Chapter 8: Brothers and Sisters
Answer both questions using at least two quotations from the novel. Due Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012
1. Helen, one of James’ sisters, told her mother “The white man’s education is not for me.” Why do you think Ruth encouraged her children to do well in the white schools? What is the significance of one of her children rejecting the white man’s education? Do you think it was hard for her daughter to reject “white” society? Why?
2. How do you think Ruth’s lifestyle influenced Helen and Dennis’ radicalism? Explain the different reactions Helen and Dennis had to the black power/pride movement. Why was Ruth more accepting of Dennis than Helen?
I think Ruth wants her children to do good in white schools because, she wants her kids to realize she is no different than her kids just because shes white and their black
ReplyDelete1) I think that Ruth incouraged her children to do well in the white schools because white schools give better education than most black schools.The significance of one of her children rejecting the white mans education is because on page 73 it says "We were awed. Mommy called reinforcements- ministers, friends, my stepfather- but helen ignored them. I don`t think it was hard for elen to reject the white society because the dean of the school that helen was going to called her mom and said " No not this one, she quit school two weeks ago. It`s such a shame." TRhis shows that it was easy for her because she didnt care enough about it to mention it to anyone in her family.
ReplyDelete2) I think ruth`s lifestyle influenced helen and dennis` radicalism because ruth never did anything to show peole she was a radicalist, so i think that helen and dennis took it upon themselves to show the younger kids that they could be radicalist and be proud of it to. Helen`s reaction to the black power/pride movements, was on page 73b it says "She sat up late at night with my elder siblings and talked about the revolution aganist the white man while we little kids sleept up stairs." Dennis` reaction to the black power/pride movement was he planned to become a doctor but, while he was at Medical School, on page 71 it says "Dennis was one of the most active civil rights students the University had ever seen. He marched on Washington. He organized a hostiptal workers` union. He sat in at lunch counters in the south. He got sprayed with mace and fire-hosed by civil authorities. Dennis was at war with the system, but as long as he kept his war out of the house and stayed in medical school, that was okay with mommy.
1). Ruth encouraged her children to do well in the white schools. The reason why is because you need an education. Especially, if you are a black child. I don't think it was hard for her to reject the "white" society because she probably didn't feel welcomed in that society, knowing how "whites" treated "blacks" in that time.
ReplyDelete2). I think Ruth's lifestyle influenced Helen and Dennis' radicalism. The reason why is because she showed them not to care what anyone thinks about you, and to just focus on school, music, and religion. Ruth was accepting Dennis more than Helen because Dennis's reaction towards black power/pride movement. I think this because he was finally thinking for himself and choosing what he wanted to follow. Just like how she chose her lover over her family because that's what made her happy. And that's what she wanted.
!. I think that the reason that Ruth encouraged her children to do well in school was that she wanted her children to do better then she did while going to school because on page 41, it talks about "Tateh had us timed for that (coming home)" and "Homework was done between customers and etc. Basically saying her experience was bad. The significance of one of her children rejecting the white mans education is probably a lot and you can see that by the way she reacts by beating her on page 73 where it states that her mom brought in "reinforcements" to stop her. Also I think that it was not hard for her daughter to reject "white" society because she seems as if she didn't care in the first place about her education and now she is just expressing it.
ReplyDelete2. I think that Ruth's life style defiantly affected or influenced Helen and Dennis' radicalism because she was never really there for all of them it seems. She was always trying to focus on all of them that she may have not put her beliefs strong enough into them. An example is that on page 10 it states that "She barely had time to wipe the bottom of a child before another one came screaming at the top of her lungs". The different reactions Helen and Dennis had to the black power movement was that Helen brought it home and expressed this at home while Dennis did it outside and was more creative and etc then Helen as stated on page 71 where it states that as long as Dennis did what he had to outside and stayed in school he was not penalized while Helen did the opposite and brought the "fight" home. That is also the reason that Ruth was more accepting of Dennis because as long as he did what he was supposed to he could do whatever else in his free time.
1)Ruth knew that white education was better than what the blackman education was . So she wanted them to prove that they can do well even if they are not white . she wanted them to have the best education possible and proove thierselfs this wus the significance of one of her children rejecting the white man's education.
ReplyDelete2)They saw how their mother was white but denied her whitness with twelve black children and this took part in influencing helen and dennis's radicalism.Helens reaction toward the black power/pride movement was you have to fight the system and fight the man , dennis would laugh when she said things like these and didnt think bout the black power movement that way .Helen was sort of a protaginist and instigator during these conversations of the pride movement, dennis wasnt .
Jabahri Taylor Class 191/ Period 2
ReplyDelete1. Ruth knows that white schools have the best education and will let others know they aren't just ordinary blacks. They will set high standards for ttheir race and make their mom proud knowing they went places. One of the significance of rejecting white education is being free from the white education and being treated like a black by blacks. It was hard for Helen to reject it cause her mom pushed them to get a good education, better then most blacks.Quotes: pg(72)”she quit two weeks ago. It’s a shame.”
2. Helen in my opinion just cares about her kind and she has no regard for whites. She doesn’t want anything to do with whites. Dennis was easy going and set high standards for the rest of the family. Ruth treats Dennis different because he is older and more mature while Helen is young and still learning. Quotes: Pg(70)” Educate your mind you’re your brother Dennis”.
I will hand this in tomorrow because a red box appeared and told me "Your HTML cannot be accepted: Must be at most 4,096 characters". I am guessing I have more thann 4,096 characters so I will print it out and hand deliver the responses.
