Nightjohn is a story based upon how slaves were poorly treated. The story “Nightjohn” is being told by a former slave with the name of Sarny. She goes through the story describing her life when she and the others around her had to suffer. She goes on to describe some of the things that the slaves had to go through. One character in particular that was treated very poorly was Alice . Alice worked in the fields picking and hoeing, who was set as a breeder because the white house thought that she had a good body. The slaves were not allowed to be near the white house unless they were they were house servants or a gardener. Alice was caught wandering in the white house and was caught by the master and took her to a Spring House where she was immediately whipped by a rawhide whip cut that was used on the cotton gin. When the master whipped the slaves, he made the others watch and he would usually whip them until their entire backs were ripped open and bleeding. He would also rub salt into the wounds to cause the slaves more pain. The slaves weren’t allowed to learn how to read and write, but they wanted to learn so that one day they could tell their story so that people would understand what they had to go through. A man who was known as Nightjohn was the man who taught the slaves how to read and write, he taught Sarny a letter a night. Nightjohn was actually a man who worked as a slave too, he actually escaped to the north, but he came back because he wanted to teach people how to read and write. His plan obviously worked because if it didn’t then we would not know the story of Sarny and what they had to go through.
using specific names and places, briefly summarize "Mascot" in your own words.
The story "Mascot" was about a young boy with huge dreams and goals, that no one believed in. This little boys name was Malcolm, who was around 13 years old and was one of the smartest kids in his class. He was really serious and dedicated to his school work, but it seemed as if people didn't notice his dedication, they didn't really care about what he did. Malcolm wasn't important in their eyes or any other "nigger", which is what they were known as. Most of the people didn't even say it as a mean way, it rolled off their tongues like it was a normal thing to do. They felt like it was unreal for a "nigger" to have dreams or to go anywhere in life. In fact, one day Malcolm teacher asked him what he had seen himself doing in the future. Malcolm replied back saying that he wanted to be a lawyer, but the teacher told Malcolm that he should be realistic and that a boy like him shouldn't dare be dreaming for a job like that. The thing is, any other person in that class which were all non-African american could dream of being anything that they wanted and wouldn't be looked down upon for it.
Using soecific details from the setting anf story, compare "The Great Debaters to the two stories we read in class.
The stories "Mascot" and "Nightjohn" are both very smilar to the movie "The Great Debaters". All three of these stories are about three different sets of humans who had big dreams, but were put down because of their skin color. It seemed as though if your skin color was a little darker then others, then you were set apart from the rest. You had to suffer more that others with lighter skin had to, and you had to go through wayyyyyy more obsticles to follow your dream then others did. It was a true pain. In the story of "Nightjohn" it was the slaves they had to go through pain physically and emotionally. Emotionally because they wanted to be free so bad, but didnt have that right. They were captured, trapped, and tortured. Expected to do work, and if something wasnt done the way the master wanted it to be, then they went through phyical pain. beat with whips, hung, set on fire, and left somewhere to die. There was emotinal pain in "Mascot" because Malcolm had to listen to people tell him that he wouldnt be able to follow the dream he had been dreaming, Telling him that the goals that her had for himself for unrealistic and impossible for him to reach and acheive. There was emotional pain in "The Great Debaters", three intelligent kids who had huge dreams to be sucessful were put down, no one believing in them or anyone else with the same skin color. They had even witnessed a african american being hung and burned. Not because he stole something, not because he killed someone, lied, or committed any crime..But because of his skin color. But these three sets of people also found a brighter day in their situations. The slaves from "Nightjohn" were had some type of progress or we wouldnt know their story today, they learned how to read and write, and on top of that, theres no more slavery anymore. Malcolm from "Mascot" grew up to be a inspirational speaker, speaking such as "Human rights are something you were born with. Human rights are your God-given rights. Human rights are the rights that are recognized by all nations of this earth."
And the kids in "The Great Debaters" all grew up to do very great things, they all changed something in history and really proven that when you have a dream and you want to achieve it, do it and dont let what someone says to you stop you from going after your dream.
