sorry if it sounds redundant, but it's true; the difference in color is the difference and that's one of the fundamentals of racism: they're different.
DeleteThat is very true and even if it has nothing to do with racism for instance if someone was picking out a binder for school and they had to pick between two colors they would pick the color that they liked better
DeleteI like what you stated. Black woman are targets for rape and racism which is actually very scary and hard to try and move forward from. I see why black women are afraid. I would be frightened everyday to live a life like they do.
DeleteThis book so far shows the hardship of young African Americans living in a society who frowns upon them. I couldn't even describe how afraid I would be if I was African American living at the time. I would probably never leave my house to go anywhere because I would fear for my safety. The setting is very real which makes it easy to imagine what kind of place they live in and the environment around them, so far I have enjoyed reading this book because it really gives me a good idea on how life was back then as an African American living in a white society.
ReplyDeleteGood point Kaileb, I feel as though us americans don't put ourselves in their shoes as much as we should. I like how you put it in the perspective of an african american
DeleteKaileb, I like what you stated here. It is true that we really wouldn't be able to take it being in their shoes. We really can't imagine what they went through.
DeleteStories like this help us to imagine what such discrimination would feel like. That's one reason why it's so important to read stories about other kinds of people, cultures, and places. I felt like I wanted to throw punches myself several times while reading this book. Imagine how patient you'd have to be in order to resist clobbering a bigot like Statler. No wonder Moe lost it!
DeleteKaileb, this is a great point i couldn't imagine what they go through and how they went on in there day or life with the things they have had said to them.
DeleteI still don't think white people even remotely realize what African Americans went through. I don't think we ever will either, but the only way to move past it is to come together as one.
DeleteUs whites don't realize whats its like to be a African American and what they go through. African's are being discriminated and with these books it helps to give us an idea and imagine what it would be like and how it is.
DeleteI think the book is a very good example of what our racist past was like for example when harris was out in the woods coon hunting and statler came along and had the dogs chase harris through the woods that was just awful, but over the years our society has made a lot of progress with racism even though you might hear about it from time to time I really think we have improved a lot, but yes we still have issues and hopefully we can make another huge leap in progress, but I think we as American people need to try to forget the past and the differences we had because most of us are not racist and it would be nice as a society to move forward so we can make that progress and better ourselves as a nation and bring people together instead of dividing people because then we can never move forward.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely Kaileb, although we have come a long way from where we used to be in racism, we are still racist, even if not intentionally.
DeleteI agree as well. It would be very good if we could get rid of racism and move forward as a united society. But unfortunately, I feel that racism is going to be sticking with society for a long time as long as there are black people or just people who are different in general.
DeleteI agree with both of you! In the past, there has been a lot of racism like in the late 1800s through early 1900s. More recently, there has been a bit more racism than we've seen in a long time. I would think that white people would have grown up. I hope that in the future we should, there really shouldn't be any of this anymore.
DeleteDo you really think we should forget our history of racial conflict, though? Yes, I agree we want to move on. But what's the best way to do that?
DeleteI completely agree also. Crazy to think that is how life has been for a long time, and hopefully some day racism will go away.
DeleteI dubt racism will ever completely go away although it would be nice of it did. There are people in the world who feel how they feel that may be hard to change how they feel about the African American race.
DeleteRacism will really never go away it will always be here. They can try and try to get it away but it will never change. There is more racism now then there has been.
DeleteReally, Bri? You think there's more racism now than there was in the 1930's? So is it just more hidden and indirect?
DeleteThe Road To Memphis shows that certainly not all African-american's are guilty or bad people. It also shows that not all african american's are the same in the sense of the way that they go about things. Such as, when Cassie wanted to go coon hunting and her grandmother did not approve, there are lots of african american families that would be just fine with a woman going hunting. There are many different African-American cultures, but in all, African americans are not one huge culture together. They probably used to be a lot more similar to each other but as time had gone on, the population has increased dramatically therefore; leaving families to be more independent.
