Superhero Story
Origin Story
09/07/2019
So this woman named danielle wakes up in a hospital she can’t talk or move but she hears people yelling then all of a sudden she wakes up it was only a dream so she calls her best friend and talks to her only to remember that she was in fact in hospital only that accident was 3 years ago…. see Danielle is a super hero but she doesn’t want to be a super hero basically two years ago her and her family were going on a family vacation however the plane crashed and she landed in la well they rushed her to the hospital and they couldn’t save her family but someone they saved her by using these radioactive worms that had to like eat from her body and because her body to recreate itself but the back lash was she got super powers and when I say super powers I mean the whole ordeal she can fly she has super strength super speed she can control weather and all that’s shazam but she was tired lemme tell you she didn’t wanna be a super hero at all she hated it so much that she even started doing drugs… she would smoke so much weed that she would sleep for days…. she wouldn’t answer her phone she wouldn’t go save the people she would just go into her own world…. She spent so much money on weed she couldn’t afford food or to pay her rent and she got evicted… people from all around the world who had heard about her hated her… she became very depressed she would walk the streets and walk people burn down statues of her and tarnish her name…. she started sleeping under the highways and it was like this for about 3 months until she met someone very close to her parents…. this man named Reginald supposedly her parents were worried about their possible and demise and hired him as a caretaker in case of this…. so he asked her to please come with him but of course, she said no and he offered her something to eat and who turns down free food right so she said she would go… they go to his house which is huge I’m talking fresh prince of bel air royalty right now and they got inside and she saw murals of her parents and her family to which she replied “oh shit” after giving her the full tour he said now we must begin your training… training ?!?! For what… WE CAN REBUILD YOU AND MAKE YOU THE PERSON YOU WERE BORN TO BE…I don’t want to be a superhero… why not…. it’s too hard and I can’t do it I don’t want to I didn’t ask for this…. you may not have but you have the power to save someone’s live you can save women and children how can you pass that up?!?!…. I couldn’t save my parents….. what happened to them wasn’t your fault it wasn’t anyone’s fault but your parents would want you to try your a young female you gotta try your strong and brave so will you do it ?!?!….
Experience Story
Morgan Carter
9/25/2019
FIQWS
Then I heard it “ ERRR ERRRR”. I don’t think I’ve jumped up so fast in life.
I made a friend, Amanda. We’ve become like sisters because neither of us had friends. She introduced me to Keith and his cousin Q.One day we decided to smoke on the roof. To get on the roof itself you had to crawl out the window in the living room. Q always rolled up and we all went outside. After a couple of passes, my body was stuck. Then it happened,
“ERRR ERRR .” I looked at Amanda in confusion.
“Is that the fire alarm?”
“ ERRR ERRR”
“ OHHHH S**T”
I jumped up so fast my heart almost stopped beating. Amanda jumped backed into the window and fell. Next, it was my turn and my body, that was previously stuck in one place, was on the move. I sprayed perfume on myself and Amanda to mask the smell of weed and leave. The whole time Q and Keith were trying to close the window.
“ LETTSS GOOO” I yelled
“ THERE’S NO TIME FOR THAT”
I looked at Amanda and she looked at me somehow without saying it we both established it was time to go and left the boys there. All I can remember is everyone from the building rushing down the stairs and me being terrified that it might’ve been us that set off the alarm. Once we reach downstairs we both decided to sit and breath. About 6 minutes later Q and Keith come strolling out with a group of other tenants. I kept thinking it’s us but I wanted to know if anyone else felt that way. So I texted Amanda turns out she felt the same way I did. Then I texted Q and his response was “shut your high paranoid a** up. my n**** it wasn’t us.” To which I replied “oh hell no relax.” Time seemed to have been passing so slow. I was so in my thoughts and all I heard was,
“ YOO….let’s go to the store”
“ Oh uh yeah sure”
We returned to the building and everyone seemed calm, but I couldn’t handle not knowing if I was the cause. So I asked this gentleman who worked there if he could kindly explain to me what was happening.
“ Nothing its a false alarm. The fire alarm system is messed up and someone saw it blinking so they removed the chip, which then causes a malfunction. So the alarm went off 3 times because it was broken and they are trying to fix it now.”
“ Ok ”
I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in life. Once I told them what happened I saw weight lift off Amand’s shoulders.
“ Bro me and Keith were smoking out there earlier and you have done it too, so this would’ve happened already. Dummy we were outside the wind is blowing all the smoke away so there’s no way the alarm would sense it and you just scary because you’re high” said Q
“All right Jesus..be quiet,” I said in frustration.
