Hope Always Sprouts Up

In today's world with all of the atrocities happening all around from war to mass shootings, we could all use a little hope. Fortunately for mama in A raisin in the Sun, she has symbolically held onto the prospect of a better future through the tentative care of her plant. Despite the social and economic hardships they've faced, she's religiously refused to give up. I believe that this can help explain one of the last moments of the book. As mama "grabs her plant, and goes out for the last time," she carries on her dream for an improved life with her into her new home. This is to represent how even though they are physically integrated into the white neighborhood, they will not be accepted socially due to racial segregation as indicated by Mr. Lindner's constant attempt to persuade the Youngers to defer their plan to move into the neighborhood. Her worry that when there is a black weed placed within the garden, it will drive all of the surrounding vegetation to be driven out. The constant battle for racial equality will be the new dream of mama and of minorities as a whole. This can also be seen in Hansberry's first page where the location and time is set from sometime after World War 2 to the present. The reason there is no set end time is to say that the problems of racism presented in this book is everlasting and will never have a resolution. When future generations are to read this book, the can see this as well and reflect on their own society the same way that people today can. Because of all of this, Hansberry claims that no matter how many reforms and facades are posed, we will never truly be equal.

Abusive Relationships

When I read the psychoanalytic lens for The Great Gatsby, one of the most intriguing parts was when it said "the psychological wounds responsible for that fear usually demand a stage on which to reenact, in disguised form, the original wounding experience." I immediately related this to a topic that always puzzled me: why do people stay in abusive relationships?
Upon further research, it turns out that the main reasons that people would stay in these relationships is because they are imprisoned within their own hope and belief that their partner is capable of change and that it will be better in the near future. However, a more profound and subconscious reason for this is that the victims themselves don't believe that they deserve anything better nor do they believe that anything is severely wrong. In addition to this, it is likely that they came from a background of abuse in their households. This supports the claim in the psychoanalytic essay in that the past wound of being abused has re situated itself in the lives of these victims in relationships. Even though they are unaware of it, it's nonetheless real. And this makes sense. If you were taught something your entire life from the only people you looked up to (your parents), there would be no reason for you to question it or deny its truth. This also made me wonder about the relationship between Cholly and Mrs. Breedlove. Their relationship is described as one where even though each have an apparent hatred to each other, they have a mutual understanding that none of this is to be taken to the point where one leaves or kills the other. This shows that even though there is abuse in the relationship, it is not genuine. This can also be explained by the psychoanalytic lens. In a world where racism and discrimination thrives, poor minorities are hit the most. As a child Mrs. Breedlove would have experienced prejudice just as sever as Pecola and the other girls. As a result, she feels as if she deserves no less in her marriage.
This lens was surprisingly fun to read as well as insightful. Finally, I can put to rest the long lasting question I've had over this seemingly puzzling topic.

White Privelage

"With fenders spread like wings we scattered light through

half Astoria—only half, for as we twisted among the pillars

of the elevated I heard the familiar ‘jug—jug—SPAT!’ of a

motor cycle, and a frantic policeman rode alongside.

‘All right, old sport,’ called Gatsby. We slowed down.

Taking a white card from his wallet he waved it before the

man’s eyes.

‘Right you are,’ agreed the policeman, tipping his cap.

‘Know you next time, Mr. Gatsby. Excuse ME!’"

I especially liked this passage as I read it since it was a clear indication that Fitzgerald was trying to express the inequalities between classes in this time. The ability for Gatsby to excuse himself from an offense such as speeding shows how he gets special treatment based on his status. This is exemplified to the point where the police officer even puts blame on himself for even disturbing Mr. Gatsby in the first place.  However, this didn't only exist during this time period. Something that had caught my attention in the past was how the persecution of the use of drugs is discriminatory to economic status. If you think about it, drug use is not something that's too severe in places such as Troy. Whether you believe it or not, recreational drug use is pretty common in suburban areas among teenagers and young adults. Unlike lower income areas, wealthier areas face little to no inspection or penalty to the use of these. On the other hand, places such as Compton are victims of relentless police sweeps where the single goal would be to find trouble.
In addition to this, as we talked about in class, the analogy of the quest for speed is apparent in this passage. Gatsby's literal want of more speed as he's speeding is being impeded by the policeman. This is used to represent the desire of the upper class for more wealth that even those who are under them, in this case the policeman, can't stop them from the blinded lust for more. This is also representative of how the gap between the rich and poor is forever widening. Gatsby speeds far past the policeman, which represents the common man. During this time, this was a serious problem in which monopolies were uncontrolled and working conditions for workers were still in-humane. Social injustice between the rich who had more money than they knew what to do with to spend on things such as parties versus the poor who were struggling to get by are apparent. The speeding can also be interpreted as to represent the obsession with technological and lifestyle advances. Things such as washing machines, refrigerators, and several other gadgets were being improved on and invented in order to allow for more comfort, which was a staple of the booming 20's.
In conclusion, Fitzgerald uses this anecdote in order to accentuate the faults of the 1920's through the symbol of speeding and Gatsby's privilege of social class.