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Equality in African-American Literature, 2007.
An examinarion of works by Booker T. Washington, Zora Neale Hurston and Ralph Ellison that describe African-Americans' needs for equality and freedom.
1,042 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how African-Americans' repeated struggles to obtain freedom from Southern slavery as well as their quest for social, economic and educational equality with whites, have been starkly and vividly described by a number of African-American authors. It points out that among these are the black educational leader Booker T. Washington; the novelist, short story writer and essayist Zora Neale Hurston and the novelist Ralph Ellison. The paper analyzes Washington's "The Atlanta Exposition", Hurston's "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" and Ellison's "Battle Royal" in terms of depictions of the African-American struggle toward equality, freedom and self-actualization.
From the Paper
"The "gradualism" argued for by Washington, in what is known now as his "Atlanta Compromise Speech", as a way of blacks' slowly gaining equality with whites through vocational education, pleased Washington's, mostly Southern white, audience at the 1894 Atlanta Exposition. Southern whites, worried about losing economic ground to former slaves, were happy to accept Washington's views of gradual progress for blacks through vocational education, although in hindsight this was not the best way for blacks to achieve equality with whites."
"Zora Neale Hurston's essay "How It feels to be Colored Me" (1928), is written from the perspective of a 20th century African American woman, who feels, more than 60 years after the abolition of slavery, sanguine about being black in America."
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Cases Reflecting Disparate Impact, 2007.
This paper describes disparate impact, which occurs when an employer uses employment practices that have a negative impact on a protected class.
1,063 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper presents several cases that demonstrate disparate impact and treatment in the workplace. The paper defines disparate impact and treatment as when an employer uses employment practices that have a negative impact on a protected class. Such practices can include tests, academic requirements, and physical necessities. The specific cases are highlighted for their importance to this issue and their verdicts are clearly presented.
Outline:
Disparate Impact
Disparate Treatment
Case Overview: Patricia Hill V. Forum Health
The Final Rule: Patricia Hill V. Forum Health
Implications in Today's Business Environment: Patricia Hill V. Forum Health
From the Paper
"The first case in history to examine disparate impact, Griggs V. Duke Power Co. made its way to the Supreme Court of the land. First heard in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, African American employees of the Duke Power Company brought a class action suit against their employer (Griggs, 1971). At the time, the power company required employees to hold a high school diploma and satisfactory scores on an intelligence test (Griggs, 1971). During times of heated racial debate, these requirements were put in place for positions previously held only by Caucasian employees (Griggs, 1971). While the District Court dismissed their case, Griggs V. Duke Power went on to an appellate court, where the decision was reversed, but the diploma and test requirement practices were upheld (Griggs, 1971). "
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Affirmative Action, 2007.
A discussion on affirmative action in the 21st century as a tool for racial justice.
1,853 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the extent to which American society may require affirmative action policies in various fields, including education and the workforce, to achieve racial justice and end inequality. The writer proposes that society has not yet achieved a color blind, or gender neutral, society. The writer argues that, with respect to access to equal opportunity, while many organizations promote equal opportunity and fair employment, there is still ample evidence suggesting that women and minorities are not afforded equal opportunities, particularly in the American corporate world.
Outline:
Introduction
Evidence Against Equality and the Need for Affirmative Action
White Skin Privileges
Affirmative Action to Promote Equality
Conclusions
References
From the Paper
"Early in his work the author argues that whites have experienced a "power deflation" as blacks and other minorities have attempted to claim social status and equality in corporate society (p. 12). The integrity of black interests is therefore "compromised" as more and more the focus is on restoring white supremacy and power (Walter, p. 249). Walter's argues that to focus the effort against white conservatism measures are necessary that will promote greater equality, including incorporation of affirmative action programs to help facilitate greater true equality and legitimize the needs of the black community. Elimination of affirmative action programs according to Walters would perhaps put this country at risk for never changing from how it is now, unequal and conservative in nature (Walters, 2003)."