Rhetoric Situation on Experience Story
Morgan Carter
09/11/2019
FIQWS Writing
Text: the text in question is an origin story written by Morgan Carter. The medium of the story was a class assignment that was broad casted to a group of about 15. Morgan drew on other origin stories from classic comic books to create this text. She also used her extensive years of english to come up with the creativity and ideas of the story. Audiences heard the story by way of a classroom lecture style.
Author: Morgan Carter was enrolled in college during the years of 2010s and 2020s. She was a young African American Female who aspired to become a nurse. She wrote this text during her freshman year in college. During which she was enrolled in the Self and Other in Literature FIQWS class.
Audience: The audience for this origin story span all different racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, all students are in the same age range and are freshmen enrolled in the Self and Other Literature class. While, this may be true any young adult who is interested in “supernatural” may find this story worth reading.
Purposes: Morgans immediate purpose for writing this was because it was a required class assignment. However, she also wanted to create a superhero of color who was also a female that people could relate to. Morgan wanted to convey that although this character faced hardships and went through times the character, who is named Danielle, got through it and made a drastic change. In the time of this text there weren’t that many black female superheroes, therefore Morgan story changed that.
Setting: The immediate setting of the story being written was the City College in New York. The immediate community and conversation for the story was the FIQWS class discussion on origin stories and how to create them.
Exploratory Essay
Morgan Carter
October 17th, 2019
FIQWS Exploratory Essay
Citizen is a book-length poem, by Claudia Rankine, that explores the ideas of racism in modern-day America. By using hypothetical situations and experiences she sheds light on the issues that affect minorities today such as microaggressions. The book contains 7 different segments all demonstrating the ongoing issues while being accompanied by images. Throughout the scenarios, she uses metaphor and imagery to provide context into these everyday situations. She combines dozens of aggressive and racist instances into one whole while writing in second person pov allowing the reader to feel as if they are the ones experiences this misfortune. Causing everyone no matter race to see the error and capacity of the interactions. This essay will focus on section one which describes many different racial encounters, section two which highlights a few moments in Serena Williams’s career and lastly, section three which explores microaggressions in everyday life and how we react.
Rankine kicks the book off with a series of racist encounters. All of the scenarios are in the second person as are many of her other poems making the readers experience microaggression firsthand. The scenarios are not only experienced through the lens of someone of color they are also experienced as a white person who is witnessing an act. One example of a scenario in this segment is when she describes a scenario in which you are trying to get into the counseling center and are automatically told to leave, yet when you inform the therapist that you have an appointment you are met with I’m sorry. This encounter, as well as all of the other encounters in the first section, causes the reader to begin to see the moral of the book almost instantly. Once a reader has gone through these detailed situations they begin to notice how they relate. Whether it be because they experienced it themselves or they have been aggressive towards someone else. Rankine also includes scenarios of childhood demonstrating how although racism has changed it is still very present.
In the second section of the book, the narrator speaks on an instance after Serena Williams won the 2012 Olympics. The announcers state that Serena was “ Crip Walking over the lily-white place in the world.” At the end of the section, it highlights a moment when Serena was made fun of about her physical appearance by her opponent. Section II brings to the light the everyday criticisms people of color face about their physical features. The altercation also raises the question of how far is too far. Why was it ok for her opponent to do that to her. To the world, it was a joke but for many people of color, they felt more ostracized than before. Serena Williams although she is intelligent and very talented she is still ridiculed about her features because of the color of skin. Not only that but she was now also associated with being “gangster”, which is a common stereotype against people of color. Serena Williams is ridiculed for showing genuine anger which is fueled by her love for the game. When she expresses this she is met with racism… The sections make readers look at the media in their faults as well. How white people portray people of color differently. How the media criticizes everything about us no matter how talented we are.
In Section three there are a series of incidents of microaggressions in people’s language. Rankine explores not only what people say but how we respond and what can be internalized. Such as the two black girls’ names getting mixed up by their boss. Causing one coworker to apologize to the other as if it is their fault. Throughout this section, she keeps bringing up the term “ what did you say?” The entire segment focuses on not only microaggression we face but also our reaction to being disrespected whether it was intentional or not. Although the statements may not be intentionally the listener is still made uncomfortable. Therefore, people should start pointing out these issues then microaggression in everyday conversations are going to continue.
