Most Proud Composition

Holly Ryan

Deeper Then Our Redskin

Stereotypes are an oversimplified conception, opinion, or image that is held in common by members of a group. These ignominious mental images have existed in our society since the early 1800’s. At this time the most common stereotypes were inflicted upon Native Americans, who were generalized as savages, liars, boring, and even immoral. In the short story, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” the main character, Jackson Jackson, persuades the audience to believe that he is just another stereotypical Indian, when in reality his sociable and reliable personality is inimitable, and contradicts his argument. He bases this argument on the way he has always been portrayed by prominent races such as whites, less than human.

Jackson convinces the readers he is a stereotype by repetitively generalizing himself to all Indians throughout the text, in a sarcastic tone. For example, Jackson says “Homeless Indians are everywhere in Seattle. We’re common and boring, and you walk right on by us, with maybe a look of anger or disgust or even sadness at the terrible fate of the noble savage.” (1) In this quote Jackson uses multiple degrading generalizations to describe all homeless Indians, including himself, as common and boring. This is a simplification because he is saying himself and every other homeless Indian are ordinary and uninteresting, when he is truly fun and intriguing through his friendliness. He is a friend to not only other homeless Indians, but also restaurant and convenience store managers, who grant him the rare privilege of using their clean, “employee’s” restroom. Overall, Jackson classifies himself as something he is not, because that is how white people have always viewed him.

According to Jackson Jackson’s best friend, Rose of Sharon, he is “the most honest Indian,” but Jackson oversimplifies himself once again to be something he is not, a liar. He does so when he says, “we Indians are great storytellers and liars and mythmakers.” (1) In this quote he once again refers to himself as a group of Indians, while also classifying both Indians and himself as liars. This is a common stereotype white men inflicted upon Native Americans, and Jackson was aware of this. He tries to generalize himself into the mold society built, but in actuality he himself is an individual. He makes a sarcastic point to the audience by portraying himself as just another Indian, and that point is that stereotypes are false accusations if you look passed someone’s exterior image.

Classifying Jackson as either a stereotype or not is extraordinarily complex because he shows qualities that do not fit into the generalization he persuades of boring, and a liar. Such qualities are that he is extremely fun, outgoing, and honest. Even though Jackson tries to portray himself as a stereotypical Indian in order to make a point to the white audience, he is really his own person, with unique qualities that make up himself.

Historical Analysis Essay

Holly Ryan

Her Personal Battles

Slavery dehumanizes everyone it surrounds, as learned from prior texts, and can corrupt a person forever. Slaves especially are made less than human from the agonizing hostilities of slavery. They share the same hardships with each other, but also face such brutality on their own. Each slave, just like every person, has their own story and challenges to overcome, some more than others. Mary Reynolds was a slave that encountered these hostilities of slavery, and her story increase my awareness on this disgusting time period. The slave narrative of Mary Reynolds expanded my understanding of slavery by describing her personal struggles and the cruelties of slavery that affected her, while also providing evidence of such harsh times.

My previous awareness of slavery was expanded through Mary Reynolds’s personal struggles with endurance. During the bitterest cold winters, “when the frost was on the bolls” as she said, Mary hated picking cotton. Her hands were so cold they began to crack open and bleed, a personal struggle that she described with great detail. Her explanation expanded my understanding of slavery because it was personal to her slavery experience, making it more powerful and realistic. Also, it used more specific evidence to show how she overcame her crusade. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, written by Himself, Frederick Douglass briefed on the idea that work was torturous during the ice-cold winters, but never provided specific examples or struggles he personally had. While on the other hand, Mary Reynolds exhibits an image of how she suffered in the freezing weather.

Mary Reynolds expands my awareness of slavery by describing the cruelties that were unique to her. She does so when explaining her wardrobe, all she wore was a long collared shirt that went down to her knees, with an unsuitable pair of shoes. “Shoes was the worstes' trouble… they'd never git them to fit. Once when I was a young gal, they got me a new pair and all brass studs in the toes. They was too li'l for me, but I had to wear them. The trimmin's cut into my ankles and them places got mis'ble bad.” No one cared that every step she took, her wounds would expand greater and greater. Slavery consisted of multiple outrageous acts of cruelty like this, but because this inhumanity was so personal to her, I can now fully understand how devastating slavery truly was.

Mary Reynolds’s entire body is cover with battle wounds from the harsh crusades of slavery, forcing me to honestly believe the hardships slaves had to overcome; the hardships of beatings everyday, of working with shoes two sizes too small, and of frozen hands. Every personal encounter Mary had with slavery left a scar, whether it was on her back, her hands, or her feet. She claims, “The scars are there to this day”, from wearing those uncomfortable shoes, and from the whippings on her back, “They was things past tellin', but I got the scars on my old body to show to this day.” Evidence that proves the struggles and cruelties of slavery are real and scar a slave for the rest of their life, not only physically but also emotionally.