M or F

Tocqueville states that women in Europe are treated as women, delicate, feminine, and almost prize like. The contrast to this in America, it is seen as a crime to make a woman less than a man, to say that she is unable to do the work or jobs of a man is an insult, not just to her, but to all of America's women. Tocqueville says that American democracy is becoming 'more and more equal of man' which could be seen as the fact that we are making women equal to men, not the other way around. To say that a woman is less than a man is an insult, but to say that a man is less than a woman is laughed at, seen as impossible in the first place and therefore not necessary to be taken seriously. The difference in American and European treatment of women doesn't exactly present itself as being vastly different, however the real differences are shocking.

Writing // Polit....ing?

Based on what I know from both half, yes. I know those who write who claim they want nothing to do with politics in any way shape or form, and the same for those who closely follow and enjoy, who do little to know writing. And while the people I know aren't exactly a great measurement of ALL writers and politicians. They don't seem to connect very well, if at all. Writers only seem to get involved in politics in their writing, based on what is going on at the time they are writing or what event is happening that could involve politics. Some would argue that politicians do write, the speeches and presentations they give are written beautifully. The point would be valid, if politicians actually wrote their own speeches. Writers and politicians do not cross paths typically at all, however as far as them disagreeing, I'm unsure. I think it's more of a case by case idea.

Knowledge. Educated. Freedom. ?

A comparison between Malcolm X and Richard is not hard to make. Malcolm X taught himself to read in prison, which in and of itself is a feat. Malcolm X was able to bring the knowledge upon himself behind bars to help him leave the prison gates. Richard on the other hand finds knowledge through the way he grew up, the knowledge to know when to speak to someone and when not to, the knowledge of who to call sir and ma'am, THIS is the education that Richard has received, and this is all he has to get out of where he is, this is all he has to find his 'Freedom'.

Change!!

I believe Wright's change, or his move to the North was a positive one on his life. Wright spends the better half of the first part of the book telling stories and reliving horrible things that had been happening to him. He tells of being beaten by both his family and the whites around him, of awful jobs where he is treated poorly and desires nothing more then to fill the hunger he feels without getting punished for wanting to do so. Wright moving to the North would bring about a change in his life, and at this point it seems the best thing that he can do is to get out and move to somewhere where things would be different, not promised to be better, but different at least. And seeing as his life is so hard to live where he is staying now, a change could only be for the positive.

Subservience

I do believe that subservience is necessary to get by in every day life, it would be almost impossible to survive in modern society without conforming, even if it's just something as simple as conforming to the idea of raising your hand in class before answering a question. Deciding that you aren't going to conform to societal bounds would basically determine to you to either life as someone who was living alone in the woods, or someone who had ignored laws and ended up behind bars.
Being subservient is necessary to a point, if getting along in society is something that the individual views as important.

Coping with white people

Wright knowing that he has been in a way 'socialized' with whites too late effects him in such a way that he almost becomes self conscious. Wright seems to force himself to be hyper-aware of of things he says, does, and even just the tone of his voice around the whites in his life. Wright conditions himself to say 'sir' and 'ma'am', as well as monitoring his voice just to make sure that he doesn't come off as aggressive in any way shape or form. Wright accepts too much too late to have people see him as a functioning member of the society he lives in.

....

I believe that Wright was completely justified in refusing the speech. The speech was undoubtedly written for someone with more schooling then Wright, with bigger, longer words and more complex sentences then Wright could typically use. It was unfair of the principal to try and use Wright to break the black and white barrier when doing so would end up embarrassing Wright in front of the entire school. Wright not wanting to be the principals subject of de-segregation as well as not wanting to behold the embarrassment that he would endure is completely justifiable in the eyes of any student who could see themselves in a similar position.

Uncle Tom

Wright getting so upset by his uncle yelling at him is completely understandable in my opinion, Wright simply answers his uncles question about what time it is, and he is taken to be sassy, and while I myself and Wright don't seem to take it this way, Wright is threatened none the less with a beating. Wright getting so upset over this false accusation is completely understandable, seeing as it has happened once before in school and throughout his life. Wright just seems tired of being punished for things he didn't do, or things he can't control. This incident shows yet again that Wright has to fight for the small amount of justice he can find.

Writing about writing about writing..........legit

When Wright has a revelation about his writing, it seems as though he gets so excited about it merely because this is something new and exciting to him. Something that helps to release any pent up anger or anxiety Wright may have. Writing allows him to escape the world he is in, maybe just for a moment reliving the hunger that he feels toward knowledge, or something more then the life he has. Wright reading his work to the woman and realizing that it may in fact be an awful piece of literature, it was something he had made for himself, it was an escape that he had found and that he could harness and keep to himself, Wright had found an escape that he beautifully described in the end of chapter 5.