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I'm going. To go. Fucking. Insane.

Started by Sam, September 14, 2007, 12:02:27 AM

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Sam

I've been writing this essay for 10 fucking hours, and it's nowhere near done. What I DO have done is a piece of shit. proof:

[spoiler]Title! :o
In order for any revolution to occur, people must be willing to stand up against those whom are causing their troubles; when no action is being taken towards what is right, no change can be made. Frederick Douglass once said, ?Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening; they want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never did and it never will. Find out what people will submit to, and you have found the exact amount of injustice which will be imposed upon them. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.? Though Douglass?s thoughts referred to issues other than those addressed in the novel The Grapes of Wrath or film Norma Rae, they hold a greater message that extends to the mood of many people in the nation during the two time periods that the film and novel took place in. While Douglass was speaking about abolishing slavery and the difficulties that must be endured in order to achieve the ultimate goal, this concept can be applied to the difficulties that families like the Joads had faced when being forced to leave their home and find work elsewhere. It can also be applied to the over-worked and under-paid textile workers from Norma Rae?s time. Douglass?s comments on ?tyrants? are also reflected in the bank and land owners of Steinbeck?s novel, as well as the textile factory owners of the 1970?s.
Like Douglass states, freedom does not come without a price; or in the Joads? case,  being able to live a comfortable life and keep a paying job involves taking risks and going through the struggles that come along with them.  In Steinbeck?s novel The Grapes of Wrath, machines like Tractors begin to come into existence and replace thousands of low-class farming families, including the Joad family. Consequently, many of these farming families moved to California, a state that was labeled as having plenty of work for everyone. Upon arriving in California, most of these people had very little money left to live off of, and because so many families had chosen to migrate, there were very few jobs to go around, the majority of which paid less than enough money to support those who had taken the journey. These migrants wanted to be able to own land for themselves in California, but were unable to do this because those who did own land were rich and owned dozens, if not hundreds, of acres simply because they could afford it; these were the same people who were getting money off of the migrant people by taking advantage of them and having them work at a very small wage.  Some people, including Casey, an ex-preacher from Oklahoma, knew the only possibility of raising the wages would be to rebel against the land-owners. The problem with this solution was that the migrant people were too afraid to do anything against their employers; what little jobs they could find were very vital and losing one could cost the families greatly. This is where Douglass?s quote can connect to the story; these are the kind of struggles that the migrant people needed to endure in order to gain the ?freedom? they desired and needed. At first, the people were too nervous to be rebellious; the jobs that they had found were just too precious to risk. Those who did speak against the land-owners were often silenced very quickly, but Steinbeck states in his novel that ?...every little beaten strike is proof that the step is being taken? (151). Because these people worked to chip away at the rulers, others were given the courage they needed to rebel.
The film Norma Rae also pertains highly to the statement made by Frederick Douglass. While In the story of Norma Rae, the textile workers were looking to form a union so they would be paid better and get better benefits. It was very difficult to start a union at the time, however, because the factory owners were very against the idea of a union and consequently were careful that the employees remained oblivious in terms of what kinds of possibilities were available. One example of this would be when Ruben was handing out informational papers to the factory workers and the owners would not let him onto the property.
Perhaps the most important part of Douglass?s quote is where he states, ?Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never did and it never will. Find out what people will submit to, and you have found the exact amount of injustice which will be imposed upon them. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.? This quote is saying something that is exemplified in both Norma Rae and The Grapes of Wrath; people who are in control can only stay in control for as long as ?those whom they oppress? allow them to. In Steinbeck?s novel, the migrant people outnumbered the Californian land-owners by long-shot.
In conclusion, for any positive changes to be achieved, people need to stand up and take the struggles that go along with the ?fight?. Ultimately, these struggles will lead to the little flaws in society to be fixed, including flaws like those in John Steinbeck?s The Grapes of Wrath and the film Norma Rae. Because people like Casey were able to stand up against the land-owners, things eventually did get better for those migrants who had traveled to California, and because Norma Rae didn?t back down from her bosses, she was able to gain the support for a union organization in the textile factory. Whenever there is something in need of a change, whether as small as a school club or as big as the nation, it takes people speaking up for what they believe in to make this change a possibility. However, nothing great comes easily; as in The Grapes of Wrath and Norma Rae, there are many difficulties along the way.
[/spoiler]

My boyfriend (oh, sorry, EX-boyfriend) just told me he never wants to speak to me again. It's 3 AM, and I didn't sleep last night.

I'm seriously having a breakdown.

Help.
1.8mb is too huge for a sig nigga

Sam

FUCKING YES. I FINISHED THE FUCKING ESSAY. And haha to my teacher, I still haven't read the last five pages of the book. Now I just need a god damned title... ah well, it's not impostant.

