1. men? the first reason de beauvoir

1.    Nametwo central figures of the Harlem Renaissance. What did each person achieve? One of the central figures of theHarlem Renaissance was Zora Neale Hurston. She was a novelist, folklorist, writer and anthropologist.

She created some of the most acclaimed works offiction that included strong female characters in early twentieth century. “ TheirEyes Were Watching God” was one of her most famous works of fiction. AlthoughHurston struggled all her life financially and to get recognition for her work, she was one of the first African-American woman to bring African-Americanliterature in the spotlight. She also influenced writers like Alice Walker andRalph Ellison etc. Langston Hughes was also one of theprimary contributors to the Harlem Renaissance.

He was an American novelist, poet, and playwright. Hughes was the first African-American professional writerto support himself. His poems and other literary works show his commitment toAfrican-American heritage. He published his poem “ The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and achieved critical acclaim and many literary awards.

2.    Whatreason(s) does Simone de Beauvoir give for women’s traditional subordination tomen? The first reason de Beauvoir givesis that women themselves accept their subordinate position when men definewomen as “ the Other”. Although Women call themselves women, they do not seethemselves genuinely as Subjects.

The second reason she gives is that womenhave not won anything. They have always had what men let them have, haven’ttaken anything but rather received. Women also lack unity which prevents themfrom rising up together and demanding anything.

They live with their fathersand then husbands and identify themselves with them and not with other women. She suggests that the division of the sexes is biological and not somethingthat happened in history. The third reason she gives is that women do not havethe same legal status as men. Even as everything is changing, men still havebetter jobs and higher chances of succeeding when compared to women. If womenrefuse to be the other, it means giving up all the advantages they have becauseof the connection with the superior sex.

Hence, women don’t claim to besubjects as they derive satisfaction from being other rather than severing thenecessary connection to the man. 3.    Howdid Malcolm X’s position and views on the status of blacks differ from those ofMartin Luther King? Find a work of art in the Chapter 36 textbook and explainwhy you think it might correspond to the ideas of Malcolm X. Malcolm X advocated forAfrican-American independence during the civil rights movement.

Martin LutherKing was a firm believer of nonviolent civil disobedience as a means to achievejustice and prompted people to fight for equality through nonviolence, butMalcolm X on the hand, believed that nonviolence wasn’t the only way and if itis necessary to be violent in order to attain justice, it should be done. Hesuggested that when it comes to the defense of America, whether it is inGermany, Japan, etc. African-American soldiers use violence as asked by thewhite man in defense, so the same applies in defending our own. He urged peopleto defend their own in any way possible and if it is necessary to be violent, then so be it. He believed that if violence is wrong in America, it is wrongeverywhere.

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X grew up in very differentenvironments as King was raised in a stable family, whereas Malcolm’s fatherwas killed and he grew up in a foster home. Betye Saar’ “ The Liberation of AuntJemima” is a trademark figure which consists of a domestic servant with arifle, a broom, and a pistol, with a mother figure and a white baby inside. Thisartwork corresponds to the ideas of Malcolm X as it symbolizes the means headvocated to achieve rights. Do whatever is necessary to achieve equality andfreedom.

4.    Whatcentral issue(s) was Betty Friedan arguing in her work The Feminist Mystique? Betty Friedman in “ The FeministMystique” focuses on the women of the 20th century. Women wereunhappy and depressed because they were forced to be subordinate to menphysically, mentally, and financially. The post war culture fostered that awoman’s fulfillment was at home as a housewife.

Instead of encouraging women toreach their intellectual potential and educate themselves, the average marriageage dropped and fewer women were going to college. She argues that women shouldachieve something in life rather than just making a choice to be a housewife. 5.    DefineDeconstructionism and how it applies to analyses of philosophy, linguistics andliterary criticism. Deconstructionism was a philosophicalmovement that took place in the 1960s. French philosopher Jacques Derrida isknown for this movement and is primarily applied in the study of literature.

Itquestions the fundamental conceptual distinctions in philosophy throughexamination and emphasizes that a text has no identification or fixed meaning becauseit’s words and words have various different meanings. Deconstructionistsexamined literary works and looked for hidden and different meanings andcriticized works based on the findings. 6.

What does Ellison’s protagonist (Reading 36. 8) mean when he says that he is “ aninvisible man”? By saying “ I am an invisible man” Ellison’s protagonist means that people refuse to see him. They see everythingaround him but fail to see and recognize him. It’s not something spooky or amatter of bio-chemical accident, but rather people look with their inner eyes.