Although taking place in differing locations, times, and overall surroundings the young lives of Richard Wright (depicted in his autobiography Black Boy) and Kate (a.k.a. Kaila) Simon (depicted in her memoirs Bronx Primitive) were both severely affected by their guardian’s disciplinary actions. Throughout both of their youthful years Richard and Kate were marred by the always overlooking consequence of what might happen to them if they broke the rules. Because of this installed fear of consequences of their actions the two’s outcomes in life were drastically altered, from what they would have been without the so called necessary discipline needed. However what seems to be the most influential is the reasoning behind the punishment, and the seemingly vital explanation that is needed with the severe disciplinary actions that took place over the durations of both of their lives.
Childhood is usually a time of sunny days, soft breezes blowing clouds across the deep blue sky. The days are never-ending joy, a blank canvas to paint with beautiful memories… unless your childhood was Richard Wright’s. His youth was a cold bleak existence. It was carved with hatred, and overlaid with hunger and severe discipline. There seemed to be little hope for one born to such an allotment of terrible misfortunes. For it was not his family that Richard could turn to, instead he was forced to turn away due to the immense fear of “being beat to an inch of his life” (BB p.54).
The Homework on An Educational Experience Culture Richard Life
Socially, a person's educational experience has great impact ones life, especially their culture. Richard Rodriguez was born to a middle class working family where higher education was not sought. By age 30, he completed a Ph. D. in English Renaissance literature. Richard's and my educational experience was filled with major choices, one of which separated us from our culture. Even though Richard ...
Sadly just as his family dismissed Richard the seemingly unfeeling eyes of the rest of the world were turned away from him as well. Due to life’s cold-shoulder Richard was left him very alone to do as he pleased and knew, as long as he abided by the harsh guidelines that he so commonly crossed. But because he so rarely was taught the consequences of actions before they occurred he had to learn very commonly the hard way, of learning through the horrible consequences that followed. In the end Richard was always left terribly sore, and confused rarely knowing the exact reasons behind his infamous beatings, leaving him to find out life’s misfortunes all on his own. Such as “What in Gods name have you done? She asked. The kitten was making noise and Papa said to kill it….You fool!” (BB p.20) This is just one of the numerous instances of Richard having to learn through the severe consequences that seemed to follow him all through his childhood years.
While Kate didn’t depict her childhood nearly as rough as Richard Wrights, she still had to deal with a lot of the same prejudices, discriminations, and harsh punishments as Richard growing up as a Jewish female at the time. Kate grew up in the Jewish ghettos of Bronx New York, living the seemingly average Jewish life with the rest of her family. Having extremely strong rooted beliefs in religion, family, and of course discipline. Making sure that Kate and her sibling abided by the existing rules was an important issue in the household. And as with Richards guardian’s, Kate’s parents resorted to physical discipline, such as “After a long lecture explaining our act, which was essential to our improvement…the strap was slowly, very slowly, pulled out of the loops on my fathers pant’s while we bent over the lidded toilet bowl to be whipped…” (BP p.5) Though the act of physically disciplining her may seem quite horrible, in retrospect to Richards own experiences, Kate was able to learn what she did wrong and why she was beaten. By going through theses extra needed steps of the disciplinary action it allowed her to comprehend her mistakes, and to be able to reason why she may receive another for activities in the future.
Alienation Essay Richard Speech Life
Haley Anderson English, Per. A Crass April 23, 1998 ALIENATION ESSAY Abraham Lincoln said, "It is difficult to make a man miserable when he feels he is worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him." This aptly describes the soul, spirit, and actions of Richard Wright. From his strong stance in defiance of injustice to his unwillingness to acquiesce as did those around him, ...
In the end Richard and Kate led very different lives. Richard was left emotionally stranded all his youth, while at the same time having to cope with death, abandonment, and discrimination to name a few. Kate on the other hand led a seemingly average life, though her family may have seemed a bit distant at times, the hardest things she had to go through were the occasional taunts and periodic attacks on her religion and over all beliefs. However what brings these to lives together is the aspects in their lives based on the physical disciplinary actions they had to go through. Though Kate every so often received a good whipping from her father, that doesn’t really compare to the all out beatings that Richard received, but what is derived from these punishments does. Due to Kate’s father explaining why he must whip her, she is able to acknowledge what she did wrong, and in the end comprehend why she should never do it again. Although with Richard he seemed to always lacked the very meaningful act of an explanation of why he must receive a “beating to an inch of his life” (BB p.73) and what exactly he did to deserve it, because of this instead of realizing what he did wrong and feeling remorse, he questioned the reasoning behind his beating, turning the whole ordeal into a painful useless experience. [/b]
