Lucy Balian

PAS 113B

Professor Broadous

Ugly Side of Racism

In the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, racism is depicted throughout the text. In the 1930's, segregation played a major role in society. in Grant's community, the environment for the African Americans is described as filthy and impoverished. Education was not mandatory for African Americans. They were treated differently than the white people. They lived in poor areas, had a lower income, worked in low wage jobs, and had to formally address white folks with respect. The people with darker complexion skin are more likely to be accused of crime. Racism is so blatant, that no matter who committed a crime, the person with darker skin will be classified as guilty. Ernest J. Gaines displays racism and colorism through the lives of Vivian, Matthew Antoine, and Jefferson.

Vivian, Grants girlfriend, was ranked as beautiful because of her features and skin color. Despite having similar features of an African American, she differed from the rest. Even the white men noticed Vivian as she passes by, "Vivian Baptiste was a beautiful woman, and she knew it; but she didn't flaunt it, it was just there. . .She came up to me, and a couple of the other men at the bar nodded and spoke to her. One tipped his hat and called her Miss Lady" (Gaines, 28). The gestures by the old men were respectful. However, if Vivian had darker skin, she'd be thought of as unworthy and given harsher treatment. Harriet Jacobs was a light skinned African American woman who was a victim of sexual abuse. Her life was controlled by her master, and she did not have any power to make decisions. Those with light skin however, such as Harriet Jacobs, did not get treatment as bad as dark skinned African Americans. Lighter skinned women were not used in the field and were given certain privileges such as education and better food. Harriet explains, "My mistress had taught me the precepts of God's word. . .While I was with her, she taught me to read and spell; and for this privilege, which so rarely falls to the lot of a slake, I bless her memory" (Women in History). Most of the dark skinned African Americans did not have the privilege to get an education, because they were working in the field, and their owners would not associate with them like the masters have done with the house slaves. Light skinned house slaves were exposed to the daily routine of a white family, and pieced up on a middle or high class lifestyle. The darker skinned slaves working in the fields did not have the chance to see what is beyond the fields. Often times, the slave owners would engage in intercourse with their slaves. "The boss's offspring would more than likely receive the special favor of doing work inside the house out of the hot sun. They'd eat better, often get taught to read and write, and enjoyed many of the liberties of non-slaves. Slaves with darker skin were usually stuck toiling in the fields" (Samuels). Discrimination of skin color within the African American culture resulted in self-hatred and envy. 

Grants teacher, Matthew Antoine, felt superior to darker skinned African Americans. He had light skin, and an education from a university. This was not common within African Americans. Even though he felt superior to African Americans, he was still considered black to the white community. He felt miserable being stuck in the plantation schools and couldn't get anywhere because he's not white. His wretchedness is illustrated through the conversation he has with Grant: "You have to go away to know about life. There's no life here. There's nothing by ignorance here. .. Just go on and be the nagger you were born to be, but forget about life" (65). He believed that there was no hope for the African Americans, because they had to follow the laws of the white men. They had low income, limited education, lived in the ghettos, and were accused of crimes they did not commit. Self-hatred within the African American community dates back to the origins of slavery. Willie Lynch proposed a letter in 1712 to encourage his method of owning slaves. He dehumanizes the African Americans by stating, "I have a full proof method for controlling your black slaves. I guarantee every one of you, if installed correctly; it will control the slaves for at least 300 years. . . I use fear, distrust, and envy for control purposes" (Finalcall.com). IF one tries to control and manipulate a particular race, self-hatred within the race will be more likely, because it is unfortunate to be overworked and used. Matthew Antoine envies that he is not white, and that he will always be looked at as uneducated and black. 

Jefferson was the most unfortunate because he is uneducated, has dark skin, and has to pay the ultimate price, his life. He was accused of murder, when there was no proof he committed the crime. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The owner of the liquor store knew that Jefferson did not want to cause any harm, which is why he pointed the gun towards the other two black men trying to rob his store. In society during the 1930's, if you were black, you were charged guilty, and no proof is needed. The system was unfortunate, and not going to change  in time to save Jefferson's life. Grant displays his knowledge of the unfortunate system, "Jefferson is dead. It is only a matter of weeks, maybe a couple of months-but he's already dead. . .I can't raise the dead. . . There's nothing I can do anymore, nothing any of us can do anymore" (14). Grant already knows that Jefferson’s case is not worth fighting. There were no black lawyers in the 1930’s. Jefferson is even put in the level of an animal. He has lost the case already, but to humiliate Jefferson and call him a hog shows the inhumane way of thinking society encourages. Racism was so common and accepted that people did not have sympathy for Jefferson. There is proof that “African American males are more likely to receive the death penalty compared to their lighter-skinned counterparts for comparable capital crimes. . . even after controlling for defendant attractiveness and other nonracial factors. . .” (Williams). Still today, colorism and racism towards dark skinned African Americans exist.