ReplyDeleteShelby, this is a great example of a single story. Both in the 21st century or when this book took place. African American are look at as horrible people.
DeleteI agree as well. No person has a simple story; we all have long and complex lives that are unique to us. Black people are not different from any other human being, as they have their own backstories as we all do. It's just because white people back then wanted power and wanted a target to exert it on. Black people have targeted because of that or are just hated because of their skin color. It's really sad to think about the further I dwell into the subject.
DeleteI agree that African Americans can be looked at as bad people, but it is hard to break free of racism because it is so deeply in bedded in our society.
DeleteThe Road To Memphis illuminates the current state of race in our society by showing that if a white person was to be seen talking to a black person, the white person would then be discriminated. Racism used to be a lot worse than it is in its current state, but in some area's, if a white person is seen talking to a black person, they may be discriminated for it. A specific example in this book would be when Stacey and Jeremy took a ride down to the pond where they used to hang out when they were children; Jeremy kept mentioning not being seen with Stacey and being worried about that. But they also were remembering the good times that they used to have together, and how that was all crushed.
ReplyDeleteThis book also illuminates the fact that even when whites and blacks are discriminated for being together, even as just friends; they can still find fun things within each other, and I feel as though if there were no such thing as racism, society would be a lot calmer and everyone would be involved in more activities together in public because no one would be scared to be seen with someone of the oposite race.
I'm glad you bring up Stacey and Jeremy's friendship, which strikes me as one of the most poignant aspects of the novel. In that connection, we see hope of eventual harmony between blacks and whites. But Stacey and Jeremy, unfortunately, were too far ahead of their time.
DeleteI really like what you stated here. Times have changed for Jeremy and Stacy. When they reminisce about the memories, it is saddening that the fact that they are being discriminated and loosing their good times together.
DeleteI totally agree. It really is sad how they have to lose times together and be separated from each other. Times totally changed for Jeremy and Stacy which really stinks. I really like what you stated.
DeleteI agree Shelby. The reason blacks and whites are discriminated from each other could possibly be because the lines of segregation set up in those days. It would not only be hated because people hated the sight of a black and a white together but it would also probably break the rules they set up as well.
ReplyDeleteThe road to Memphis shows the difficulties of young African Americans living in a place where there so un wanted. The horror is beyond anything I could imagine in my life time. This book makes me feel like I'm really there at the time of everything happening in this story. I truly have a better understanding of life for the for an african american child growing up in this time period.
ReplyDeleteCaitlyn, I have a better understanding of African American child's lives back in these times and I have more appreciation for our childhoods. We are so fortunate to have lived in the time we do with the protection that is now provided for white people, but the fact that police officers have to pin black men down and accuse them of being violent and dangerous when they honestly do nothing is worrying to me and what the future of country will be like. Stereotypes and discrimination is what we want to get rid of, not bring back.
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI feel as if culture is brought to life in this book when Sharecroppers rent the land from the landowner by paying with a 50 percent share of the harvested crop, plus farming expenses in order to crow cotton. Cotton was a big part of culture in the time of slavery with major prophet. This was a bigger thing down in the southern state rather than north due to the better farming conditions
No wonder it's hard to make a living as a black sharecropper. Maybe Moe will be able to help his family better from Chicago than he would if he stayed in Mississippi.
DeleteThe amount of people that get hurt in this book so far is crazy. Whites just don't understand what Blacks went though and still go through. They were the targets because they weren't able to say anything. And what didn't make sense is that the girls were taken advantaged of being slaves and then being raped. Just is horrible that Blacks had to go through that.
ReplyDeleteRyley, I completely agree with you. African American women are still taken advantage of now and just as big of targets.
DeleteI also agree with you Ryley. Back then, whites had much more power than blacks, so it lead to abuse of said power and abuse of black people. Black women have it harder because they're not only a target of racism, but also a target of misogyny and rape as well. It's hard for me not to feel bad for them when seeing just how much they suffered.
