Life of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of...

Author C.S. Lewis in the Horse and the Boy provided the perfect statement about slavery, â€Å"But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself†. One of the most important aspects of anybody’s life and also thought to be the meaning of life is, for everybody to what they want when they want as long as they are not hurting anybody else. A life spent playing by somebody else’s rules is simply a life not worth living. Slavery is one of the most disgusting parts of many parts of history and violates the right that every person on this earth is entitled to, the freedom of choice. Two of the most seminal and timeless pieces of literature written about slavery, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl written by Harriet Jacobs and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass both do a tremendous job of showing the harrowing effects of sla very. Jacobs and Douglass had to endure the hate of a society that despised their race and mistakenly encouraged the existence of slavery in society. These two stories present two different perspectives of people from the most oppressed groups in one of if not the darkest time in American history. Both stories while being incredibly dark and true to life, called for a change of the treatment of slaves and the black community and were able to show the true colors of slave owner’s warts and all. Slave owners had never beenShow MoreRelated Dreams in Song of Solomon, Narrative Frederick Douglass, Life of a Slave Girl, and Push2208 Words   |  9 PagesDreams in Song of Solomon, Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Push    In 1776 it was stated that our country was based upon one simple truth, That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Though stated with a poetic justice, this statement did not hold true for all U.S. citizens. Many citizens were held in captivity, versus freedomRead More American Dream in Song of Solomon, Narrative Frederick Douglass, Life of a Slave Girl, and Push1924 Words   |  8 PagesAmerican Dream in Song of Solomon, Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Push   Ã‚   In an era where knowledge is power, the emphasis on literacy in African American texts is undeniable. Beginning with the first African American literary works, the slave narratives, through the canons more recent successes such as Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon and Sapphires Push, the topic of literacy is almost inextricably connected to freedom and power. A closer investigationRead MoreThe Life of A Slave Girl by Harriet A. Jacobs Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesA slave narrative is to tell a slaves story and what they have been through. Six thousand former slaves from North America told about their lives during the 18th and 19th centuries. About 150 narratives were published as separate books or articles most slaves were born in the last years of the slave regime or during the Civil War. Some Slaves told about their experiences on plantations, in cities, and on small farms. Slave narratives are one of the only ways that people today know about the wayRead MoreEssay on O ut of the Silence1445 Words   |  6 PagesThe slave narrative genre is an important part of American history. These stories are not only portraits of individual history, but also of American history. By reading the stories of the past we can better determine the path of the future. The personal stories of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs are two excellent examples of the slave narrative genre in American literature. To be sure, bondage and oppression had a lasting and profound effect on both genders; however, men and women experiencedRead MoreJacobs Douglass: An Insight Into The Experience of The American Slave1019 Words   |  5 PagesThe slave narratives of the ante-bellum time period have come across numerous types of themes. Much of the work concentrates on the underlining ideas beneath the stories. In the narratives, fugitives and ex-slaves appealed to the humanity they shared with their readers during these times, men being lynched and marked all over and women being the subject of grueling rapes. The slave narrative of Frederick Douglas and Harriet Jacobs: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl themes come from the existenceRead MoreThe Life Of Frederick Douglass And The Life Of A Slave Girl1475 Words   |  6 PagesNovember 18, 2014 The Life of Frederick Douglass the Life of a Slave Girl The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and The Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl are both nineteenth-century narratives about Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs’s experiences born into slavery and as escaped slaves. The concept of gender makes each narrative have distinct perspectives’ of their version of what they endure during slavery and how it shapes their freedom. Even though both narratives have many similaritiesRead MoreResponse to Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Readings1204 Words   |  5 PagesCritical Response on Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Both Douglass and Jacobs were inspirational icons for the African-Americans in American history. Their contributions to the abolition of slavery and liberalism of the African-American race in the U.S. are very notable and important too; not only for honor but also