A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich :: Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich Essays

Webster has defined nostalgia as a â€Å"wistful or excessively sentimental, sometimes abnormal yearning for a return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition.†Ã‚   Nostalgia is a psychological time machine that transplants adults to the good old days of another era. Once there, they will find that it is a state of mind, oblivious to actual or imagined barriers. For some it is a pleasant stroll through yesterday, a simple, less turbulent past. Benjie Johnson is thirteen, Black, and well on his way to being hooked on heroine for good. Benjie’s wry humor and courage, his hard surface and vulnerability beneath make it impossible not to care about him. This book confronts a difficult subject and offers no easy solutions. The inner city students I presently teach can relate to much of what Benjie talks about. The Black English used is a variation but a continuation of school boy vernacular which we saw in the previously mentioned novels. â€Å"Now I am thirteen, but when I was a chile, it was hard to be a chile because my block is a tough block and my school is a tough school. I’m not trying to cop out on what I do or don’t do cause man is man and chile is chile, but I ain’t a chile no more. Don’t nobody want to be no chile cause, for some reason, it just hold you back in a lotta ways; unless you be a rich chile like in some movie picture or like on T.V.—where everybody is livin it up and their room is perfect-lookin and their swimmin pool and their block and their house and they also ridin round in one rollin Cads with a tape-deck playin cool music and with air condition goin.†21 The block where Benjie lives is no peaceful place. People are getting mugged and robbed regularly. After age three when the relatives hold your hand you are on your own in the poorly lighted hallways of the tenement. â€Å"Walkin through dark, stinky hallways can be hard on anybody, man or chile, but a chile can get snatch in the dark and get his behind parts messed up by some weirdo I’m talkie bout them sexuals. Soon’s you get up to leven, twelve and so—they might cool it cause they scared you know where to land a good up punch, dig?

Grades do not Reflect Intelligence Essay

As young adults we have been tested many times over the years, whether it be by a parent, friend or life itself however, the most common of tests we receive are from school. Growing up we were taught to believe that A meant smart and F meant dumb. Time and time again this caused distress in students who were very smart but declared dumb by the education system. Contrary, students who were receiving higher marks are not necessarily the most intelligent. Eventually, people came to the realization that the marks received on tests in fact were not an accurate representation of ones intelligence but merely a showcase of their ability to memorize information. Firstly, the education system does not properly reflect ones intelligence due to common inflation of marks. Secondly, while we are all different, the education system provides us with the same learning and thirdly, grades are the result of effort not intelligence. As the years pass the entry level for most elite university programs rise and are currently well over 90 percent, as a high school student this can be very discouraging. Students are under an immense amount of pressure to do well and this rubs off on the teachers. More often then not teachers are faced with the pressure from students and parents asking or even demanding higher grades, many times they often ascribe any lack of high marks as the teachers fault. Coincidently, as of 2007 more than 60 percent of Ontario high school graduates had an A average, and 10 percent had an A+ average. According to Western University professor James Cà ´tà © that’s up from 40 percent in 1980. (Authority) In todays society many are obsessed with the best, resulting in many parents wanting to send their children to the best schools. This ultimately leads to schools feeling pressure to maintain their supreme standing. Many schools use the success of their past students to enhance their title. For both these reasons listed, inflation occurs. Schools and teachers are raising the marks of their students to their benefit. Of course they are just trying to help however, more often than not they are doing the complete opposite. According to a 2010 report from Brock University, students who entered university with a 90 percent or higher average in high school experienced a dramatic drop of 11.9 percent. Whereas students