Analysis Of Our Time By Wideman

Superior Essays
In the essay,” Our Time,” Wideman talks about the discrimination of the African Americans in Homewood because they were seen by the white discourse as unclean and uncivilized groups of people. Wideman proclaims,” The value of black life in America is judged, as life generally in this country is judged, by external, material signs of success.” ( 420). This is quote of Wideman says the African American were often been judged by the white discourse. Wideman even mentions in this statement that the life of the Africans’ success is also judged by the discourse, as well. Furthermore, the white dominant discourse had also made ethnography of the African Americans as they perceived them for being poor, violent, ignorant, and finally not wealthy people. …show more content…
He argues the reason Garth died because he’s receiving lack of medical attention at the hospitable where the white staff had constantly yet deliberately ignored him that they considers him an unimportant patient who’s worth their time. In the outcome, Garth’s death is the starting point and representation of the African Americans who were been racially discriminated the white dominant discourse, as they refer them being socially inferior to them. In addition, Garth’s death has created an impact upon the changes in people’s demeanor. Robby’s mother, for instance, when she used to be a kind, understandable woman, but became pessimistic, where she found the society to be cold and uncaring the way they had treated Garth and Robbie. In the conclusion, Wideman’s goal in “ Our Time,” is to explain how the African Americans were judged by the white dominant discourse and the impact after Garth’s death. And my goal is define the essay is an example of autoethnography and/or …show more content…
Afterwards, the African people absorbed the representations form the discourse to create their own self identity. This is an example of authoenthongraphy in the “ Arts of the Contact Zone.” Pratt states the people have been take in autoethnography who are being marginalized from the dominant discourse where they invent their own sense of self identity. This idea of Pratt supports the fact the Africans were taking the representations from the white discourse to create their sense of human identity. Besides that, the Africans were still outrage the fact Garth had died due to lack of medical treatment while the doctors ignored him and taking care of other white patients. They’ve used Garth’s as a sign the white discourse thinks very little of them and they were oppressed of discrimination. After that, Garth’s death has affected the rational demeanor of other people. Robby’s mother, for instance, is affected in the response of Garth’s death,which caused an impact on her personality and behavior. Robby’s mother used to be kind yet reasonable person that she understand life in Homewood; but she became unforgiving, spiteful and resentful to the white people after they let Garth died of lung cancer and

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    The three main points of Malcolm X’s argument is the oppression, exploitation, and degradation of African Americans. Throughout history, African Americans had suffered these misfortunates at the hands of white men. Black Nationalism comes into effect with the idea that African Americans should become independent, and separate themselves from the white…

    • 1649 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Shelby steels view’s on affirmative action aligns with the neo-conservative view. He recaps on the theory explaining that affirmative action and other entitlement programs stem from the presence of white liberal guilt. He recognizes this as the guilt which roots from the ill- intentions and actions of their ancestors which motivates them to sponsor and advocate for these government assistance programs. White liberals believe that by installing a program, which is intended to elevate the black community in an already developed society, they have indirectly cleared their guilty consciences. Steels states, “In a very real sense, entitlement programs for blacks serve the personal interests of whites as well.” (Steels.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The yellow wall affected the narrator because it made her really sick. The wallpaper has some patterns that seem to mess her mind up leaving her confused. John is a physician and the narrator’s brother is physician as well. John does not know how much the narrator really suffered, he knows there is no reason to suffer and satisfy him. If John did not treat her like a child and be more of a husband to her would she have led a normal sane life?…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    His mother alienates him for the reason that he ruined her reputation and because she has always cared less about him. Conrad’s friends isolate him after his return from the hospital because he is a “flake”. His brothers death and his suicide attempt have caused him to…

    • 1028 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The authors both use a white antagonist to represent the racial prejudice applied in society, which allow readers to antipathies them. “The Test” presents this through the ‘inspector’, an obtrusively racist man who degrades Marian due to her pigmentation. He speaks to her in mocking “Southern” accent saying they all (African- Americans) originated “from down yonder”. On the other hand, Mrs Wilson does not display direct racism but does so implicitly. She shows generosity towards Boyd; however, presume that he has a low financial status because of his colouration.…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    They did not see what their truth was because they were always put down by their white peers. Being apart from another race, who also was the cause of the death of your ancestors through slavery, really put a bad voice in these people’s heads. Most white Americans did not care about what their actions could do to them because that was just the way of life. Langston Hughes perfectly captured this time period in a way that any of his readers could comprehend. Hughes took a huge problem like this one and did something that many African Americans could not do…

    • 1791 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lastly the article is from the perspective of a white man telling about how blacks affect the white lives. The thesis of this essay is to portray the treatment of race among blacks and whites before the civil rights era. In the three articles each Author portrays a different perspective among blacks to whites. DuBois relates the ideas of African Americans are uneducated, foolish and to blame for each problem the United States had. DuBois had this authority for his writings because he saw the discrimination and unfair treatment first handed.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Most people when they do something wrong they want to be forgiven so they can move on. They feel as if they need to be forgive because if they are not it will eat at their soul and make them hate themselves. Sadly, my relatives specifically my aunt did not feel that way. Last year my aunt died of breast cancer and it affected my mother badly even though they were not on good terms. My mother ultimately forgave her before she died so she can find peace and move on.…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the end, she had gotten so irritated by the paper that she tore it down. When her actions were discovered by her husband she felt that since the wallpaper was gone she had " got out at last" ( "The Yellow Wallpaper" 244). Due to her story many questions were raised about Dr. Weir Mitchell’s “rest cure” because it provides an example of real life events that some of the people who underwent the treatment went through. Even though “ it was not intended to drive people crazy,” it did not always work as planned (“Why I Wrote “ The Yellow Wallpaper” 246). At some point, even Mitchell decided to change his treatment to give some stimulation to the patient so they they would not be driven to the point that Gilman expressed in her story.…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    After the abuse the man was found dead. This made my client feel even more guilty, because she felt that her speaking out caused the man’s death. As a result, my client was mute for a number of years, for she felt that her words would only hurt others. As she became older, the abuse caused her to still feel guilty and some what responsible. She also did not trust any boy that liked her, thinking that they only had the intention to hurt her.…

    • 1241 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays