Characters

The Reverend- The Reverend was the leader of the redshirts in the novel.

Pie- Pie is a woman that Onion meets and she takes him into her home.

Ms. Abby- Ms. Abby was an old lady who was a slaveholder.

Sibonia- She is Libby's sister in the novel and they both was looking for Bob.

Reading Log Questions

1.  What is the meaning of the good lord bird? What does it represent?  How does it connect to to the title of the book?

The meaning of the good lord bird is the sense of having hope for better days and preserving something that is special to you. It connects to the title of the book because the book is covering a time during slavery where African American slaves wished for better days and “Henry” who is young and living a tough life is slowly finding his true identity throughout all the struggles he is going through. 

1. What is Henry’s nickname?  How did he earn it?

Henry’s Nickname is “Onion” because The Old Man felt he was a good luck charm just like a old onion is appeared to be a good luck charm. (Pg 25)

1. What was Henry’s rationale for continuing to live a lie?  Was it justifiable? 

Because Henry feels that lying comes natural to African Americans who are slaves during slavery. This is justifiable because slaves are given new identities and they are living a new life which is a lie because their true identity and name was stripped away from them. (Pg30)

Toni Morrison

The Author of the Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison 

3 Quotes "Still Separate, Still Unequal"

1. "Martin Luther King Jr. and Good Marshall were alive to visit public schools that bear their names" (Anyon 2). 
2. "Located in the upper-middle-class white neighborhood, where it was built in the belief or hope that it would draw large numbers of white students by permitting them to walk to school, while only their black or hispanic classmates asked to ride the bus or train" (Anyon 3) 
3. "plessy v. Ferguson, the supreme court ruling in which, "separate but equal " was accepted as a tolerable rationale for intergration" (Anyon 4) 

Social class and the hidden education quotes

• "In the executive elite school, work is developing one's analytical intellectual powers."(6)

I choose this quote because an executive school is a school for children of the upper class and its saying hoe their school system is developing their intellectual thinking and preparing them more for college. 

• "Public schools in complex industrial societies like our own make available different types of educational experience and curriculum knowledge to students in different social classes."(1)

Public schools curriculums are determined by your zip code. The education boundary also relies on places depending on income. The low income people receive less education while it is different for the people who have a high income. 

• "Social studies in the working-class is also largely mechanical, rote work that was given little explanation or connection to larger contexts."(4)

This quote is an example of how the class environment was because of the social class it was. The lack of explanation doesn't help the students learn. They are learning information and do not get to ask why they are learning what they are learning. 

Social Class and Education

Sami Armstrong

Professor Young

ENGW 1100_3J

September 24th, 2015

After reading Jean Anyon article, “Social class and the hidden curriculum of work”, I can agree with the author's point of view that an area's income determines the type of education a school district receives, but then I also disagree because that is not always the case in some necessaries. Jean Anyon article informs the readers of the different areas that are determined by income and how that contributes to the type of education that area receives. Jean Anyon analyzed the Working class, Middle class, Affluent Profession schools and the Executive Elite schools and analyzed the difference in the behavior of the students and the teachers. Also how the class is set up, the attitudes toward learning different subjects and how each class is different from one another. I agree with Jean Anyon that your location depends on the type of education a student receives, but then again I disagree because in my own experience I went to a prominent school in a poor/middle class neighborhood, where our school was #1 in my city and we were at the top with other prominent schools in New jersey.

In other words, I agree that the location and income plays a role to the type of education is given in a specific community. In the article some scholars pointed out that, “different types of educational experience and curriculum knowledge to students in different social classes.” (Anyon 1). In this quote it is evident that social class plays a part in the type of education you will receive. The higher your social class, the better the curriculum in the schools will be. However, I can disagree with this in my own personal experience. In Newark, New Jersey where there are majority Public schools for the students. These Public schools have old, out dated books, lack of control and bad curriculum for the students. This is different from the school I attended in High School. I attended North Star High School in Newark, New Jersey. A school that was surrounded by other bad Public Schools. We stood out because we were a charter High School. We had books, good teachers, one of the best curriculum a school can have and in the end it showed we were different than all the other High schools in my area because we were the number one High school in my city. I am from a poor/middle class neighborhood, but yet I went to a prominent school that was better then some white schools in New Jersey. From my own personal experience, this is why I agree and disagree that your location determines your education.

Your Voice Matters

A language is someones identity and is what makes them who they are. In writing, students should have the right to use their own language in an academic setting because their language is a piece of their identity and writing can be an escape to reality. Using your own language in an academic setting is another way of expressing your style. Style is the way you express your emotions or writing or form of art. If a student has a chance to express that then why stop it! Writing is another way of voicing your point of view on a topic, issue or to express your emotions. Striping away someones freedom of speech is like trying to take candy from a baby. Like in the text I previously read, How To Tame A Wild Tongue, the author Gloria Anzaldua, the protagonist was being stripped from her identity because of the language she spoke. For example, in the story the author began the story with a scenario where the dentist was "Cleaning out her roots". This was a metaphor that society was trying to strip her of her identity (roots) because of the language she spoke. I also believe that your language should be allowed in your writing because its able to paint a vivid picture for your readers to understand your story. Its like taking away someones freedom of speech away from them. Rights to your own language shouldn't be stopped in an academic society because its your creative style that you choose to include your language in your writing. If a person is restricted on being able to write and include their language then they are going to be submissive to the restrictions and not know what their own voice is.