Black Man Standing :: essays research papers fc

Black Man Standing: The Media’s Portrayal of African-American Men Documentation Style: MLA Name and Description of Target Audience: Readers of the Chicago Tribune Guest Editorial Section Forum/Genre Paper Would Take in Target Publication: Guest Editorial in the Chicago Tribune Brief Description of Assignment and Instructor Expectations for Critical Thinking: 4 page paper with a 2 source minimum, evaluating media in the terms of values it reinforces or resists, and the consequences this has on specific subgroups or cultures. The media has a powerful influence in the everyday thoughts and lives of Americans. Most Americans wake up in the morning and turn on the TV to see what’s going on in the world as they get ready for work; pick up a newspaper and read it with breakfast; turn on the radio and listen to it in their car on the way to work or school; or we do a combination of the three. The people in charge of the media are also in charge, to a great degree, of how we perceive our world. We can sort through our own thoughts and make our own opinions, but we get our information from the media, and the media decides what to show us in the first place. We look to the media to tell us what is important, what we need to know. We also look to the media for our entertainment. It’s important for us to realize all the roles that media has in our lives and to what extent we are influenced by it, because the media is also responsible for our cultural stereotypes and values.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One major example that I will focus on here is the way that black males are represented. Black men are consistently being portrayed by the media to fit into narrow, stereotypical roles. They are being shown to be less complex, and two dimensional as opposed to the broader range of Caucasian roles and depictions that the media exemplifies. I think this is of great consequence to society, because it effects not only how society perceives black men, but also how black males perceive themselves, and how they think they are supposed to act and be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Black men are shown less often in the media, especially on primetime TV, but when they are shown you can almost always fit them into one of three categories; 1.) Comedian, 2.) Angry/Jaded, or 3.) Gangster/Thug. Do we as the viewers ever ask ourselves why black males seem to be getting so embarrassingly over-typecast?

What kind of relationship does God want with us

There is a great story behind creation which made man wonder who the superior being is, and from scratch it eventually evolves to a deeper relationship of mankind with God. There are series of stages wherein the people began to be aware of God’s existence and atheism or paganism gradually lost its concept because they become attractive to the doctrines of the church leaders which merely addressed human needs superior than their foe. A religious movement was started in first century by Judaism before they had favored the religion of the Roman Empire. 000 years ago in Judea, Christianity started with Jesus Christ, a Jew, together with His disciples who are faithful to him (Pierrakos, 1996). By that time, Jews hated Roman rule as it was governed by the Emperor of Rome and their beliefs are pagan and it is disturbing to Jewish life. The Jews studied the Jewish law and wait for the eventual coming of their promised Messiah and so the ministry of Jesus began. Jesus’ disciples were taught the â€Å"new covenant† wherein God will bring to humanity through Him. Mankind lost its relationship with God because of sins which is why, the new covenant comes to purpose that those who accept it will have a renewed fellowship of forgiveness and love with God. This covenant happened when Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all humanity. Three days later rose again to become their Messiah. Since His disciples began to proclaim this gospel of hope, the Church has then been built, and the Christian faith has since spread to the world. When we take a glimpse of it, we can see that the history Christianity's origin seems improbable for people living in the 21st century to consider such events in reality took place. On the other hand, the Christian faith has been a key importance to mankind. So when the church stood up and was established, sermons had been preached by the priest where the first Roman Catholicism emerges. There has been a promise of salvation so the people started to attend the mass every Sunday and asked God for blessings and grace. Man found himself in the likeness of God. God also gave us freewill and we have the power to choose whether we want to believe him or not. What is good about God is that there are people who believe in him because he has many faces. And with this, no two people believe in exactly the same God. Every person has his or hers own individual image of God, thus, different religions arises like Protestants, Catholic, Orthodox and the like. From then on, man’s relationship to god becomes intimate and it is usually done through prayers. God as what people believes to be the creator of everything, has been the ultimate source of everything and since he sent his son, Jesus, people have faith that they will be saved when the judgment day comes. It is by faith that we can recognize and believe the death of Christ as payment for our sins. We can feel that is only by faith that we had a relationship with God; however, it will also show us that faith in God seems to deepen by showing our desire to follow His will, and try to follow the life that Christ lived while He was on earth. The development of mans relationship with God has been started several decades ago and now, we are enlighten that we should be in union with Him if we want to be saved. Numerous messengers from heaven tried to teach the world how to serve God. Relationship becomes deeper when there is a give and take bond and so, we should abide by the rules that He has given us. This relationship with Him tends to be a give and take since man received blessing from God ,hence, man should serve God not only by going to His house and praise Him or pray for selfish favors, but by doing good to our friends, neighbors, relatives and even enemies. What unites man with God is love and it allows man to find peace and harmony with every creation which was wholly developed that allows one to reach the union with God.

