"A Place to Stand" 1-66

     Throughout the reading of the first 66 pages of A Place to Stand, there were many scenes that caught my attention. The most impactful scene to me in that is was very ominous is when Mama leaves all of her children with their Grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Baca.
     I find it despicable that Mama would do that do her own kids. However, it was probably for the best given the way they were treated and disregarded by both Mama and Richard. Baca even says that that they "were resilient, as most children tend to be...and [they] awaited [Mama and Richard's] return..." (17). I think that their hope of their mother's return is what kept them on their feet and motivated, even though the wait was futile

Response to "Do the Right Thing" Questions

Ram Ajvalia
Professor Young
ENGW 1101
28 May 2018

Response to Do the Right Thing Questions

  The theme of right versus wrong is very prevalent in Spike Lee's screenplay Do the Right Thing. There are several scenarios in which characters are faced with the choice to do the "right" thing. There is one character who time and time again makes the right choice and shows humility even when faced with adversity: Da Mayor. In one incident, we see that he needs money to feed his alcoholism; but instead of begging or stealing, he asks Sal to give him a task to complete in exchange for cash. Another incident portraying Da Mayor as a "Good Samaritan" is when he jumps in front of a car, risking his own life, to push Eddie to safety. He asks for nothing in return and simply carries on with his day. 

         I feel that i can relate to Da Mayor on many levels. First and foremost, we are both addicts. Although I am in recovery and he is not, addiction is still something that I deal with on a daily basis.  One of the more interesting details about Da Mayor's character is that he is defined by his disease at first, but as the story edges closer to the climax, we see the many great acts of righteousness that he has performed; and the story conveys the message that a person is not defined by his or her addiction. However, at the end of the film, Da Mayor tries to keep the peace but is disregarded by the others due to his reputation as an alcoholic. It is a sad but true fact that many people are judged solely on first impression and not on what lies beneath the surface. . Da Mayor does acts of kindness including, but not limited, to saving a little boy, Eddie, from being hit by a car and protesting for peace while a group of African Americans from the community burn Sal’s Pizzeria. He is a Good Samaritan of sorts because Da Mayor understands that “violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers,” so he avoids it altogether and advocates for peace instead.

Social Stigma in America: "The Land of the Free"

Ram Avalia
ENGW_1101
Rasheda Young
22 May 2018

Social Stigma  in America: " The Land of the Free"

         As we had discussed in class the concepts of tone, voice, and theme, I really became interested in the memoir Do the Right Thing. The setting of the story reminds me of my childhood due to the fact that I had grown up in an open, urban, ghetto environment. Though there is so much more to discuss, I will upload it to my blog  on as we read.