DeleteRyley, I agree with you 100% I mean, it really is insane the pain that blacks had to go through just because of the color of their skin, and this book so far has given many examples of that.
DeleteIn the book Road to Memphis really opens my eyes to what life was like back then the women getting bossed around and having to work like crazy then being raped is horrible and i can't believe that is what life was like back then and it may not be as bad now but there is still racism and there shouldn't be because everyone should be treated equal and certainly not be looked at or treated because of the color of their skin.
ReplyDeleteRyley, you are right. We are very lucky to have the freedom we do and we should cherish it. The fact that people purposely want to get attention by harming them selves is really hurtful because this stuff is real, there was no way to stop the discrimination and sexual harassment for these young woman and men.
DeleteRyley, you read my mind. That is exactly how I see racism. Its crazy what blacks used to have to go through, and yes, we have come a long way since then, but we still have a lot of improving to do in the aspect that everyone should be treated equal.
Deleteyeah it still is a mystery for most people why these things happen
DeleteRoad to Memphis does illuminate our state of racial relations today. Before I go into the main subject of this response I'm just going to touch the subject of the friendship between Stacey and Jeremy real quickly. I know it been done before but I'll just briefly summarize it. The friendship of the two mentioned reflects on how friendships between the two races today can be shunned by others, but at best it can be accepted by the community as the situation regarding the relationships like these were treated were worse than they are now. Any way now for the big subject.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter named after the very title of the book, Cassie wants to go to the bathroom at the gas station when the attendant recommends she go into the woods. Later, the same attendant points some white women to the bathroom of the station. Cassie follows these women, waits for no one to be around so she can go into the bathroom. However, she is caught by the other women, so the gas attendant appropriately punished her by beating her to the ground and making her leave without her purse. Now lets compare that incident to the Ferguson incident of today. Michael Brown had went to a store and stole some cigarillos. Yes, stealing is bad crime, but when considering the items that were stolen it wasn't too bad compared to what other things could've been stolen (money, an identity, a car, etc.). Just like how Cassie just wanted to go into the white bathroom when it was illegal for blacks to do so. In the end of both of these events, both of the culprits were met with a disproportionate retribution concerning the situation; Cassie got beat up and lost her purse to the attendant while Michael was outright killed by the police. As for which event was worse is up to opinion, but when a fictional past and real incident like these can be compared and similar it makes me question if we truly did change our ways since the past.
One thing I want to go over is how much of the white population acts and reacts in the book. It's like no matter what white people Cassie come upon, they all treat her and her friends like some dirty animal that just came out the woods. If they see the animal do something they don't like they hiss and spit and hit it. In the chapter "Road to Memphis", the white people seem to hate her despite not knowing her and her not doing anything bad to them. Even the once nice gas attendant turncoats into the worse offender of all the people in that chapter. The attendant beats her to the ground and make her leave without her purse simply because she wanted to use the white restroom. Yes, it was illegal at the time, but there's a difference between proper punishment and disproportionate retribution. It also surprises me to see just how profound the use of n word is at this time. "Incident in Strawberry" had a few people use it, but almost every white person in the chapter uses it to a great amount. It's like their trying to label them as a whole different creature than them, as if trying to use it to deny the fact that they are of the same species. It's disgusting to hear about such animosity, but that animosity is one of the reasons why people are racist; those people do not want to be related to those "things".
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're calling attention to this scene at the gas station, Matthew. The white guys who pull up in the car/truck seem pretty low-rent to me—obnoxious, maybe even intoxicated. So I wonder if their animosity is fueled by a need to reaffirm their superiority over other people—in this case, decent black people. These brutes are invested in reinforcing the social status quo in order to maintain their self-worth.