Ernest J. Gaines lived in a time of racism, and he expressed racism in his novel. He explained events that routinely occur when racism was common, and some of the misfortunes still occur till this day. The three characters, Vivian, Matthew Antoine, and Jefferson have gone through different kinds of racism. The light skinned African Americans had it more easily, but the dark skinned African Americans did not. Ernest J. Gaines explains racism at a time where it could not be changed due to the system. Racism today is not as conjoint in society, but African Americans now have a chance to get an education, live in nicer homes, associate with all people, and have the ability to do what the white man can do. 

Work Cited

Gaines, Ernest. A Lesson Before Dying. New York. 1993

Samuels, Allison. The Ugly Roots of the Light Skin/Dark Skin Divide. Newsweek. Http://www.the dailybeast.com/newsweek

Willie Lynch Letter: The Making of a Slave. May 22, 2009. Finalcall.com

Women in History, Harriet Jacobs biography. 4/26/2012. Lakewood Public Library. http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/jaco-har.htm

"Colorism." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 17-19. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Apr. 2012

Project Space

Lucy Balian    

Professor Broadous

PAS 113B

Limited Space

            Each individual admires their space differently, depending on how much they have or lost. If a person were to have their necessities taken away, their space would chance completely. They would have an altered opinion as to what is valuable and mandatory to survive. People usually define space by where someone lives, wears, eats, and likes. All these factors can be found in a person’s home. However, if a person loses their home because they cannot afford it, than they no longer have their space. Families have been corrupted due to the recession, and the poverty rate is increasing every day. Because homelessness is becoming more common, people are separated from the space that was once so comforting, stable, secure, and reassuring. People now have to settle in motels, relative’s homes, or even cars. Poverty is rising and children are being affected, education is not as accessible to those in poverty, and health is becoming difficult to manage. Poverty affects individuals and families psychologically, economically, and socially.

            The U.S has 150 million in poverty, and that number is only rising, (Smiley). Millions of houses have been foreclosed because families can no longer afford them. “As property values have plummeted, many homeowners find their mortgages ‘under water’-they owe more on their mortgage than their house is worth” (U.S Social and Economic Trends). Because of the decrease in job demands, people cannot work to make money to pay for a house. More people are moving in with family members to save money, because the other alternative would be living in a shelter or getting money illegally. This can corrupt ones space because they do not have privacy and time to themselves. I decided to volunteer at a homeless shelter, and the space in which the homeless people could stay was limited. There was a certain amount of apartments that the families and individuals could stay in. These people had about 6 months to live in these homes until they got themselves a job. Furthermore, there had to be certain requirements in order to live in the shelter. The shelter was not an option for those who could not meet the specific requirements. Children are affected the most because they lose charisma and grow to be distant. Donations are given to the homeless people, and often time these donations are torn up clothes, broken kitchen utensils, canned food, or dirty toys for children to play with. Children feel embarrassed towards their friends about their living circumstances, so they do not socialize as often. It is crucial for a person to have a social life to grow up properly. One boy relates to being distant and not social. He explains how people would complain about the way he’d talk too often. However, when he became homeless, he said opinions have changed, and people are now asking why he is so quiet and “to himself” (60 Minutes). His personal belongings were taken away from him, and he was left with nothing, which is an example of how space defines a person. This lifestyle and behavior of children is becoming common to families and individuals across the United States, as poverty is rising and becoming more of an issue.

            Those in poverty have less access to education, than people in the middle and high class population. Many children in poverty do not focus in education, because they are trying to find jobs to help pay for necessities to survive. School is a space for children and teenagers to develop knowledge and experiences, but because of low income, that space is no longer apart of the lives of many children and young adults. In school, children are taught to read, write, solve equations, and exercise their logic. Now that school isn’t part of their daily lifestyle, the basic reading level has decreased. Children struggle in reading and learning because they do not have the proper resources to be taught. “There are young mothers and fathers whose literacy skills must be improved to prevent their children from relieving their own cycle of low skills and low wages. There are teenage mothers who are ill prepared to face a demanding work force” (Cummings). Because their parents have lower than basic reading skills as well, there is no way the parents can help with improving the children’s reading skills. Children are not educated, and our next generation will suffer because of it. Those in poverty have a higher drop-out rate than the upper class. “Studies show that children’s performance in school directly correlates to the income of their families. We have 1.8 million children living in poverty in Florida. That children in poverty don’t perform well starts with the fact 67 million don’t have any access to education” (Schatz). The public schools that low income children attend do not provide a good source of education. There are music teachers who have to teach math classes, and even P.E teachers who have to teach academic courses as well. In the shelter I volunteered in, the establishment urged the children and teenagers to learn and go to school. The place even provided tutors to help the children with reading and math. The teens had a variety of books to read. Sadly, most shelters cannot afford resources like this. One boy claims that he had to drop of high school in his senior year because he had to find a job to help his family financially. His parents lost their jobs, and also lost their homes because they could not afford to pay off the debts and bills. They were temporarily living in their van, than moving in multiple motels. He said that education was not a concern, but survival was more important because of the situation his family was in (60 Minutes).       

