mushygoop

Battle Royal

2008-08-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

Battle Royal is a story with a much larger meaning than it seemes at first. When the narrator shows up at the smoker he expects to give his speech and recieve his award but when he gets there he and his classmates are humiliated and forced to fight in a battle royal. The battle royal has no rules which is symbolic of society for black men during that time. Life is a struggle with no rules. The men are blindfolded by white blindfolds which symbolizes their being blinded by the white dominated society. The overall battle royal shows the struggle for black men even after slavery was abolished. There is no winner in the battle royal and everyone is hurt just like the overall treatment of blacks in white society. Nobody gains anything whether its wealth, respect, or dignity. It may seem like it at first but in the end all african-americans are decieved and nearly destroyed by the white society.

The man with enormous wings

2008-08-21T17:46:00.001-07:00

The man with enormous wings is just that no angel. If he were an angel he would have understood the priest when he was speaking to him in latin. He was a creature of some other sort.

I believe

2008-08-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

As I have grown, I have noticed people aren't so innocent. People begin to think for themselves and develop beliefs. Racist, sexist, ageist beliefs. It's apparent everywhere I look. School, soccer, and all over society. Picture this, you are playing a soccer game in the typical rural south. The game gets out of hand and your team is killing your opponents. Your black teammate fouls one of their players roughly. The coach and father of the player yells from the sideline "Get that monkey back son!" The referee ignores the comment and the game continues. Even a simple 13 year old soccer game can show the prejudice filling people's minds. Growing up I've heard plenty of racist jokes (more now that I am in high school) and told a few also. This is all in good fun and usually the jokes are about friends. But when people say things in all seriousness that are demeaning to people that differ from them, I cringe. I believe in equality. My whole life I have lived in the city and many of my friends were not typical southerners. My friends have had completely different lifestyles and origins whether they were from the United States or from another country. Whether they were white or black, rich or poor, opinionated or shy. Living in many different parts of Atlanta has shaped the way I think and has made me more open minded to people who are different from me. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

The cathedral

2008-08-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

#4 The whole story is shaped by the man's uneasiness around a blind man. He pictures the typical blind person you see on tv or in the movies. One who shows no emotion and is practically lifeless. As the story continues he begins to understand the man's disability and that it doesn't affect him as a person at all. In the end when the main character and the blind man draw the cathedral together, he closes his eyes and doesn't want to open them. This completes the irony of the story because he started out looking down upon blindness but in the end he enjoys the different feeling he gets drawing without looking at his work.

I believe in

2008-08-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

I believe that people who work multiple hours a day to perfect their craft should be rewarded for their hard work. Tiger Woods, Jessie Owens, Hank Aaron, and Pele's names are synonomous with their respective sports. Each of those athletes worked hard and overcame many struggles to become great. I believe in Michael Phelps. Never in history has there ever been an athlete so dominant in their respective sport. I believe in a record 8 gold medals in 8 events this olympics and a total of 14 gold medals in his career at the olympics, and the greatest athlete to take part in the olympics. At the young age of 24 Michael Phelp's fans have a lot to look forward too...

Quotes that you've heard all your life

2008-08-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

"Be Aggressive."
I have been playing soccer and other sports for over 10 years. Ever since I was 5 I was the smallest kid on my team. To be successful I had to play extremely aggressive. Now I am a little bigger but my coach still reminds me at least once or twice a game to be aggressive.