ReplyDelete-Chantess Robinson Pd.5
1)I think Ruth encouraged her children to do well in white schools because she wants them to get the best education they could get because it is top priority. The significance of one of her children rejecting the white man's education is that no matter how hard you try to raise your child to be who you want them to be, eventually they're going to grow up and make their own decisions that may not jibe with what they were taught. I think it was hard for her daughter to reject "white" society because considering that it will be going completely against her mother's top priority in the house.
ReplyDelete2) I think Ruth's lifestyle influenced Dennis because her demands and rules really got through to him and he ended up being successful. To Helen, on the other hand, Ruth's lifestyle did not really seem to influence her in a positive way. The different reactions Helen and Dennis had to the Black Power/Pride Movement was that Dennis stayed away and Helen got involved. Ruth was more accepting of Dennis because he came out to be the child she wanted him to be and very successful and the role model of the family. Helen went against everything Ruth ever wanted her to be and disappointed her.
1. Ruth encouraged her children to do well in the white schools because, her son Dennis, served as a role model for all of the younger siblings. Everyone was held to the standard of Dennis's his good behavior and accomplishments. While Dennis kept private his own controversial activities in the Civil Rights Movement, James's sister Helen quit school, became a hippie, and rejected what she labeled the "white man's education." One night, after an explosive fight with her sister Rosetta, fifteen-year-old Helen ran away from home. While Ruth soon discovered that Helen was staying with her sister Jack, she could not convince Helen to come home. Helen then disappeared from Jack's, this time for months. When Ruth finally learned she had moved to a room in a bad neighborhood, she attempted once again to convince her to return home. Without a word, Helen refused to see her. Helen rejected the white man’s education because she felt like they weren't supporting black children with lack of school supplies and they only cared about the white children and didn't cater to the blacks. I don't think it was hard for Helen to reject the "white society" because sh was tied of the way she was being treated. Quote to support my answer: "Mommy enrolled her in two more schools, but she quit both, declaring, The white mans education is not for me." Pages 72-73
ReplyDelete2. Ruth's lifestyle influenced Helen and Dennis’ radicalism because,Dennis went above and beyond any of his other sibling with his education and Helen quit school because when her mom wants all her children to get a great education. Helen was a protagonist and Dennis want to exemplify the virtues of Martin Luther King and Malcolm . Ruth was more expecting of Dennis because he was not only a straight A student but did extra curricular activities in the Civil Rights movement. Quotes that support my answer:"Helen once the peripheral figure in these discussions became the epicenter , instigator and protagonist." Page 71. "... extolling the virtues of Martin Luther King over Malcolm x and vise versa."
Page 73. "Educate your mind like your brother Dennis." Page 70.
-Kendra Dennis
Karla Galiano Herrera
ReplyDeleteClass 191/ 5th period
Question #1:
There are many reasons why Ruth encourages her children to do well in white school. Ruth wants all her children to end up like Dennis. Dennis was the family pioneer, he finished college and was on his way to being a doctor. To Ruth, the rejection of the white man's education makes her upset, because she wants each of her children to become like Dennis and end up like Dennis. In my opinion, I think it really wasn't hard for her daughter, Helen, to reject "white society", because she didn't attend school, even after she told her mother she would change her ways.
Ms.Schroder I can't see the questions for wednesdays homework. I already read the two chapters. (1o and 9).
ReplyDeleteValentina Griffith
1. "Fight the Man!" (pg.73) I think that the "man" specifically meant her mother. Since Ruth is pushing her children to do well in white schools, Helen is trying to say that you have to be white to go to a white school. One of the children, Helen, rejected the white man's educaction because she feels like her mother is trying to make them somebody that they are not. It was hard for her to reject the white society because that was all they got to live off of.
ReplyDelete2."She wouldn't stay, Ma. We tried to make her stay but she wouldn't." (pg.76)This quote explains that Helen didn't stay in the world all about black power. She wants everyone at peace and no violence, a 'hippie',basically. And Dennis, on the other hand, was a whole different story. He always supported black power and fought for their deserved rights. Ruth was accepting more of Dennis than Helen because Helen was the exact opposite of what she wanted them to turn out like.
Michelle Isakova P.#2
Class 191
1.Ruth encouraged her children to do well in white school because she didn't want to give the white people anything bad to say about her black children. "You have to fight the system!" she'd yell "Fight the Man!" Helen was against everything about the "White Man" schools. She became a hippie and started to wear all sorts of baretts and beads.
ReplyDelete2.Ruth was more exceoting of Dennis than Helen because he was the eldest young man in the family. When the Step-dad wasn't there (because he only made days in the week visits). She taught both the eldest children, Helen and Dennis, to not pay attention and not to retaliate against others. The real world is harsh, and there are nothing but mean people out there looking for something to bring you down, and they find racism as an easy target."This is no place for you to be" and "All is forgiven, just come home." When one of your loved ones run away, you are probably desperate and are willing to do anything to get them back. That's how Ruth was with her family. Especially Helen and Dennis, being the eldest.
Marquell, i Think she wanted her to get that education because if she did she would get smart like them and eventually overpass them, i think Ruth accepted Dennis more than Helen because Helen was just like James brother
ReplyDelete1. Ruth encouraged her children to do well in the white schools because it would give them the advantages she never had. It is very significant because her mother was rejected by her white parents and could not get a proper education. Its was not hard for her daughter to reject the white man because her mother was rejected as well.
ReplyDelete2. Ruth's lifestyle influenced Helen and Dennis because she was disowned by her family and that made her believe in other thing such as all people are equal so now her children believe it too.