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Two African-American Plays, 2007.
This paper explores African-American manhood and social- economic obstacles in two plays by African-American playwrights: Amiri Baraka's "Dutchman" and Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun".
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper describes the African-American male protagonists in Amiri Baraka's "Dutchman" and Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun". The paper looks at how the protagonist Walter, from 'A Raisin in the Sun" and the protagonist Clay, from "Dutchman", both seek to claim their manhood, despite the social and economic obstacles vigorously enforced by a hostile, white-dominated American society. The author analyzes the contexts and nature of Walter's confrontation with Karl Lindner in "A Raisin in the Sun" and Clay's defensive, violent response to Lula's verbal sexual/gender assaults in Baraka's "Dutchman". The paper concludes that both of these male characters do achieve a temporary and ephemeral degree of manhood but neither of these plays ends on a completely hopeful note.
From the Paper
"However, as the true extent of Lula's hostility towards him becomes apparent, it also becomes clear to Clay that whatever playfulness of flirtation he attempts, as a man, will do nothing to mitigate Lula's hostility toward him as a black man, and particularly a black man endeavoring to be seen as an individual apart from his race. Now, however, with her victim confined to the below-the-ground crucible of the subway, Lula taunts Clay into criticizing whites in general, thereby bringing about the reactions on the part of others in the subway car that seal his fate."
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"Kindred", 2006.
A review of Octavia Butler's "Kindred".
1,623 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at 'Kindred' by Octavia Butler and discusses how this modern-day slave narrative brings into sharp focus the reality that we cannot escape history. The paper further discusses how the culture of our ancestors has clearly changed, but just as we carry on the bloodlines and genetic information from our ancestors, we also carry forward the remnants of their culture.
From the Paper
"By entering into the role of a slave, Dana begins to negotiate and develop the ethic of compromise within her own head. She is perfectly aware that killing her "owner," Rufus, would bring no legal action in the modern world, nor would it likely bear any guilt on her psyche. However, she has become keenly aware from her second visit to Maryland that Rufus is not just any slave owner, he happens to be the man who will eventually father the first ancestor listed in her family tree. The repercussions of killing him would then logically lead to Dana and the rest of her family simply never coming into existence. Begrudgingly Dana accepts this knowledge and learns to survive in the same way that Alice, one of the house slaves, survives. At first Dana didn't understand how Alice could tolerate, and even express mild affection toward, Rufus after learning that Rufus had sold off three of Alice's children. Eventually Dana understands the complex relationship that all of the slaves have with Rufus through the knowledge that she must protect someone who does her harm ironically for her own protection. In the end, however, Dana comes to a full realization of the situation, and after her ancestor has been born and safely sent away from the plantation, she finally is placed in a situation where she must kill Rufus. Dana realizes that she cannot accept slavery no matter how kind or well-intentioned the slave owner is. "A slave was a slave. Anything could be done to her," Dana thinks as she sinks the knife into Rufus' side (Butler 284)."
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Postmodernist Literature, 2006.
A discussion regarding the representation (or the deconstruction) of national culture in the postmodernist fiction of the United States.
2,870 words (approx. 11.5 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 85.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews four novels from the perspective of the representation or deconstruction of national culture in the USA. The four books this paper discusses are Philip Roth's 'Portnoy's Complaint', Kurt Vonnegut's 'Cat's Cradle', Saul Bellow's 'Herzog' and Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man'.
From the Paper
"That "vanished frontier" is perhaps Vonnegut's allusion to the loss of the idealism that America once represented. "The highest form of treason is to say Americans aren't loved wherever they go, whatever they do," Minton added on page 98. "
"Vonnegut's postmodernism style throughout this book is a quasi-cynical but not entirely exaggerated representation of America; the folly of religion, for example, is shown in numerous passages. On page 4-5, God liked people "in sailboats much better than He liked people in motorboats." And on page 2, humanity is organized into teams to do "God's will" but those teams never discover "what they are doing." Hence, God is a mystery, and writers like Vonnegut have license to muse over society's clumsy attempt to define and categorize Him for their own future salvation from themselves. "
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"Black Boy", 2007.