with high school marks in the 60-79 percent range only dropped 4.4 percent. (Statistic) Grade  inflation does not truthfully assess students learning, resulting in greater problems for their future. With the common act of inflation it is hard to decipher the difference in learning abilities between students. As human beings we are all diverse, not one an identical copy, now if this is the case why does the education system treat us like we are? (Rhetorical question) The education system has made some improvements over the years by dividing students based on their learning but there is much more work to be done. In high school there is a lack of diversity in available courses. There are a multitude of academic courses and very little courses related to apprenticeships and trades. High schools push and push for students to take these academic courses and follow suite to university, when the reality is not everyone is meant to go to university, and that is not a bad thing. However, the truth of this is being concealed by all the grade inflations and false hope given to students. After high school many students will come to the unfortunate realization that just because they did well in high school does not mean they will do the same in university and the high school education system will be to blame for that. If high schools represented college in a more positive way, many students would feel more comfortable and confident in taking the appropriate courses to accommodate to their learning needs. In reality, many students aren’t even aware that they have so many more options outside of these academic courses because the high schools are not making them available. This results in students who learn differently to be put in the same classes and tested the same ways, resulting in one being smarter than the other, when this is in fact not true. Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.† (Authority) Therefore, high schools should not test all students equally, but take the time to adhere to their learning abilities and follow suite with appropriate courses and testing. In addition to every student being completely different, it doesn’t help that there are so many of us. There are 105 secondary schools in the Toronto District School Board alone, meaning there are approximately 87, 273 students, and 5, 800 teachers. (Statistic) Now in this whole system of people, one can’t help but wonder, is my A+ the same as you’re A+? (Rhetorical question) If Sally is an intelligent student who doesn’t try hard at all and is managing to pass with  B’s and Julie is at a lower intelligence level but working her butt off to turn her C’s into B’s does this mean t hese grades are equivalent? (Example) Do these grades communicate anything about Sally and Julie’s intelligence, or are they merely a showcase of their efforts? (Rhetorical question) Grades are important yes, but they cannot determine ones intelligence. Grades show teachers how well you are able to retain information; they are an example of who sat down, put the effort in and studied and who didn’t. Yes, it may be easier for an â€Å"intelligent† person to get good grades, but someone of mediocre intelligence can also get good grades with hard work. High schools make test marks out to be everything, when in reality, as stated before; they are not an accurate representation of ones intelligence. Just because John got perfect on a math test and Billy didn’t, does not mean John is smarter, it means they excel in different areas and should be treated accordingly. Time after time many students will find themselves discouraged by their low marks, but that does not have to be the case. With the right amount of effort, and the right guidance everyone has the opportunity to be a genius. It is now time for the education system to put their best foot forward and conjure the effort to make this happen. In conclusion, it is evident that high school grades are no longer an accurate representation of students’ intelligence. Grades are inflated, students who are at completely different ends of the spectrum are getting the same tests and effort now differentiates most students’ grades, how can one possibly believe that this system accurately demonstrates the knowledge of our youth? (Rhetorical question) High schools need to develop a system that can evenly show case everyone’s intelligence. Until that is done, high achieving students will keep being told their brilliant and low achieving students will keep being pushed from, grade to grade. Overall, the question still remains, if academics cannot determine our intellect, what is the true test of intelligence?