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ReplyDeleteIn the book The Rad To Memphis it really illuminates how far we have come since the 1940's. In the 1940's black people were treated like they were still slaves and that they were nothing. Whites did not get in trouble for anything they did to black people, but right when a black person did something to a white person they were called out for it and went to jail. Now we are starting to show equality but we are still working on perfecting it. We have come so far but we are still striving and we will get there eventually. Racism in this book really shows how far we have gotten.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Racism as clearly gone way to far. It shouldn't be this bad. Humans everyday somewhere do something to a black person to discriminate them. Its sad and sickening.
DeleteI completely agree with you Gavin, I really feel as though blacks are treated a lot more fairly now than they were in the 1940's, and that goes to show how far we have come.
DeleteBack then racism was a very big thing but today it comes up very rarely and when it does we are working as hard as we can to resolve it. This shows just how far we come in this issue.
DeleteThis book illuminates African American culture because it takes place in the south in the 1940s. The fact that it takes place in the southern state of Tennessee really gives the reader a bit of an idea on what happened in the south. If the book took place in the New England in that time, it would be a totally different setting and story. In the north in those times, there was not nearly as much racial discrimination.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree racism 70 years years ago were a lot different, and they have certainly gotten better, but now all that we are wishing, and hoping for is for minimum racism in the world.
DeleteI think there has been a lot of changes when it comes to racism. We just need to somehow figure out a way to completely illuminate it. If this book took place in New England today there would be no conflict because there is very little racism.
DeleteNathan, you're right: there may not be as much racism in New England as in other parts of the country, but it still exists. Even in predominantly white Maine, there have been recent flare-ups of racial tension in urban areas where Somali immigrants still struggle to find social acceptance. Racism, unfortunately, hasn't been eliminated anywhere.
DeleteThe Road to memphis illuminates how far we've come in racism because the things that happen to Harris due to racism are things that now would be 100% illegal. We have come so far in racism. Yes, there is still a lot of it but a lot of people do not realize how far we have actually come. For example, Cassie was in huge trouble for going into a bathroom for white women only, and today, we have public bathrooms for all races and all people.
ReplyDeleteAs society we could come farther in stopping or reducing racism, but the things that happen to the characters in the Road To
Shelby I agree. The things that happen involving racism today are not as nearly bad as they were back then. Now the question is if we can become even better and stride towards a future with no discrimination.
DeleteShelby I agree. With all of the racism that happened back then was horrible now all we want is for the future is better and for racism to not happen but its awful to know that it will never go away.
DeleteThe Road to Memphis illuminates aspects of African-American history by showing the things that used to be okay to do to someone just because of their race. For example, When Stat and his brothers had his dogs go after Harris, it was considered "okay" for whites to do that to blacks. But now a days, that would be completely illegal and whites would be discriminated for it. Also, this book really shows that in African American history, blacks really had to follow whites orders no matter what those orders were because they would be punished if they didn't. If we did that now to blacks, we would be punished for it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we still have some racism, The African-American history in this book really shows that we have come a long way. A lot of things have changed in the way that blacks are treated, and part of that is because of the history in the major events that happened in African-American history.
It is very weird for me think that blacks couldn't defend themselves against these cruel cold hearted people.
DeleteIn the road to memphis it really shows how much different times have changed in just 70 some odd years from blacks not able to have the rights that the amendments give them as American citizens to everyone being treated fairly 95% of the time. When Statler was giving Moe such a hard time and Moe fought back that technically speaking would be self defense if he didn't use a crow bar, but I can't blame him because Stat started talking dirty about Cassie and it would be awful not being able to do anything.
ReplyDeleteA lot has happened in 70 years. A lot can still happen but I think our road is going to get better in the future. There are only little groups today that we have to worry about and when they are found most of the time we know how to deal with them.