important to American literature. They both lived during the period of the Antebellum (1820 - 1865) when the abolition of slave trade was a big issue in the country. At this timeRead MoreResponse to Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Readings1192 Words   |  5 PagesCritical Response on Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass Both Douglass and Jacobs were inspirational icons for the African-Americans in American history. Their contributions to the abolition of slavery and liberalism of the African-American race in the U.S. are very notable and important too; not only for honor but also important to American literature. They both lived during the period of the Antebellum (1820 - 1865) when the abolition of slave trade was a big issue in the country. At this timeRead MoreBeing Raised As Slaves By Harriet Jacobs And Frederick Douglass953 Words   |  4 PagesBeing raised as slaves; both Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass devoted their professional life for telling their true story based on their own experience. As a matter of fact, their works â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† (1861) and â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave† (1845) are considered the most important works in the genre of slave narrative or of enslavement. Thus, this paper will compa re and contrast between Jacobs and Douglass in terms of the aforementionedRead MoreEffects of Slavery1567 Words   |  7 PagesEffects of Slavery Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobson both write their compelling stories on what life was like as slaves during 19th century America. Both narratives define the harsh life of slavery and the unforgiving effects that occurred during their time as slaves. In the same way, both stories reveal the theme of the evils of slavery but also given their different gender roles, their experiences are completely different from one another. While both Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobson’s

The Symbolic Use of Light and Dark in James Baldwins...

The Symbolic Use of Light and Dark in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues In James Baldwins Sonnys Blues a pair of brothers try to make sense of the urban decay that surrounds and fills them. This quest to puzzle out the truth of the shadows within their hearts and on the streets takes on a great importance. Baldwin meets his audience at a halfway mark: Sonny has already fallen into drug use, and is now trying to return to a clean life with his brothers aid. The narrator must first attempt to understand and make peace with his brothers drug use before he can extend his help and heart to him. Sonny and his brother both struggle for acceptance. Sonny wants desperately to explain himself while also trying to stay afloat and out†¦show more content†¦In this instance light seems to be simply the good within a young Sonny. His brother is quickly reminded however that just as Sonnys face was once light there were shadows too. Recalling this younger Sonny forces the narrator to think of the other young boys he teaches. He connects the darkness tha t Sonny faced with the darkness and reality those other young boys live with, All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on them, and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness, and in which they now, vindictively, dreamed, at once more together than they were at any other time, and more alone, (410). Here Baldwin gives us our first sense of the pervasive nature of darkness. It is engulfing the boys without their realizing it, darkness is the wasted chances or lack of opportunity at all. The movies show the youths a fairy tale of what could be but will never happen. This darkness of what could have been keeps the young boys from attempting anything. They are together in this sentence of fate but they are also painfully alone, because nothing will ever come of them. The young boys of Harlem live in a dark reality; they do not know light and therefore cannot know hope. The narrator begins to und erstand that there is no way out of the darkness for them and no escape from the reality of drugs and crime that surrounds them. Sonny is aware of the darkness which engulfs him. HisShow MoreRelatedSymbolism in Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay1286 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin In James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the reader meets Sonny, a recovering addict, and his older brother, a high school teacher. Although these two brothers have completely different lives and personalities, the author’s use of symbolism brings them more tightly together like a real family. Baldwin uses symbols such as ice, lightness and darkness, and jazz music to add more depth and meaning to â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† People usually think of ice or the coldRead MoreSonnys Blues1061 Words   |  5 PagesIn James Baldwins Sonnys Blues the symbolic motif of light and darkness illustrates the painful nature of reality the two characters face as well as the power gained through it. The darkness represents the actuality of life on the streets of the community of Harlem, where there is little escape from the reality of drugs and crime. The persistent nature of the streets lures adolescents to use drugs as a means of escaping the darkness of their lives. The main character, Sonny, a struggling jazzRead MoreThe Light and Darkness of Suffering Depicted in Sonnys Blues2446 Words   |  10 Pagespain that defines us as individuals. The question becomes do we let suffering consume us, or do we let it define our lives? Through James Baldwin’s story, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, the manner by which one confronts the light and darkness of suffering determines whether one is consumed by it, or emb races it in order to â€Å"survive.