TOW #6: Written - "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston

Being born colored is inaccurate; one becomes or feels colored. Colored is not the tone of skin, but the feeling of being different in a situation. In Hurston's essay, she uses diction and metaphor as a means of achieving pathos to explain that one's physical attributes does not dictate who he is. The Great Stuffer of Bags fills different colored bags with similar jumble.

Hurston explains how she was not born colored, but she became colored. "I remember the very day that I became colored" (114) explains how one is not born colored. Being colored is simply an emotion one feels. This is seen when Hurston explains how she "was not Zora of Orange County any more" but "a little colored girl" (115). By focusing on verbs, Hurston emphasizes that she is colored at times and simply Zora in others. This contrast between the two Zora's exemplifies how being colored is not something one is born into, but an emotion that people when they feel out of place like when she was "thrown against a sharp white background"(115). Diction is a strong weapon that Hurston uses to emphasize that no one is born colored. Even in her title, she says "How it Feels to Be Colored Me". The key word to the title is “feels”, the verb. Everyone is human, and being colored is an emotion felt when one believes he is out of place.

In Hurston's conclusion, she uses a metaphor. With the Great Stuffer of Bags, she explains that people are like bags. The bags are different colors like red, white, yellow, and brown (which she says she is). When emptying the contents of the bag, the jumble is all the same. This metaphor carries the deeper meaning that people, despite the different color of skin, are all the same. Everyone is human. This supports her argument that being colored is not a physical trait.

Hurston's use of metaphor and diction was an excellent and effective means of creating pathos. I was able to sympathize with Hurston and understand her perspective. Truly, the Great Stuffer of Bags has placed similar contents to those in the bags of my classmates, friends, and peers.

TOW #5: Visual - "Waiting for the Signal from Home..." by Dr. Seuss

www.whereiscat.com

Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. Created on February 13, 1942, Dr. Seuss's political cartoon reflects the suspicious mindset of many American citizens; the Japanese immigrants in America were spies who will destroy the country from within. It is evident through his usage of diction and stereotypical caricature that he also believed the Japanese-Americans would  betray America.

People of Japanese descent are seen traveling from many different states across America to receive a box of TNT, or dynamite. With the depiction of happy Japanese-Americans, Dr. Seuss indicates that the Japanese-Americans are not to be trusted and will destroy the country, happily and surely. The stereotypical caricature of the people is obvious. With the slanted eyes and mustaches, Dr. Seuss racist mindset is seen by the exaggerated facial features of these men. These exaggerated features also clearly identify these men as Japanese.

Hung above the man giving away TNT is a sign that reads, "Honorable Fifth Column". Dr. Seuss's usage of diction is interesting, for the fifth column is a group of traitors who betray their country and sympathize with their country's enemy. The adjective, honorable, is used to explain how Americans believed that the Japanese-Americans consider betraying America as a righteous, good deed for their motherland. A phrase is also written at the top of the political cartoon which reads, "Waiting for the Signal from Home...". This is the name of the cartoon and connects to the man with the telescope. The man is looking towards the west, indicating that the Japanese-Americans are ready to launch a surprise attack from within once they receive a signal from Japan.

Taking into consideration the time period, I believe that this cartoon would have been effective and persuasive. Dr. Seuss's main objective is to convince the viewer that the Japanese-Americans are enemies of America who are planning to ruin the country. In a time of chaos and hysteria with deeply rooted mentalities of racism, the American people believed and agreed to Dr. Seuss's political cartoon. This belief eventually led to the internment and relocation of Japanese Americans into internment camps. Ironically, these camps were similar to the concentration camps America was combating against.

TOW #4 - IRB: "Civilization and Its Discontents" by Sigmund Freud (Part I)

The purpose of religion, functions of our mind and ego, and a human's purpose in life are one complicated questions that have yet to receive a direct, final answer. Sigmund Freud attempts to tackle these delicate topics with a psycho-analytic perspective, one that is equally confusing and difficult to grasp. Yet with the usage of smooth transitions and enumeration, Freud writes about 20th century culture and thoughts in a way that is easy for readers to comprehend.

The essay begins with the description of an “oceanic” feeling religion utilizes, a feeling mentioned by Romain Rolland. Delving into what this oceanic feeling is, Freud explains that this feeling is not, as Rolland believed, a human urge to feel united with the outside world, but "infantile helplessness" (Freud 21). Freud then transitions into man's faith in religion and a God. Concession and refutation is used multiple times as a means of transition. The same structure is used by Freud, which consists of: bringing up a common misconception about the topic, refuting the accuracy of the topic, and transitioning to what his viewpoint is. This constant pattern provides easy understanding for the reader and a layout that is simple and straight to the point.

Methods in which humans escape misery and the ways one receives suffering, are situations in which Freud uses enumeration. One example of enumeration is when Freud describes what causes our suffering: from our own body, the world around us, and from others around us. By pinpointing the three causes, Freud then discusses the methods in which we attempt to escape the three ways, whether it be through alcohol or isolation. The use enumeration acts as a topic sentence and a road map; it guides the reader and helps him reader clearly identify Freud's argument.

I found this book surprising in the way Freud remains steadfast in his simple answers about life. Though I disagree with Freud in some ways, his argument causes me to view some beliefs in a different light. Is the oceanic feeling that religion uses simply a fear of fate? Is a human’s purpose simply pleasure?