DeleteIn the book you really only see that the whites get to decide how they punish someone and this just really goes against all laws and that all men are equal I mean what happened to that. An example of the whites making the decisions is when Sheriff dobbs came down was saying the things to get revenge on Moe for what he did to the Ames boys which he is a white sheriff and that would really give him power over Moe all do to skin complexion. Everything back then was like the wild west where you could do anything you pleased to do to the Africans Americans
ReplyDeleteI like how you compare rural Mississippi to the Wild West—a place where the law doesn't protect everyone and corruption runs rampant. It's too bad that Moe has to go into "exile" in a way, but I have to think he'll be better off up North.
DeleteI agree also. People back then used to be able to "make" there own laws and decided what they were going to do for them selves.
DeleteI wish that white people weren't so mean to the black people, not just in this book but all the time in this time period and still today! I thought our generation would be the one to end this horrible thing that is so stereotypical and stupid! We need our generation to be the ones telling our children to accept everyone and our future country leaders need to be accepting.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Meri. There is really no reason to have to discriminate, or just be mean to surely the other race. and what does it do to yourself because it shouldn't make you feel good thats for sure...
DeleteI agree Meri! I think if we can just forget about our past and pull together we will find life to be 10x better!
DeleteRacism has surely reflect or illuminate the current state of race relations in our country because in the 1940s there was slavery, and so much more then now in our country and i am so happy that we have overcome some of it. Yes we made any progress as a society because there isn't slavery even though there is racism it isn't as bad and i think that is what most people were wishing for.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ryley. We have made so much progress over these years. And I am super glad that we have overcome slavery. Yes there is still racism but I think that we will be able to fix that
DeleteI agree also! I think the only racism that we truly see today are from the old folks that have learned from there parents when racism was present to carry out there morals. Also from immature young people that just want to start stuff for attention.
DeleteRyley, just a clarification. Slavery was behind us in the 1940's, as it officially ended with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. But Jim Crow laws and segregation were still in effect. Blacks were still considered second-class citizens, denied many of their basic civil rights.
DeleteThe Road to Memphis illuminates aspects of African-American history by showing that things were not okay back in 1940s like bossing the blacks around and taking advantage of them and now in the present that is not okay. So happy that we have come out of that darkness to make people equal and not so much racism.
ReplyDeleteI agree Ryley, our past is not the greatest but we are only getting better. I think most people are realizing what they are doing today when they are being racist, back then I feel like people just were not thinking.
DeleteThe setting of this story illuminate aspects of African-American history. It does this by taking one of the places where racism originated and using this place to break down and really explain the story to us. The setting also gives us images just like the fact that they have to sneak around, this somewhat explains just how bad it was to be living in the 1940's in a racist country. I also think the setting is a key part in explaining how dark things were.
ReplyDeleteThis story illuminates the current state of racism in our country by telling the reader just how bad it was to be living back then. You can really see a difference today. We have made great strides in coming together as one. The book on the other hand says the worst of our past, like how poorly we treated African Americans through violence and cruelty. By reading this book it opens the eyes of the reader showing just how far we have come.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Nate. Whites didn't get that black people were people too. Also this setting in the book really shows how whites felt about blacks back then and that they thought they were so much better than them.
DeleteI agree Nate. Shows that white had power over the blacks, and did whatever they wanted to the blacks and that is right. Everything you said i agree with it does open your eyes from how far we have come.
DeleteThe setting of the story illuminates aspect of African-American history because the setting of the book is where racism originated in the U.S and it shows how badly they treated them and what blacks had to go through at those times. Whites back in the day thought that they were all mighty and powerful and that blacks were still slaves. This book really shows how bad it was like living back in the 1940's was for a black person being harassed and made fun of.
ReplyDeleteMy question is will there really ever be an end to racism? I think there will always be that group of people that just want to start something. I also think the only way we will get past this whole racism thing is to have order when we have conflict. If people see there is a consequence for there actions maybe they will stop.
ReplyDeleteNo i don't think there will be an end to racism... Good question! I agree with everything you have said because there will and is always that group of people that wants to start something no matter the age i think.
DeleteI hope that there will be a end to racism. I wish we could just forget it even started. People that do start that racism are immature and inconsiderate of others because we are all the same! We are all Americans living our lives and without it our life may be better!!