Who Is to Blame for Mercutios Death - 1020 Words

. Firstly, Tybalt is to blame for Mercutio’s death as he actually gave him the wound that killed him. Also, Tybalt provokes Mercutio by insulting Romeo, ‘Thou art a villain.’ This is one of the biggest insults that Tybalt can give and would usually be followed by a duel. However, Romeo calmly replies by saying ‘Villain I am none / Therefore farewell. I see thou know’st me not.’ Because Romeo is not defending his honour, Mercutio is provoked by Tybalt’s insults and starts insulting Tybalt himself. This is what leads to the two of them fighting and Mercutio getting his fatal wound. So, if Tybalt didn’t insult Romeo or fight Mercutio, Mercutio wouldn’t have been killed. Romeo is also to blame for Mercutio’s death because he†¦show more content†¦This also means that Benvolio is to blame for Mercutio’s death because he persuaded Romeo to go to this party where he met Juliet ‘Go hither, and with unatt ained eye / Compare her face with some that I shall show.’ If Benvolio hadn’t persuaded Romeo to go to Capulet’s party, he wouldn’t have met Juliet. I think that one of the biggest causes of Mercutio’s death is the ‘ancient grudge’ between the ‘two households’, the Capulet’s and Montague’s. This is a massive cause because this alone was what started off all the fights. After Mercutio has been mortally wounded, he sees that this is why he is dying, which is why he says ‘a plague o’ both your houses!’ If the Montague’s and Capulet’s weren’t fighting, Tybalt wouldn’t have gone up to Romeo and insulted him. If that never happened, Mercutio would have never fought Tybalt and died. Also, all of the other reasons for Mercutio’s death would have never happened if the Capulet’s and Montague’s weren’t fighting. In conclusion, there are many peo ple to blame for the death of Mercutio, and if any one of these reasons didn’t happen, Mercutio might not have died in Act 3 Scene 1. However, I think that the most important cause of Mercutio’s death and who should take the biggest responsibility for his death is the grudge between Montague and Capulet. This is because all of the fights, including the one betweenShow MoreRelatedRomantic Tragedy in Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare Essay699 Words   |  3 Pagesbetween the two families have cut their lives short and causes the death of many other people. Romeo and Juliet’s death serve as a sacrifice to end the enmity and hatred between Capulet and Montague. Mercutio, one of Shakespeare most extraordinary character, who has constantly overflows with imagination and wit, holds an important role in the play. His actions first lead to Romeo’s banishment, then to the tragic that follows. Mercutio’s use of humorous verse and flowery metaphor reveals how misunderstandingRead MoreRomeo and Juliet Character Analysis - Mercutio1427 Words   |  6 Pagesrelated to the Prince of Verona. One would think this puts him relatively outside the family feud, but we learn that Mercutio is only all to willing to play along with this adversary, and ultimately his quick and volatile nature lead to his untimely death. Mercutio was first introduced to us in Act I, Scene 4; when Romeo, Benvolio and the gang are on the way to the Capulets feast. Although it was only his first appearance, he captured immediate attention with his comments. We get the feeling thatRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1152 Words   |  5 Pagesnurse for a confidant. However, Mercutio’s murder begins a castrophobic series of events that arguably leads to the play’s tragic end—the double suicide of its two young protagonists—as well as illuminates its darker themes of irony, selfishness, and the true costs of undying loyalty, with hideous clarity. It is these, much more than the sweetness of Romeo and Juliet’s innocent, youthful pining, that leave a more lasting mark upon its readers; that is to say, the death of Mercutio causes the entireRead MoreEssay on Romeo is More to Blame in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet921 