One by one, leaves twist and twirl in the air while tree branches start to show. Leaves delicately depart, off with the wind they go until all the tree limbs are bare. . The burning orange and red of the leaves and yellow as rich as gold, contrasts with the bitter cold that finds its way in the breeze. . And soon this small beach town will be left desolate and alone, as it’s visitors return home
The first item I want to include in my college story is a picture I took of Ram Island during my visit there for my environmental issues class. This trip was such a great opportunity and definitely a high point for me this semester. I wouldn’t have been able to experience this trip anywhere else, and I feel it is representative of the other great experiences I will have at this school in years to come. The next item I…
I think that Coates chose this title for his book because he talks about his own experiences that have given him a different perception of the world around him, a view that is much different than people who believe in ‘the dream’ or who haven’t faced the same kind of fear. Reading this poem helped me understand why Coates chose this as his title. The line that says, “… my heart was circled by icy walls of fear” stood out…
My heart always breaks when I hear someone say that they don’t like cats. That they are unappreciative and don’t love back. I want to tell them: Cats are just like me and you. They are independent, they want to explore and have their own lives too! And I think there is something we could all learn from cats. How to give the ones we love space, but be there for them when they need that.
Question #1: On page 104, Coates quotes senator John C. Calhoun who points out that the division of our society is not based upon class or wealth, but race, and white people, whether poor or rich, are all treated with a shared sense of respect and equality. In America during the mid-1800’s, this separation in society stemmed from those who ‘believed themselves to be white’ having power over others, and as stated by Coates, “… the right to break the…
Question #2: When Coates had moved to New York with his family, he had noticed that white parents treated their children differently from how he treated his son. On page 89 Coates notes this difference when he says, “That was where I saw white parents pushing double-wide strollers down gentrifying Harlem boulevards in T-shirts and jogging shorts… The galaxy belonged to them, and as terror was communicated to our children, I saw mastery communicated to theirs.” Here Coates points out…
Question 3: Throughout this section of the book, Coates tells his son about his college experience and how it shaped him into the person he is today. He discusses several aspects of his college story such as his time spent at the library, the Yard, and in classrooms. On page 48, Coates states that, “I was made for the library, not the classroom. The classroom was a jail of other people’s interests. The library was open, unending, free.” While some…