DeleteI think I can see kind of a theme in this book so far and It's presenting itself as a friendship is all you need kind of book. The group members face many hardships and obstacles but through there friendships the drive for there common goal of getting Moe out of Mississippi and into Chicago is greater than anything they could achieve alone. I think the book has this theme because this group of friends has grown up together and faced the problems with racism together.
ReplyDeleteI think that there will never be an end to racism. This book really shows how bad it was back then. Whites didn't have to go through all of this and we still don't have to too this day. They shouldn't have treated black this way. I wish there was some way we could change racism and how whites treat blacks. We should all be equal this book shows that we all aren't equal to each other when really we all are the same person
ReplyDeleteI agree Bri, the book really does show how bad things were back then and it wasn't right doesn't make sense why things were that way but they were and its sad...
DeleteI agree with what you are saying. I am very curious on who came up with racism and how it all started.
DeleteThe book is showing that friendships have hard times and get through it. Its also showing that nothing can get in between friendships that have grown up together and have been friends basically your whole life. They face problems together of racism. Friendship gets strong in this case. This book is giving us an idea of friendship
ReplyDeleteI can really understand how bad racism was in this book. This book really shows how blacks and white were separated and how blacks live's were very hard. I can really image what they were treated like and how they lived. It really is horrible and heart breaking. Im glad that the slavery stopped, But I think now they need to stop is racism.
ReplyDeleteI agree racism should come to an end some people just need to wake up from the past
DeleteI really see what your saying here. Since slavery ended, why can't racism. It took years for it to end but it is possible with the work of dedicated citizens.
DeleteI agree with you Brianna, yes, racsim has slowed down over the years, but its still going on. it is not near as bad now as it used to be, but we could still get a lot better. If racism keeps being passed down from generation to generation, it may never stop. We, as a society need to do something about it.
DeleteI think this story is a great way for people to learn about what blacks went through. I think it covers a lot of the little and big struggles of there day to day lives back then. I think it also does a good job of showing how black people are such good people. Like in the book they work as a very closely knit group of friends protecting each other. Its to bad that they had to protect each other but in the end they got through it all and that shows just how strong they are and I think that is also something we can learn from.
ReplyDeleteI agree it clearly explains and gives you a visualization of what the blacks went through. Im glad some of the bad things like slavery has stopped. Only if racism will stop now. They protect each other up for whats gonna hit them next. Thats true friend.
DeleteOne of the things I have been thinking about is what started it all, like where did racism even originate? Who came up with the idea that its okay to be mean to people that have a different appearance. I think if people knew where it came from we would be able to understand why people are like this.
ReplyDeleteI've had the same question Nate!! Like seriously, its a big question to think about because I've never heard of the blacks being abusive to white people until more recently in history. But I mean whites, asians, hispanics and every other race are just the same as black people, and we should all be equal.
DeleteI agree. I was thinking the same thing. How did this all start. Who started racism. Blacks get treated very different from all the other races out in this world. Its not fair at all. We should all be equal and no one should be treated differently because of how they look.
DeleteThis book leaves me with many questions. Why did racism happen? Why did someone choose to hurt someone? If racism didn't happen would it still not happen today? If racism was something back then why is it now? It keeps me wondering. I don't get why people have to hurt someone to make their selves feel better. It makes no sense at all. If you hurt someone you're either gonna get hated on or get credit for it. Both is not right. I wish and hope racism will stop.
ReplyDeleteRacism happened because we as americans let it happen and just followed along with the act.
DeleteI agree, I feel as though racism has lost its meaning yet it still happens because its being passed down from generation to generation
DeleteToday, the reasons behind racism seem to be either genuine hate for them, hate or fear of their skin color or just because. Racism has just stuck with us regardless of what we try to do to stop it. It may not be going generations upon generations, but that will not stop people from trying to fix it. The tunnel might seem eternally dark, but there still might be light at the end of the tunnel.