† Viewing a collection of these motifs, James Baldwin’s unique perspective on suffering as a crucial component of human development becomes apparent. It is through his compassionate portrayalRead MoreViolence And Darkness In Sonnys Blues1027 Words   |  5 Pagesheritage. During the 1920s, jazz became a huge musical movement, especially in Harlem. This period of time is coined â€Å"The Jazz Age.† Along with being known for jazz, Harlem is also well known for its violence and being poverty ridden. James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, is a short story about a family living in Harlem, particularly two brothers, and their struggles growing up. The narrator, also the older brother, joins the military leaving his younger brother and brother behind. During his absence

Sports Psychology Free Essays

Sport Psychology Athletes in today’s society are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever before but they still share the same goals as their predecessors, climb to the top of their sport and be crowned champion. Unlike in previous generations, the â€Å"game† is no longer just a game, it’s a booming business. Major League Baseball alone boasts a three point seven billion dollar a year industry. We will write a custom essay sample on Sports Psychology or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this new generation of big business, how do athletes cope with the pressure of grossing fifteen million dollars a year and performing in front of twenty thousand screaming fans packed into Madison Square Garden or seventy-two thousand fanatical â€Å"Cheese Heads† at Lambeau Field? One of those answers is with sport psychology. But one answer leads us down a convoluted path with many other unanswered questions. This paper will define sport psychology and identify where it come from. It will also discuss the objectives of sport psychology and how are they applied. The final topic will describe sport psychologists do. According to the sport psychology program at San Diego State University, sport psychology can be defined as â€Å"the study of people and their behavior in sport and exercise contexts†, or â€Å"the effect of sport itself on human behavior†, or â€Å"a field of study in which the principles of psychology are applied in a sports setting. †(SDSU, web para. 1) How did we arrive at this definition? The history of sport psychology can be divided into five periods dating as early as 1895 to the present. The first period is from 1895-1920. Norman Triplett, a psychology professor at Indiana University, was the first researcher to confirm that bicyclists sometimes rode faster when they raced in groups or pairs than when they rode alone. Following Triplett’s work in 1899 is E. W. Scripture of Yale. Scripture believed that a certain set of personality traits could be fostered through participation in sports. In 1903, G. T. W Patrick wrote an article for the â€Å"American Journal of Psychology† that stated attending sporting events allowed fans to release pent-up emotions. We wrap up the early era with Coleman Griffith. Griffith began informal research of basketball and football players in 1918. His research led to the second period of sport psychology named in his honor, the Griffith era. The Griffith era of sport psychology begins in 1921 and runs into 1938. Coleman Griffith is considered the grandfather of North American Sport Psychology due to his contributions during this period. Between 1921 and 1931, Griffith published over twenty five research articles relating to sport psychology. Griffith was also appointed as the director of research in athletics at the University of Illinois in 1925. The focus of the department was psychomotor skills, learning, and personality. The largest accomplishments of Griffith come in 1926 and 1928 when he wrote Psychology of Coaching and Psychology of Athletics respectively. We close the Griffith era when Phillip Wrigley hires him as sport psychologist for the Chicago Cubs in 1938. The third and fourth periods of sport psychology are by far the slowest developing time for the new science. This portion begins in 1938 when Franklin Henry of the University of California, Berkeley established the psychology of physical activity graduate program. The forties and fifties were rather stagnant but we arrive in Rome, Italy for the first World Congress of Sport Psychology in 1965. Following the World Congress gathering is the first annual North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) conference in 1967. NASPSPA closed the door on the fourth period in 1974 when they published the proceedings of their conference for the first time. Our current period in sport psychology is considered the contemporary period. The first event of the contemporary period was the establishment of the â€Å"Journal of Sport Psychology†, which is now known as â€Å"Sport and Exercise Psychology†. One of the most monumental steps was during the 1984 Olympic Games when American television emphasized the role that sport psychology