By Rankine mentioning beginnings and endings, it influences the idea of cycles for the reader. Since the beginning of time, there was racism and those times influenced the present. While things have drastically changed the ideas of racism have become present in the culture and have influenced the present. Therefore, because the present now would be the future’s past. So how we act now and how we deal with things will impact how we act in the future. If we keep fostering the idea of racism and accepting it there will be no change because no one stopped the behaviors. Time will continue to repeat and repeat. So, there will be no end to the discrimination and problem because we allowed as a country to let the system repeat. Which goes into the idea that racism isn’t a match its a lesson. Every time you have a racist encounter the idea isn’t to beat the racist because they will ultimately still be racist. You have to teach them why they are wrong and guide them in the right direction. Racism isn’t a default setting it is taught, which means you can reverse its effects. However, not only does the person committing the act to learn you learn as well. By being the situation you learn how to approach it and how to cope with it. Every experience has a lesson and a takeaway. Throughout the book, Rankine used the experience to cause the reader to relate to the subject and digest it easier. Instead of just speaking about it experience causes you to live it and formulate your own opinion and idea. She made her readers no matter the race see the problem, which taught them why it was wrong and how to stop it. Leading to the teaching of others, if you teach one you teach some.
This book connects to the course because the entire book is put into your perspective. It allows its readers to see first hand the situation without any bias and thus causes them to realize their fault in many of these situations. It evokes all kinds of emotions in the reader. “ This is how racism feels no matter the context,” this speaks volumes to the book and the course as a whole. No matter the race or ethnicity you are reading this book you empathize with people who experience microaggressions. It allows people of color to recognize they aren’t alone and see someone understands. However, it also allows none people of color to try and understand the struggle of others as well as reflect on themselves to see how they have played a part. “ It wasn’t a match, I say. It was a lesson.” We can’t defeat racism it’s a cycle. Although that is the case we can show others the reality of the situation and show them why they are wrong. “ Because white men can’t police their imagination black men are dying.” The image of black people that white supremacists have is all in their imagination. Until they change their ideals racism will continue. But you can’t fight them to change how you can show them why they are wrong. As the reader, it is up to you to take from this book and evaluate yourself. Rankine forces you to put yourself into that situation learn from it. In the course, we are taught to look at novels and relate them to ourselves and think about the narrator felt at that moment. This book does both of those things and opens up a topic of discussion for those putting out these microaggressions and by those receiving them. It brings people together no matter who you are you are forced to learn from this book and understand the point of view as if it happened to you.
In conclusion, Citizen is a book that informs the public. It forces everyone no matter the background to focus on and pay attention to the issues we face today. It is important to understand the entirety of the book. In order to continue teaching others how to become better. Claudia Rankine made her audience look into themselves while reading these many scenarios and recognized the damage that has been done. In each section, you can relate the topic to everyday life. In section one, you see racist encounters that you have either experienced yourself or have heard. Section three allows you to get into depth about the emotions that go with these encounters. By mentioning Serena Williams she demonstrated the various levels of microaggressions showing no matter how successful you come you can still be ridiculed solely because of the color of your skin. The negative feelings this book evokes makes you like the reader to make a difference in not only your life but in other lives. This book teaches people to think differently and continue to take these experiences as lessons.
Rhetoric Situation for Exploratory
Morgan Carter
FIQWS Writing
10/26/2019
Text:
The book citizen is a book-length poem, published in 2014 by Claudia Rankine, about microaggressions in present-day America. It consists of seven chapters and images. The book uses hypothetical situations to cause the reader to experience the situation first hand. It functions as an act of activism as well as poetry.
Author:
Claudia Rankine was born in Kingston, Jamaica during the year of 1963. She went to Columbia University and Williams College. She is a poet, essay writer, and playwright who has been published in The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. She also works on documentaries wither her husband.
Audiences:
There are two audiences for this book. The first audience targeted is people of color who experience this microaggression everyday so that they recognize they aren’t alone and they adjust their reaction to certain situations. The second audience is those who, whether it be intentional, or unintentional, force these microaggressions on people of color. She wants everyone to learn from this book so that they can teach others.
Purposes:
The author’s purpose for writing this piece was to get call attention to the issue. It criticizes everyday problems that people of color face that no one pays attention to. If everyone recognizes their part in the matter they can begin to teach others how to avoid and treat these situations and eventually microaggressions won’t be an issue.
Setting:
The book is set into the last decade where social media has begun a huge part in people’s lives. Microaggressions have become noticeable because people have easier access to knowing whats going on. However, hypothetical situations are based more recently.
Other Analysis:
Poetry is liked by millions of people, so by putting these issues into poetry, she was more able to get her word out.