An analysis of the book "Black Boy" by Richard Wright, with a focus on the author's relationship with his mother and grandmother.
1,379 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 46.95
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Abstract
The paper describes how "Black Boy" is the autobiographical story of author Richard Wright as he grew up in Mississippi and other southern towns. The paper portrays the gripping story of hatred, prejudice and determination. The paper looks at the story that shows how the support of his family, especially his mother, kept Wright determined to make something of himself although his religious grandmother never thought much of him and helped to cast doubt on his future as a writer. This, however, provided him with the tools to make up his own mind and express his feelings. The paper stresses how, in his life, both women influenced him in differing ways and molded him into the man he became.
From the Paper
"Wright's life as a young boy painted his entire life, and much of that came from the influence of his family (good and bad). His mother was very strict with him, but loved him and usually supported the things he wanted to do. However, she was not afraid to backhand him if she felt it was necessary. Early in the book he writes, "She [his mother] slapped me and I cried. Later, grudgingly, she told me that Granny came of Irish, Scotch, and French stock in which Negro blood had somewhere and somehow been infused" (Wright 48). He lives in a world of secrets kept by the grownups, from murder to why whites hate blacks so much, and that affects his adult life, too. He does not like the secrets, and develops an inquisitive mind that wants to know more and questions just about everything. This will certainly enhance his career as a writer, for it allows him to look at a question from all sides and assess its' meaning before he makes up his mind and writes about it."
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Eudora Welty, 2006.
An analysis of the work of Eudora Welty.
3,722 words (approx. 14.9 pages), 16 sources, MLA, $ 102.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes several of Eudora Welty's fictional works. The paper takes a specific look at her memoir titled, 'One Writer's Beginnings' from a perspective of historical criticism. This paper takes a look at Eudora Welty's Jackson, Mississippi upbringing, her home life and her early professional years as a photographer and writer during the Great Depression.
From the Paper
" Instead, Eudora Welty's first paying job turned out to be "for the state office of the Works Process Administration [WPA] as a publicity agent . . . Traveling over the whole of Mississippi, writing news stories for county papers, taking pictures, I saw my home state close at hand" (Welty, One Writer's Beginnings, 1982, p. 84). As the article "Eudora Welty" (Wikipedia, May 15, 2006) also states, of the author's life during this period, "During the 1930s, Welty worked as a photographer for the Works Progress Administration. This job sent her all over the state of Mississippi taking photographs of people from all economic and social classes." As Eudora Welty herself further recalls, of her experience as a photographer, in particular, during these years of the Depression, "The camera was a hand-held auxiliary of wanting-to-know" (Welty). In her video interview within The Writer in America Series (1980), Eudora Welty also shares, for the camera and the audience, one of her own favorite photographs taken for the WPA during that period, a black and white picture of three little boys standing in a crowd at a county fair in Mississippi. The little boys are all watching a magician who is "about to saw a lady in half", Welty explains. One of the little boys "believes"; another "doesn't believe", and the third one "is just beginning to wonder. That's what I love about this one, the three states" ("Eudora Welty", The Writer in America Series), the author says. "
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"A Raisin in the Sun", 2007.
An examination of the central theme of the play, "A Raisin in the Sun", by Lorraine Hansberry.
2,621 words (approx. 10.5 pages), 0 sources, $ 79.95
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Abstract
This paper presents a detailed examination of the work of literature by Lorraine Hansberry, entitled "A Raisin in the Sun". The paper explores the play itself and the central conflict of the play. It then analyzes the central theme and several other aspects of the play so that the reader gets a strong feeling for the storyline behind the plot of the play.