            Health is difficult to manage when living an impoverished life style. Many people with low income do not have the money to spend on healthy food, because healthy food is more expensive. Instead, they eat what people donate. Often times in shelters, people donate canned foods which contain starch and artificial chemicals. This is unhealthy for one’s body, and can later turn to something far more serious. “In the United States low income immigrant groups experience greater health disparities and worse health-related outcomes than whites, including but not limited to higher rates of type 2 diabetes (T2DM)” (Chaufan). Fortunately, the homeless people I saw in the shelter were provided with 3 healthy meals a day. This was a way for them to save any money they can get, and not have to worry about spending on food which would be an extra expense. This factor interferes with the space of those in poverty, because the people, who have once had jobs to pay for decent food, now have to cope with eating food that is unsatisfying with no nutritional value. It has even gotten to the point where families had to go nights sleeping on an empty stomach. Impoverished children who attend school cannot even focus in their classes because of malnutrition, and they have no energy to complete school work. Living in poverty often times affects ones healthy psychologically too. People who complete their education and earn a degree are more likely to get married than those who do not.  

The Safety Net

Balian Lucy

PAS 113A

Prof. Broadous

The Safety Net

            Axel had just moved to Los Angeles. He lived in Brooklyn, New York near his mother and step-father. He's intelligent, a quick learner, and solves problems much more brisk than an advanced mathematician or engineer. He always had the highest GPA in school, but wasn't school oriented, and preferred independent study. He is 6'2, has mysterious looking green eyes, and very observant with his surroundings. He has shiny dark blonde hair, and smooth looking skin. He is of German decent. He always has a serious look on his face; His eyebrows and forehead bunch forward and his veins are visible due to his pale skin and lack of body fat. He is quiet and reserved; he likes to have his space. He is social when he wants to be, but keeps a distance from friends and family. He is a strong man, building muscle from the age of 6. As a child, he lived in Stuttgart, Germany with his parents and two siblings. His father Norbert, would abuse Axel, his mother, and two siblings. Norbert was a wealthy man, but a great amount of spending was purchased on alcohol. His father was bi polar, and very aggressive and hateful towards the family. His father grew up in poverty, with a single mother, and struggled every day of his life to make a living and survive. He would walk to school alone as a child, through snow that mounted up to his knees, to get an education to be successful and forget about his childhood. He did not want to remember the rainy nights he had to sleep in a stack of hey without any blankets or shelter. He wanted to forget about the days he went without food, and the days he slept on an empty stomach. He wanted to forget about the days he attended school barefoot, with ragged clothes and blisters from the cold. Axel's father was materialistic and selfish. He had a sports car and loved to buy clothes, accessories and essentials for the mansion. He also bought expensive meats and food for him, that was only sold in particular parts of the country. His father would starve Axel and the children. Not many people were aware of the children in the family, because Axel's father wanted to keep them a secret. He couldn't risk his career or reputation by giving people the chance to sabotage his personal life. Axel and his siblings were frail and lacked energy. Axel was the oldest of the 3, and favored by his father, even though he was still lashed and punished. Axel was beaten so atrociously, that the scars on his back never healed. It is the reason he never takes off his shirt. Once, Axel tried to steal bread from the kitchen to give to his siblings, without knowing his father was home. His brother and his sister grew really sick; they had a weaker immune system. When Norbert caught Axel in the kitchen, he slammed the drawer while Axel's fingers were still inside. Axel was not able to move his fingers for weeks, each were broken. His mother, Marie, was not able to help. She was incompetent. She once tried to protect her children, but ended up with 400 stitches under her rib cage, and never attempted to do so again. The children were traumatized by witnessing and experiencing the physical and verbal abuse their father caused.

            Axel's brother and sister had died from starvation and neglect of necessities. Marie decided it was time to take a risk to get away from her husband's harm. She bought two airplane tickets to New York, and began her life with Axel in America. Marie left to the airport with Axel while Norbert was at work. They have yet to visit Germany after living a few years in America. Axel was 9 years old when he left Germany. Four years later living in New York, Marie married a business man. John, Marie's second husband, had a successful business-he owned an auto shop. John was a fatherly figure to Axel. However, Marie did not give the attention Axel needed, and Axel grew to be cold and bitter. He'd spent his time with his step dad in the auto shop, fixing cars, learning about the car parts, and listening to the advice John gave about life. Axel would only spend his time at home when he had to sleep. Marie only puts effort in talking with Axel when John is around. Axel responds with short answers, because he shifts to an angry tone when he talks to his mother for more than a few minutes. He becomes irritated; he is short tempered and has no patience. Axel attended school when he was living in New York; he wasn’t home schooled like he was when living in Germany. He became close with a boy he had met in school. The boy’s name is Phillip, and they had a lot in common. Phillip was born in Hamburg, Germany, and is of German and Danish decent. They both wanted to move out of New York, and get out of their comfort zone. They grew close, and had similar ambitions. They wanted a fresh start, and made plans to leave to California from a young age.

            They were now 19 years old. Axel felt that by leaving New York, he wouldn't be a burden to his mother, even though he never asked her for anything. Axel wanted to continue his education in California, and get a degree, so he wouldn't have to work with John all his life in the auto shop business.

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