If anyone wants to read my uber-amazing essay, here it is:
[spoiler]In order for any revolution to occur, people must be willing to stand up against those whom are causing their troubles; when no action is being taken towards what is right, no change can be made. Frederick Douglass once said, ?Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening; they want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never did and it never will. Find out what people will submit to, and you have found the exact amount of injustice which will be imposed upon them. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.? Though Douglass?s thoughts referred to issues other than those addressed in the novel The Grapes of Wrath or film Norma Rae, they hold a greater message that extends to the mood of many people in the nation during the two time periods that the film and novel took place in. While Douglass was speaking about abolishing slavery and the difficulties that must be endured in order to achieve the ultimate goal, this concept can be applied to the difficulties that families like the Joads had faced when being forced to leave their home and find work elsewhere. It can also be applied to the over-worked and under-paid textile workers from Norma Rae?s time. Douglass?s comments on ?tyrants? are also reflected in the bank and land owners of Steinbeck?s novel, as well as the textile factory owners of the 1970?s. The struggle for a change has repeated itself throughout history, and examples of this struggle are evident in the film and novel..
Like Douglass states, freedom does not come without a price; or in the Joads? case,  being able to live a comfortable life and keep a paying job involves taking risks and going through the struggles that come along with them.  In Steinbeck?s novel The Grapes of Wrath, machines like Tractors begin to come into existence and replace thousands of low-class farming families, including the Joad family. Consequently, many of these farming families moved to California, a state that was labeled as having plenty of work for everyone. Upon arriving in California, most of these people had very little money left to live off of, and because so many families had chosen to migrate, there were very few jobs to go around, the majority of which paid less than enough money to support those who had taken the journey. These migrants wanted to be able to own land for themselves in California, but were unable to do this because those who did own land were rich and owned dozens, if not hundreds, of acres simply because they could afford it; these were the same people who were getting money off of the migrant people by taking advantage of them and having them work at a very small wage.  Some people, including Casey, an ex-preacher from Oklahoma, knew the only possibility of raising the wages would be to rebel against the land-owners. The problem with this solution was that the migrant people were too afraid to do anything against their employers; what little jobs they could find were very vital and losing one could cost the families greatly. This is where Douglass?s quote can connect to the story; these are the kind of struggles that the migrant people needed to endure in order to gain the ?freedom? they desired and needed. At first, the people were too nervous to be rebellious; the jobs that they had found were just too precious to risk. Those who did speak against the land-owners were often silenced very quickly, but Steinbeck states in his novel that ?...every little beaten strike is proof that the step is being taken? (151). Because these people worked to chip away at the rulers, others were given the courage they needed to rebel. People like the ex-preacher Casy risked and lost their lives in order to try and protect the many future lives of others. Some of Casy?s final words included, ??You fellas don? know what you?re doin?. You?re helpin? to starve kids?? (386). Though Casy didn?t seem to make a very large impact on the ?Oakies?, his suffering and sacrifice helped give others the courage to continue fighting. The many hardships that these people had to endure were all for the ultimate goal of the possibility to live a better life.
The film Norma Rae also pertains highly to the statement made by Frederick Douglass; Norma Rae and the other textile factory workers all new they needed higher wages and better benefits, but the majority of the employees were too afraid to put their jobs on the line. It was very difficult to start a union at the time because the factory owners were very against the idea and consequently were careful that the employees remained oblivious in terms of what kinds of possibilities were available. One example of this would be when Ruben was handing out informational papers to the factory workers and the owners would not let him onto the property. Norma Rae, knowing she couldn?t live happily under her current working conditions, decided to be active in supporting the union, and risked her job in order to be active. Ultimately, Norma Rae lost her job because she refused to stop copying down a letter from the bulletin board; as she was being forced to leave, Norma Rae shouted, ?Forget it! I'm stayin' right where I am. It's gonna take you and the police department and the fire department and the National Guard to get me outta here!? Ruben Warshowsky also went through struggles when trying to form unions in mill towns; the man was forced to confront many people who were afraid of his presence, as a union organizer. It was no easy task for Ruben to convince the people of the town that the fight for a union was worth it. Though Norma Rae and Ruben both went through very hard times while fighting for support of the union, their efforts eventually paid off when their ambition was passed along to many other mill workers and the union was officially formed. Because the two individuals had risked so much in order to save the employees in the old mill town, the factory became a much better working environment. 
Perhaps the most important part of Douglass?s quote is where he states, ?Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never did and it never will. Find out what people will submit to, and you have found the exact amount of injustice which will be imposed upon them. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.? This quote is saying something that is exemplified in both Norma Rae and The Grapes of Wrath; people who are in control can only stay in control for as long as ?those whom they oppress? allow them to. In Steinbeck?s novel, the migrant people outnumbered the Californian land-owners by long-shot. If the ?Oakies? had joined together and fought against the land-owners, they would easily be able to overthrow much of California; for this reason, the land-owners and police officers focused their efforts on keeping the migrants from joining together. The land owners knew that if the migrants came together, they would easily create an unstoppable rebellion. John Steinbeck ?warns? the land owners in his novel, saying ?Here is the node, you who hate change and fear revolution. Keep those two squatting men apart; make them hate, fear, suspect each other. Here is the anlage of the thing you fear? (151). Once the migrant people can endure no longer, they begin to fight against the bank and land-owners, which gives power to other migrants who then begin to do the same thing. The migrant people were only able to be pushed around for as long as they could handle it, and when they could no longer, the bank and land-owners lost control entirely. In the film Norma Rae, the factory owners acted as the ?tyrants.? The employers were able to boss around and cut the wages of the workers as much as they wanted because there was nowhere else for the employees to work I the town. No matter what, the owners had a grip on the employees, and the employees rarely spoke up for fear of losing their only job. Norma Rae, however, was the first to decide she could no longer endure the life she was living. Because she started to rebel against the factory-owners, many people began to follow her. One exemplary scene of this would be when Norma Rae stood on the table with a sign that had ?UNION? written on it, and the mill workers all turned off their machines one by one. The works got the sense that there was power in numbers, and when others began to fight for the greater good, they were given the courage to fight as well. Norma Rae acted as a catalyst in the factory, making the desire to fight for a union grow larger and larger within the factory.  As the factory-owners from Norma Rae?s time and land-owners from the 1930?s learned, when those whom are oppressed begin to join together, they grow in power and strength; a tyrant may be able to suppress many individuals, but they cannot keep one group of all the individuals under control as easily.
In conclusion, for any positive changes to be achieved, people need to stand up and take the struggles that go along with the ?fight?. Ultimately, these struggles will lead to the little flaws in society to be fixed, including flaws like those in John Steinbeck?s The Grapes of Wrath and the film Norma Rae. Because people like Casey were able to stand up against the land-owners, things eventually did get better for those migrants who had traveled to California, and because Norma Rae didn?t back down from her bosses, she was able to gain the support for a union organization in the textile factory. Whenever there is something in need of a change, whether as small as a school club or as big as the nation, it takes people speaking up for what they believe in to make this change a possibility. However, nothing great comes easily; as in The Grapes of Wrath and Norma Rae, there are many difficulties along the way. In Douglass?s quote, he basically states that nothing good can come if nobody sacrifices or risks what they have. This process of a need for change, people fighting for what they want, and risking what they have was seen in California in the early 1930?s and in textile factories in the 1970?s. The pattern will continue to move on around the world wherever and whenever a reform may be necessary.
[/spoiler]