played in premier athletic training. The US Olympic Team hired its first full-time sport psychologist in 1985. The trend continued in 1986 as The Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) is established. The AAASP began to publish their official journal in 1989. Finally, the AAASP began to award the â€Å"certified consultant† designation in 1991. Now that we know what sport psychology is and where it began, we can attempt to determine the objectives of sport psychology. The first basic objective in sport psychology is to learn how psychological factors shape a person’s physical performance. The second objective is to comprehend how participation in athletics affects a person’s psychological health, development, and well-being. With those two objectives in mind, how do we actually apply them? First off, there are a number of reasons for sport psychology, and for every reason, there is a distinct group of people who are using sport psychology to their advantage. With that said, let’s move on to those reasons. The first reason for sport psychology is probably the most obvious, the pursuit of excellence by athletes. Simply put, sport psychology plays a vital role in how athletes train. Next is the enormous salaries paid in professional sports today. A 24 year old college graduate being drafted by a professional sports team is suddenly a very wealthy person overnight. Most people need assistance in transitioning to that kind of lifestyle. Our third reason is the undisputable fact that the recognition gained by athletic competition is huge. Most children cannot tell you that the current Vice President of the United Sates is Dick Cheney but could tell you who Alex Rodriguez or Ron James are, who they play for, and what position they play. The final reason for sports psychology is what is known as the fitness movement. The phenomena can be dated back to the fifties where fitness was beginning to be sold as a way of life. It is safe to say that fitness is a way of life. The television can confirm this as it is filled with ads that include sports drinks and home exercise equipment. What groups is sport psychology for? We can start with our children when we let them play tee ball and pee wee football and work all the way through senior citizens taking aerobics classes at the nearest community center. We can also include our novice intramural softball leagues on the weekends all the way to our elite professionals and Olympians competing on the world stage. Applying sport psychology techniques to most of the different groups in sports is very basic. The most popular group for sport psychologists are coaches, teachers, fitness trainers, and elite athletes. Coaches, teachers, and fitness trainers receive basic reinforcement and motivation training to help them get their teams to perform. Our elite athletes however have a full scope of services offered to them. Most professionally owned sports teams have a team of three to four sport psychologists assisting the organization. It can be considered a type of insurance policy on their investment. Let’s discuss how this â€Å"insurance policy† work for the pros. Sports psychologists handle many issues depending on the sub area of sport psychology in which they certified. The two basic areas are clinical sport psychology and educational sport psychology. The less traveled path of these is the clinical approach. These specialists are licensed psychologists and primarily deal with severe emotional disorders. Examples of these are athletes with eating disorders and substance abuse. The most common area of sport psychology is the educational side. Educational sport psychologists have been trained with a sport science background. This type of psychology is considered the mental coach approach. The goal of these psychologists is to assist coaches and athletes with shortcomings in their confidence level, dealing with performance anxiety, and improving concentration skills. Educational sport psychologists are typically employed by professional sports teams. These psychologists are not certified in clinical psychology and usually refer athletes with more sever disorders to a clinical psychologist. With sports and exercise such a big part of today’s society, there comes a need for a field dedicated to the psychological aspects of sports and exercise. Sport psychology has grown from an accidental study of cyclists to a science that can identify what athlete performs better and why. This paper has defined what sport psychology is and where it started. I have also covered the objectives of sport psychology and how they are applied. Finally, I covered what sport psychologists do. The next time you sit down to watch a professional sports contest you can ask yourself if this athlete is mentally prepared to perform today. WORKS SITED American Board of Sport Psychology. http://www. americanboardofsportpsychology. org/ Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology. http://www. aaasponline. org/ Martin, Scott. http://www. coe. unt. edu/martin/KINE5121/5121intr. htm University of North Texas. 2004 SDSU sport psychology http://www-rohan. sdsu. edu/~psyched/index. html Street and Smith. â€Å"For a handful of sport psychologists serving teams, a mind is a terrible thing to overlook†. Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal. http://www. mwiop. com/perf_consult/articles/sport_a. html December 1999. How to cite Sports Psychology, Essay examples