I believe Gewndolyn Brooks's poem We Real Cool reveals a perspective that we would also have to consider. She stated that instead of questioning why the kids shooting pool were not at school, she wondered how they felt and thought about themselves while doing so. Attempting to understand the group of kids is a much better tactic than forcefully pressuring them with rights and wrongs that society wants us to believe. Regardless I think the only way we can ever change the rebellious acts teens continue to do, is to alter what society believes to be right and wrong which is highly unlikely.
According to Orlando Patterson, education is a big issue that troubles black youths. In America, education connects directly to occupation(unless your family is super rich, or you are born extremely good looking). It is not easy living here without money, and in order to gain money we need a job, and without education we can't get jobs because the illegal immigrants are taking the jobs that require no education. These all link together, and the young black kids who do not have as much opportunities as the white kids end up lost, ultimately retreating into the drug world. Even though the United States is under a financial crisis, once we do get back on track I think funding to poor neighborhoods could eventually decrease the unemployment rate and give the black youths a different perspective on what is cool.
Hi Amon,
ReplyDeleteFrom reading your paper I believe that your main idea is clothes and tattoos can only take you so far. In order to completely satisfy our arch type we must purchase certain things both removal and non-removal. I like your thesis but maybe this could work as well: Coolness gives off the illusion that we are much cooler than we really are and creates a sense of being individual when in reality we are all just followers. Sorry if that might not make sense just let me know if you want something different.
From my HW 29, which as relation to your idea on individuality: “There is no solution to discovering cool you force cool to move on to the next thing.” It’s a never-ending cycle that we continue to allow to repeat itself because we don’t have the self-control to stop it. It seems as if we like the media in a weird way, that without them we wouldn’t be able to function. Is it the fact that we are afraid to be ourselves so we constantly need the “advice” from those who know best? However for a person who hasn’t necessarily caught on to this it isn’t what will look best on you or what will help you be a better person all around, it’s the product that will sell the best. Then there is also the idea of being an “individual” the truth is no one is. There isn’t one person in the world that is far different from the rest of us. We are all just copies of one another. Although we hate to admit it, in reality it’s the truth. So when we find one person cool I am sure there is someone out there who is just like them, does this mean they are both cool or does that make them both uncool? I think attention is nice as long as it is positive but it seems that most of the time attention is usually negative. Do we do all of this to be happier people? If the attention we receive is negative how can we be happy? Corporations are funding us with the right attire to satisfy the arch type we live up too. So in a way we are both doing each other favors we give them money they give us “happiness”.
I think a couple of things I would change are 1. You do use your brother as evidence but maybe a direct quote from him? 2. I think you are getting at something really great in your conclusion but maybe you can elaborate on “endless alternation” 3. I like what you are saying for your opening sentence but it seems a tad bit unclear, however that might just be me…
If you have any questions let me know, good start though!