Other than that, everything still pretty much sucks, but hey, I get almost 2 hours of sleep before school!

Oh, and I just wanted to thank you all for being online and awake and concerned in my time of need, I love you Boyah. <3
1.8mb is too huge for a sig nigga


C.Mongler


Feynman

Quote from: Pinkeh on September 14, 2007, 12:02:27 AM
just told me he never wants to speak to me again.


People've said that to me multiple times, but they always end up coming back. spam;

Samus Aran

Wait, you broke up with your boyfriend, and there was only one line of complaint?

... psyduck;

Samus Aran

Quote from: Justin Waner on September 14, 2007, 11:43:15 AM
Teen love.


No. On the internet, when someone breaks up with someone, there's usually this gigantic sob-story complaint.

Sam

Quote from: Jackazz on September 14, 2007, 11:44:31 AM
No. On the internet, when someone breaks up with someone, there's usually this gigantic sob-story complaint.

There's not really a story, since in order for me to explain I'd need to give you a whole bunch of background information on him and I don't think taht'd be a very nice thing for me to do.

I'm not really angry about the breakup, just a little confused and pretty upset. Then again, it was nearly a year of my life, I can't just drop it like that.

It's just that there's nothin' to talk about.
1.8mb is too huge for a sig nigga

Samus Aran

Quote from: Pinkeh on September 14, 2007, 11:52:03 AM
There's not really a story, since in order for me to explain I'd need to give you a whole bunch of background information on him and I don't think taht'd be a very nice thing for me to do.

I'm not really angry about the breakup, just a little confused and pretty upset. Then again, it was nearly a year of my life, I can't just drop it like that.

It's just that there's nothin' to talk about.


Well I'm glad you're taking it well (or at least, you look like you are) then. I think most people would try to stretch "nothing to talk about" into a serious tl;dr situation. You seem to be much more level-headed than that.

Of course, your MSN personal message thingy worries me.

Sam

September 14, 2007, 11:59:06 AM #9 Last Edit: September 14, 2007, 11:59:41 AM by Jackazz
Quote from: Jackazz on September 14, 2007, 11:55:42 AM
Well I'm glad you're taking it well (or at least, you look like you are) then. I think most people would try to stretch "nothing to talk about" into a serious tl;dr situation. You seem to be much more level-headed than that.

Of course, your MSN personal message thingy worries me.


Oh, pay no attention to that. Someone put a message that said "Life has no meaning anymore." So I put uip one taht said "Did it ever?"

And then I changed my mind and now you see what you have der. :3
1.8mb is too huge for a sig nigga


NOA_Haunted

I thought you were a boy, im so confused.  psyduck;

Title27GT

I'm quite confused.

Was this an internet boyfriend?  psyduck;

Sam

Quote from: Title on September 14, 2007, 01:48:05 PM
I'm quite confused.

Was this an internet boyfriend?  psyduck;

yes.

you can go on and commense making fun of me now if you'd like. I don't really give a shit.  flower;
1.8mb is too huge for a sig nigga

The artist formally known


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