Words   |  4 PagesJuliet, forbidden to be together b ecause of feuding families. Countless people contribute to Romeo and Juliet’s predestined fate and misadventures. This ultimately leads to Romeo and Juliet’s suicide. Who is more to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s death? Although Juliet acts rashly, Romeo is more to blame. Furthermore, Romeo starts the whole tragedy. True, Juliet acts naà ¯ve, nonetheless Romeo acts hastily by encouraging the relationship. Prior to Romeo and Juliet’s encounter, Romeo is in an infatuationRead More Mercutio as Catalyst in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet2317 Words   |  10 Pagesthe quick-witted character Mercutio â€Å"is a notorious scene-stealer† (Utterback 105). Mercutio’s major function in the play is to be a catalyst for the plot. Mercutio’s purpose as a character is most significantly revealed in his relationship with Romeo, his baiting of Tybalt, and his death. More importantly, Mercutio functions as the catalyst for the pattern of disasters in the play that follows his own tragic death, making him, as described by critic Stephen Greenblatt â€Å"a spirit that seems to challengeRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet985 Words   |  4 Pagesmistakes that contributes to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet, y et, throughout the play, there is one character prompting the feud, Mercutio. Mercutio is the character most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he causes problems for both families even after his death. Mercutio pushes Romeo to crash the Capulet’s party, which causes Tybalt to get aggravated and duel with Romeo, and the cursing of both families that come true after his death. Firstly, Mercutio should be blamedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet898 Words   |  4 Pagesresult of said feud, both Romeo and Juliet ended their lives, as a result of thinking that the other was dead. If we take this kind of situation and put it into the modern world, someone would be blamed for these tragic deaths. The only question is who. Their parents are to blame- the Montagues and the Capulets. Of course, to craft your opinion on this topic, you must first understand the fictional background of the Montagues and the Capulets. Although the play doesn’t offer a backstory, readersRead MoreFate and Free Will in Romeo and Juliet1546 Words   |  7 PagesCONSIDER THE ROLE OF FATE AND FREE-WILL IN THE PLAY It might seem at first glance that the role of fate in the play is crucial to its outcome. Certainly many of the characters blame fate/destiny for what happens to them, and the language of the play does at times encourage the audience to view the events as dominated by fate. Romeo for example describes himself as fortunes fool, and the prologue seems to follow his judgement in its pronunciation of the couple as a pair of star crossd loversRead MoreShakespeares Romeo and Juliet and Baz Lurhmanns Film Version1471 Words   |  6 Pagesanything to how the characters are represented in the film. At the start of act 3 scene 1 we see Mercutios arrogance, as when confronted by Tybalt, he tells him that he will not budge. Here, Mercutio is showing confidence in that he wont back down before Tybalt. Looking at the film, you get the sense that Lurhmann shares the same impression, as in the film, Mercutios arrogance can be clearly seen especially when Romeo is seen submitting to Tybalt, so, Mercutio goesRead MoreRomeo And Juliet Character Analysis1599 Words   |  7 Pagesthe love of the two protagonists, Romeo and Juliet, who are caught up in an ancient feud between their families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The tale depicts the unlikely love story between the pair and results in their tragic death. The theme of responsibility is vital in the understanding of the play and who is to blame for the death of the lovers. Throughout the play, the main characters that are seen to be responsible for the tragedy and who are a key part of the theme of responsibility are