`` Culture `` By Stephen Greenblatt - 1504 Words

Stephen Greenblatt’s essay titled â€Å"Culture† presents many arguments about culture and the set of limits that go along with culture. Greenblatt says, â€Å"The ensemble of beliefs and practices that form a given culture function as a pervasive technology of control, a set of limits within which social behavior must be contained† (Greenblatt 1). Greenblatt also provides examples of consequences for those individuals that do not stay inside the boundaries. Greenblatt examines how culture is within art and literature and that they are the great institutions for the enforcement of culture. The art and literature pieces in which culture is present are either texts of constraint or mobility. When Greenblatt says that culture is a â€Å"set of limits†¦show more content†¦Those norms are on the topics of children, divorce, and being a perfect wife. The Awakening as a whole is a text that batters against the boundaries of the culture in this particular t ime period and book and is a mechanism of constraint. There are multiple cultural boundaries present in the Awakening. One of them being on the subject of children. In this novel it is assumed that most women want or like children. The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, does not particularly feel that way. She has two children with her husband Leonce. Edna says that her marriage was a mistake and it can be assumed that she also extends that to her children. Edna likes her children but in â€Å" an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them (Chopin, 18) .† Most parents love their children an extreme amount but loathe their constants complaints. However, the strong love and connection never disappears. With Edna that love and connection is not there. To Edna, â€Å" their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this even to herself† (Chopin 18). Edna likes when her children are not wit h her because she does not like the responsibility that â€Å"she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her (Chopin 18).† Edna was not able to prepare herself for children, Fate did not observeShow MoreRelatedThe Swerve Vs. World Civilizations And Ideas1566 Words   |  7 PagesSessy Hernandez HIST 1113 Gomez April 25, 2016 The Swerve vs. World Civilizations and ideas Stephen Greenblatt introduces several different themes through out his writing in The Swerve. Making it helpful in understanding the ancient worlds civilizations. While Greenblatt narrates the events of Poggio Bracciolini the themes of social hierarchies, nature/culture, and gender are brought up to various times through out the story. These themes reveal parallels and similarities with the ancient worldRead MoreNew Historicism Is A Really Good Way For Analyze Texts And Show Correlation Between Ideas And Timelines1408 Words   |  6 Pagesaesthetic cultures of the historic periods in which they would begin to arise. A New historicist looks at literature in a more wider and more historical context and they examine how the write affected the work and the work will reflect on the writers time. It recognizes the current cultural contexts that critics have conclusions about. New Historicism was developed around the time of the 1980s by a man that was named Stephen Greenblatt. According t o the man that is named Stephen Greenblatt, the roleRead More Use of Culture in Writing Essay586 Words   |  3 PagesThe Culture â€Å",Culture†, is a concept which is related to the art, beliefs and traditions of a society. Even if it is thought as a concept used in social norms, it is the real value of a society by carrying the significant characteristic features of being â€Å",identity†,. It means that the culture forms the society’,s real identity. There are so many writers whose works are based upon the concept of the culture. Stephen Greenblatt is the one who has an essay about the culture and its affects onRead MoreKate Chopin s The Awakening Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pageslimited amount of options in the many difficult choices we face today in life and bounded to a certain status. Stephen Greenblatt proclaims that the â€Å"beliefs and practices that form a given culture function as a pervasive technology of control, a set of limits†¦ to which individuals must conform† as well as that â€Å"literature†¦ has been one of the great institutions for the enforcement of culture through praise and blame.† The Awakening is the first of its time to introduce the idea that women should notRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest Essay1019 Words   |  5 Pagesas an â€Å"evil† individual. Whether that be because they have done the protagonist wrong or simply just do not comprehend the ways of a no rmal human, they are automatically viewed by the audience as the universal evil. One critic in particular, Stephen Greenblatt, believes that antagonists such as Caliban from The Tempest represent more than a source of evil. Some theorists argue that Caliban should been seen as a â€Å"colonial other.† I agree, and in this paper I demonstrate and give prime examples as toRead More William Shakespeares Othello1440 Words   |  6 Pagesdefending her position and employed her own system of dualism to strengthen her claim to the throne. She emphasized the division of the â€Å"body politic,† the immortal and perfect ruler, and the â€Å"body natural,† the mortal and fallible human person (Greenblatt 19). The immortal/mortal division of Queen Elizabeth was enhanced by a masculine/feminine division of her character. She often referred to herself in the masculine sense to affirm her capability as a ruler. On the eve of the Spanish Armada in 1588Read MoreAnalysis Of Ama nda Palmer s My Mind 923 Words   |  4 Pagesvalues valorized by their individual cultures, often without meaning to simply because they are the conventions of the contemporary era. This has been a historical fact not only through lyrical and poetic writing, but also films and drama. They are so deeply ingrained to and reproduced by cultures that members within them hardly notice them influencing them. These values are therefore often seen as a manifestation of the constraints people feel within their own culture. The values that are consideredRead MoreOthello Research Paper1226 Words   |  5 Pagesacceptance in Venice† (Berry, 1990). Critics also even see how Othello’s identity is altered by the constant racial tension against him in the play. â€Å"Stephen Greenblatt argues, Othello’s identity depends upon a constant performance of his story, a loss of his own origins, an embrace and perpetual reiteration of the norms of another culture† (Greenblatt , 1990). All of this racism in the play causes Othello some serious anxiety. Anxiety is a condition that can drive an individual to do things thatRead MoreA Far Cry from Africa: Divided Loyalties1682 Words   |  7 Pagesartistic criteria, but as products of the economic and ideological determinants specific to that era. Literature reflects an authors own class or analysis of class relations, however piercing or shallow that analysis may be (Abrams 149). The cultures being examined in this piece are African and European and the author presents an analysis of each class in both piercing and shallow ways. The poem is the product of the British ideologies in the 1950s regarding the Mau Mau: The contemporaryRead MoreMutability By Percy Shelley Analysis915 Words   |  4 PagesShelley’s desire to educate, or speak directly to his readers rather than an indulgent insight into the narrative voice† (Greenblatt, 551). In the first stanza, Shelley is comparing humans to clouds that veil the midnight moon (Line 1). The use of the word veil in this line creates a sense that the moonlight is hidden on purpose. Richard Hamblyn writes in his book Clouds: Nature and Culture, â€Å"in the opening lines of Percy Shelley’s poem â€Å"Mutability† clouds were a ready symbol of the inevitability of change