Question 1

Baldwin’s quote highlights the transitions one goes through on his/her enlightenment quest. Fundamentally, knowledge exposure changes the way people perceive things. In the initial stages where one has limited knowledge about the widely accepted norms, s/he will accept anything society throws at him as justification for his wellbeing. However, attaining education acts as an eye-opener where one begins to clearly conceptualize how things works. The scenario where an individual finds him/herself at war with society is because one realizes that their life was built on lies to make it manageable. Personally, as I continue to learn, the more I understand how the world operates. I mostly deem it my responsibility to enlighten people how the society operates given that many lack this basic grasp. Accomplishing this task is what Baldwin term as ‘myself at war with society.’ This is because undertakings such as questioning the existence of God or revealing some deeply rooted forms of oppression are likely to elucidate backlash due to their distortion of the status quo. Whether bad or good, people largely don’t embrace change that will dispel their widely accepted myths.

Question 2

In general, all the minorities have been on the receiving end of poor treatment at some point during their establishment in the country. Baldwin explicitly paints a picture of how Black Americans have heard it rough in the country since the slavery days. As a cheap labor source, their masters had to brainwash themselves to treating them (black men) as animals. When they escaped the south to north, Baldwin notes that it was not freedom but rather ended up at the bottom of the labor market, where many still are (3). Many marginalized groups experienced and continue to go through the tough predicament of languishing at the bottom. This is partly because of the myths that have distorted the American society’s functionality. Many marginalized groups will continue having it tough like the Black Americans so long as American society is still unwilling to face the truth and reality.

Question 3:

Baldwin’s piece is persuasive because of the rhetorical appeals he employs. Beginning with ethos, this appeal deals with credibility. For instance, when Baldwin talks about the suffering and marginalization of Black Americans, he bases the assertions on personal experience. “The Park Avenue I grew up on, which is still standing, is dark and dirty” (2). “When I was living in Europe ….” (4). Baldwin uses these personal experiences to establish credibility. He also employs logos, establishing logic and reason. For instance, “The Bible says somewhere that where there is no vision the people perish” (4). This quote resonates the country’s lack of vision with the suffering of its citizens. Significantly, when explaining the marginalization of the blacks, he links to how it limits their future growth, keeping them at the bottom of the labor market (2). Furthermore, Baldwin also employs pathos, the emotional appeal. He creates an emotional appeal of how the blacks are perceived in American history, “shiftless, watermelon-eating darkies who loved Mr. Charlie and Miss Ann,” and contributed nothing major to the civilization (1). Baldwin also invokes an emotional appeal to the teachers in his last paragraph, creating a case of rightly educating black children so that they can embrace their roots and rise above them.

question 4:

Educators have had a positive influence on my life. Primarily, I do not have a specific educator to praise because up to now, all of them have molded me in to a positive person willing to exploit my strengths and work on my weaknesses. I have learned to appreciate my past, no matter how imperfect it is. It is only through accepting the non-appealing aspects of the past that one can get to rise above them. I have also learned to acknowledge diversity, and know that despite of our physical differences, we are all the same people trying to be successful in life. As I strive to be a holistic citizen, my limited world view has been widened by education and the fantastic teachers that have mentored me. I intend to use this platform to help others grow by leaving society better than I found it.