Researched Critical Analysis Essay
Morgan Carter
December 2, 2019
FIQWS Self and Other
Professor Balun and Killebrew
Self and Other in literature explores and demonstrates the various ways in which an individual can relate and express themselves in different text. During the semester we have analyzed different readings and discussed the ways we empathize and identify with the topics. It can cause you to recognize inner issues as well as issues with the outside world. It forces you to look deep into yourself and figure out what the text means to you. During this class, we examined the idea of self and other in the text such as “Citizen”, “Wayfinding”, and “Signs Preceding the End of the World.” In this essay, I will examine how our theme is revealed in these texts that we have discussed in class.
Let’s begin with “Wayfinding,” by Chloe Bass. Wayfinding uses everyday life as a way to deeply investigate the various levels of intimacy. “Wayfinding,” demonstrates that interactions can vary between different people. Also, the way someone feels going into an interaction can ultimately change the outcome. I think the signs convey the uncomfortable reactions or emotions that come with dealing with other people. Finding your way through life and time is uncomfortable and often hard. For example, the travel along the trail almost demonstrates the time that goes through interactions. For example, she said, ” In the absence of perspective a
minute can stretch to contain innumerable fears.” I think she means when you do take the time to feel and process what is happening then you will be left overthinking the situation and end up fearing the outcome. Negotiation relates to self because depending on how a person internalizes the issue or where they are in their journey to finding their way determines how they respond and act towards others.
Also depending on where the other person is in life determines how they react to the situation. I think Chloe is also trying to demonstrate the many turns and emotions one goes through when trying to interact with others. They wonder if they are giving too much or too little. They also contemplate the outcome of these negotiations. For example, one sign says ” I agree with you to go to sleep at night,” conveying that sometimes during this journey of “wayfinding” people often don’t negotiate at all to have their peace. Overall, individuals have to negotiate with others and themselves when they are having various interactions to find out who they are and what they want to be. Chole Bass asks these questions as a way to motivate readers to take a moment to self reflect in a public space. This leads to viewers not only reflecting on themselves but the world around them. Viewers can create a connection between their internal and external emotions and thought processes. They are forced to evaluate how they react to certain instances of intimacy, loss, and desire.
“Sign Preceding the End of the World,” is a book by Yuri Herrera. The books tell the story of a Mexican girl, Makina, who must travel across the border to save her brother from the trials of being in a different country. At the beginning of Chapter 5, Yuri Herrera conveys an important
message about language. The introduction to this chapter demonstrates how the identity of the people of Mexican people is not black and white. It is way much more than that. The experience of immigration that Makina goes through shows a completely different and intricate look into the culture. Makina’s ability to speak 3 languages allows her to communicate and explore the two different traditions she was exposed to. Overall Herrera tries to convey that language is the bridge between people and their culture. It tells stories of trials and tribulations even though they are all the same ethnicity they experienced different ways of life. The beginning of chapter 5 demonstrates that identity isn’t singular. Identity is fluid and constantly evolving within oneself. Different cultures, experiences, and traditions can all contribute to someone’s identity. It also demonstrates change is unexpected yet it is not always negative. A person must change to adapt to the circumstances that they are in. The ideas of change, language and identity are what make up an individual. However, all these ideas are influenced and crafted by others and the experiences in one’s life. Depending on how these people take in the experiences determines how they respond to others.
“Citizen” is a book-length poem, by Claudia Rankine, that explores the ideas of racism in modern-day America. By using hypothetical situations and experiences she sheds light on the issues that affect minorities today such as microaggressions. The book contains 7 different segments all demonstrating the ongoing issues while being accompanied by images. Throughout the scenarios, she uses metaphor and imagery to provide context into these everyday situations. She combines dozens of aggressive and racist instances into one whole while writing in second person pov allowing the reader to feel as if they are the ones experiences this misfortune.
Causing everyone no matter race to see the error and capacity of the interactions. This essay will focus on section one which describes many different racial encounters, section two which highlights a few moments in Serena Williams’s career and lastly, section three which explores microaggressions in everyday life and how we react.
In the second section of the book, the narrator speaks on an instance after Serena Williams won the 2012 Olympics. The announcers state that Serena was “ Crip Walking over the lily-white place in the world.” At the end of the section, it highlights a moment when Serena was made fun of about her physical appearance by her opponent. Section II brings to the light the everyday criticisms people of color face about their physical features. The altercation also raises the question of how far is too far. Why was it ok for her opponent to do that to her. To the world, it was a joke but for many people of color, they felt more ostracized than before. Serena Williams although she is intelligent and very talented she is still ridiculed about her features because of the color of skin. The sections make readers look at the media in their faults as well. How white people portray people of color differently. How the media criticizes everything about us no matter how talented we are.