From the Paper
"To understand the themes, conflicts and characters of the play one must have an understanding of the play's plot and storyline. A Raisin in the Sun is a play about an African American family named Youngers. The Youngers live in Chicago on the South Side which is notoriously dangerous and filled with low income families. The family is no exception, until Mr. Youngers senior dies and leaves behind a $10,000 insurance policy. As the family waits for the check, they begin to argue and bicker about how it should be spent. The mother of the family wants a house, the son, Walter, wants to use it to go in partners with a friend and open a liquor store, Walter's wife agrees with her mother in law but doesn't want to anger her husband about the matter, and the sister of Walter wants to go to medical school and believes the money should be used to pay her tuition. The family begins to crumble as individual family members fight and argue over the money and how it would be best spent."
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"A Raisin in the Sun", 2007.
An analysis of the themes expressed in Lorraine Hansberry's play, "A Raisin in the Sun".
2,277 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 70.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the play, "A Raisin in the Sun", by Lorraine Hansberry. The paper looks at the way that the play is based on one of Langston Hughes's most famous poems, "Montage of a Dream Deferred" and the ways that even the title of the play is derived from this epigraph. The paper delves into the themes of the play and discusses the ways that these themes are expressed.
From the Paper
"There are occasions in the play when we see all characters giving up their dreams even if temporarily only to pick them back up at a later stage. This is the essence of true faith. It never leaves you forever. You can curse your life but you must not abandon it or dreams will be deferred for good. Walter for example gives up his dream of becoming his own boss. He wants to be financially secure- enough to at least raise himself above the servant class. He wanted Travis to have a better future. But all his dreams vanish when he makes the unwise investment and loses money. His dreams have not vanished however from his spirit, they have only started consuming him. this results in extreme frustration as he turns to alcohol for some consolation. George describes him as someone "wacked up with bitterness." (85) Mama cannot see her son consumed by failed dreams and the situation becomes alarming when Walter doesn't take his wife's threatened abortion seriously. Walter becomes a bitter lost soul."
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Racial Profiling, 2007.
This paper examines the extent to which race influences the criminal justice system.
1,994 words (approx. 8.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 63.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses the perception that those who are not Caucasian receive sentences that are harsher and punishment that is stricter than others. They are also treated differently when they make a large purchase, such as a car or a home. The paper explores the concern that perhaps the criminal justice system and the rest of society are racially biased. The paper explains the possibility that those of minority races are not committing crimes at a higher rate, but they are being targeted at a higher rate so only their crimes are discovered. The paper contends that in order for the United States to attain its vision of equality, this practice must be stopped.
From the Paper
"This is evidenced not only by individuals of other races who feel that they have been treated unfairly but by statistics which indicate the number of non-Caucasian individuals that are within the prison system, have been turned down for jobs, and have been discouraged from purchasing homes in particular neighborhoods. While racial profiling is seen most often when it comes to areas of the criminal justice system, many other facets of life also indicate it as well. Unfortunately, there are still many people that are affected by it, and it is time that racial profiling is recognized for what it is, addressed properly, and stopped."
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Ethnography, 2007.
A comparative study of Carol Stack's "All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community" and Steven Gregory's "Black Corona: Race and the Politics of Place in an Urban Community".
1,853 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at ethnography, a branch of anthropology describing, with a scientific description, individual cultures. The paper compares the works of Carol Stack in "All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community" and Steven Gregory in "Black Corona: Race and the Politics of Place in an Urban Community". Specifically, it looks at the different theories and methodologies applied by each author.
From the Paper
"One of the key shortfalls that can be found in the work of Gregory is that he fails to address the impact of the influx of Latinos into the area during the time of the study (Borges, p. 2). The Flats is in Jackson Harbor, a Midwestern town. Stack did not address the issue of Latinos or other ethnic groups, other than to mention that whites often treated black in the area in an unfavorable fashion. It is not expected that the issue of Latinos would be as important in the Flats as it would be in the area addressed by Gregory. For Gregory, the issue of Latinos represents a potential source of bias. Likewise, Stack's reliance on AFDS records may also represent a source of bias as well."
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