DeleteIt's crazy to think that people really didn't like blacks that much that they wouldn't even share the same restrooms as them. And the whites were always served first even when they were not even the first in line it just seems absolutely crazy to me that it was like that. It really sickens me that people were like that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 110% I don't see how we can judge people just because of the color of their skin. Whites had a lot more rights than blacks did, and racism is still going on, even after we crushed the stereotype that all blacks are bad people. It has kept going on and on because the people that still believe that all black people are bad, are passing it down from generation to generation.
DeleteOnce again Statler is being a physical bully picking on girls I mean he must feel so tough to push Sissy to the ground. One person who I really like through out the book is Jeremy because he took some huge risks to help Cassie and her crew and you have to remember this is in the deep south in a very discriminatory time. Clarences death was really sad and tragic the way he went. The whole book was a pretty depressing story, but I really got a lot of knowledge out of this book.
ReplyDeleteBefore, I couldn't really decide if Statler was just playing games or just being racist and hateful during the hunt. But everything that happened after that indicates that he is racist and hateful of blacks. His behavior in the book would probably get him thrown in jail today, but in his time he can get away with almost anything he does concerning black people. I really hate Statler and everything he does to Cassie and her friends.
DeleteThe Road To Memphis refutes the notion of the single story because Racism started because one story showed that a black man was guilty of a crime, and from there on, it has been passed down from generation to generation that ALL black people are bad. In this book, it shows what punishments blacks used to get and how unfairly they were treated all because a while ago when racism first started, people thought that their skin was not the same color as ours, so they must be bad people. Over the centuries, racism has lost its meaning yet it still happens? We just do it now because we can. When people are being racist they're not thinking "This person is a bad person for being black" They are just being racist when they get the chance. This book really gives some good examples of that
ReplyDeleteShelby, I like what you're saying here and I agree with it. White people back then were only focusing on the cover instead of pages beyond it. Another reason blacks were hated is because white people needed a way to demonstrate their superiority and they saw blacks as perfect targets because of their skin. No matter what's the justification it's still sad to hear about.
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ReplyDeleteThe Road to Memphis illuminates aspects of African-American culture by showing what blacks used to live like, and the activities and daily chores that they pursued. For example, the boys would go out coon hunting (occasionally with Cassie) for dinner while the ladies set the table for dinner.
ReplyDeleteIn The Road to Memphis, one part of the culture then that is illuminated in this book is the speech of the people. Some of, if not most of the people in the book speak with a southern accent. Saying words differently like "suh" instead of "sir" or "miz" instead of "miss" or also using words like "y'all" or "ain't". The reason black people use this in the book as well as white people is because they were either born with it or adopted it over time. They learned the english language along with the adopted accent when they first came to America as slaves and the way of speaking was learned from the white southerners and passed down to their kin through the generations. That isn't the only thing they shared with the white people, they also have the same hobbies and passions as white people, but due to white people having more they are limited in what they can do. White people at the time liked to demonstrate and keep their superiority by limiting and harassing black people. It's sad to see that a small difference among multiple similarities can cause so much conflict.
ReplyDeleteOne topic I want to bring up is the topic of Solomon Bradley. He's great person in the book and should be an inspiration for people in the book. He was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. Amherst back then was a white town, so Solomon had to go to a white school. He claimed it was sometimes rough and lonely, which makes sense since it's a white town and being black he's bound to get some hatred from others. In the end, he got a very good education in law and later became the owner of his own press company at the time of the book. It's impressive to see how he worked hard and eventually climbed up in the community. Sure he stated he was just lucky, but the life he lived before was a hard one and that could've easily been an understatement. Solomon had to work hard to get to where he is like any other human being; it's a shame that he and his race back then weren't treated like one.
ReplyDeleteOne question I have is: What would racism be like if it were the total opposite, whites were discriminated by blacks? It is a big topic to think about because it would be very weird!!
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