Furthermore, oftentimes in the book, Rankine mentions the idea of beginnings and endings. By doing so it influences the idea of cycles for the reader. Since the beginning of time, there was racism and those times influenced the present. While things have drastically changed the ideas of racism have become present in the culture and have influenced the present. Therefore, because the present now would be the future’s past. So how we act now and how we deal with things will
impact how we act in the future. If we keep fostering the idea of racism and accepting it there will be no change because no one stopped the behaviors. Time will continue to repeat and repeat. So, there will be no end to the discrimination and problem because we allowed as a country to let the system repeat. Racism isn’t a default setting it is taught, which means you can reverse its effects. However, not only does the person committing the act to learn you learn as well. By being the situation you learn how to approach it and how to cope with it. Every experience has a lesson and a takeaway. Throughout the book, Rankine used the experience to cause the reader to relate to the subject and digest it easier. Instead of just speaking about it experience causes you to live it and formulate your own opinion and idea.
This book connects to the course because the entire book is put into your perspective. It allows its readers to see first hand the situation without any bias and thus causes them to realize their fault in many of these situations. It evokes all kinds of emotions in the reader. “ This is how racism feels no matter the context,” this speaks volumes to the book and the course as a whole. No matter the race or ethnicity you are reading this book you empathize with people who experience microaggressions. It allows people of color to recognize they aren’t alone and see someone understands. However, it also allows none people of color to try and understand the struggle of others as well as reflect on themselves to see how they have played a part. “ It wasn’t a match, I say. It was a lesson.” We can’t defeat racism it’s a cycle. Although that is the case we can show others the reality of the situation and show them why they are wrong. “ Because white men can’t police their imagination black men are dying.” The image of black people that white supremacists have is all in their imagination. Until they change their ideals racism will continue.
But you can’t fight them to change Instead you must show them why they are wrong. As the reader, it is up to you to take from this book and evaluate yourself. Rankine forces you to put yourself into that situation learn from it. In the course, we are taught to look at novels and relate them to ourselves and think about the narrator felt at that moment. This book does both of those things and opens up a topic of discussion for those putting out these microaggressions and by those receiving them. It brings people together no matter who you are you are forced to learn from this book and understand the point of view as if it happened to you.
All these texts are significantly similar because they require all people to look at themselves and change how they respond to others. To understand the text being presented to you first you must decide where you fall into place in the situation. Each text requires people/a person too look at themselves and adjust how they speak to other people. Also, all texts force their readers to create connections between their internal and external environments. To better the world and the atmosphere that they are surrounded by they must first look at themselves and adjust themselves within. However, these texts make people look at themselves in completely different scales. “Wayfinding” causes you to analyze how you receive and release intimacy. This text explores a person’s emotions and how they cope with their desires and loses. Also, it is very public, so it causes its readers to analyze how others react to these emotions and situations. “Signs Preceding the End of the World” looks more into a person’s background. Through the book, tradition and identity play a huge role. The text causes readers to figure out whom they are based on their culture and experiences. How they interact with the outside world is determined by their upbringing and what is considered acceptable in their culture. Lastly, “Citizen” is more
of a book that influences readers to think about how their thoughts and prejudice affects other people. You must look into yourself and see where you are wrong in a situation or where you have been wrong in a situation. You look into yourself to find out how your animosity towards others has been portrayed. It also makes you see how you relate to the outside and influence them with your animosity.
It is important to note that while all these texts force you to look into yourself and evaluate and change the ending result is different. To get to the change required in the end, you must look at the beginning. The way you were raised and your culture affect how you respond to intimacy and loss. Furthermore, it influences your feelings or animosity towards other people. All three texts demonstrate that everything is interconnected. All things in life impact and influence the course of everything else. However, nothing is the same. Like in the text you must look at completely different elements of yourself to conclude. Yet each text looks at a completely different element.
Overall, this essay discusses the personal issues that people deal with daily. These texts allow readers to look deep into themselves and evaluate their faults and how they respond to others in certain situations. Identity because it determines the course of someone’s life. You need to constantly worry about who you are and how you are because that impacts every situation you will encounter in life. These texts, “ Wayfinding,” “Signs Preceding the End of the World,” and “ Citizen” demonstrate and influence these ideas of self-evaluation. The significance of this discussion is that everything impacts everything else. All these texts take every aspect of life and
make people look deeply into them. Without knowing yourself you won’t be able to interact with the world. Everyone must take time to self evaluate.
