Post your essay questions here from Chapters 2 and 3. We will respond in freewrites tomorrow.
Homework is bring in your paragraph re: "Sometimes I Cry" (Holler 7). I will put a separate link for the Brenda essay.
We spoke of the isolation Tupac seems to feel. This could be because he feels he has no support network; it could also be because he doesn't let anyone close enough to see his vulnerabilities.
The three paragraph essay (which no one had time to complete) was to use what we've learned from Dyson, along with what Tupac reveals in the poem to look at the theme: sacrifice. What does he have to give up to be Afeni's son? What is the price of this relationship? How do we measure it?
Give concrete examples from the poem, the book and use you own analysis to discuss the consequences, both good and bad that are directly linked to Afeni's commitment to the Black Panther Party and eventually to crack cocaine.
In class each person will write his or her own essay; however, the in-class freewrite can be a start. You can start thinking about it in advance. The essay will incorporate 1-direct quote, 1-paraphrase, and 1-block quote. The essay will be between 3-4 paragraphs long.
I wanted to mention that when writing formally, spell out the numerals 1-10. The Pidd essays are getting better.
Homework is bring in your paragraph re: "Sometimes I Cry" (Holler 7). I will put a separate link for the Brenda essay.
We spoke of the isolation Tupac seems to feel. This could be because he feels he has no support network; it could also be because he doesn't let anyone close enough to see his vulnerabilities.
The three paragraph essay (which no one had time to complete) was to use what we've learned from Dyson, along with what Tupac reveals in the poem to look at the theme: sacrifice. What does he have to give up to be Afeni's son? What is the price of this relationship? How do we measure it?
Give concrete examples from the poem, the book and use you own analysis to discuss the consequences, both good and bad that are directly linked to Afeni's commitment to the Black Panther Party and eventually to crack cocaine.
In class each person will write his or her own essay; however, the in-class freewrite can be a start. You can start thinking about it in advance. The essay will incorporate 1-direct quote, 1-paraphrase, and 1-block quote. The essay will be between 3-4 paragraphs long.
I wanted to mention that when writing formally, spell out the numerals 1-10. The Pidd essays are getting better.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 3:48 PM
7 Comments:
Anaya Odom
Professor Sabir
English 1A
24 September 2009
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
In the Rose That Grew from Concrete, Tupac expresses how he feels about himself. He used the rose that grew from concrete as a metaphor to describe himself and his growth. As a young person, Tupac’s childhood was sacrificed, as well as having close friends and relationships, because of his mother’s drug addiction. Afeni Shakur was a strong woman, a member in the Black Panther Party and a single mother. She was honest with her son, and they had a very close relationship. After her departure from the party, Afeni struggled. Through her struggles, her son struggled because he was so close to his mother.
While his mother struggled with her drug addiction, Tupac fought a different battle, one of a child who just wanted some attention, and for someone to listen to him. “Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams
it learned 2 breathe fresh air
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else even cared!” (3).
It is obvious that Tupac felt alone, and it had to be a continuing thing, because he learned to cope with it. He was basically saying that even though he had been neglected, he was not discouraged and he would continue to grow.
Dyson writes, “It was an abandonment that deeply affected Tupac, spurring
him to create brilliant art and to cry out for attention with his own brand of chaotic, self-destructive behavior” (40). Although his abandonment was the fuel for his art, it also had a negative impact on Tupac. His relationship with his mother was what made Tupac the person he was. “Smith says that Tupac was “really rough on Afeni. And you know, he took every opportunity to punish anybody who he felt didn’t do right by him, by his standards. That came from his relationship with Afeni” (41). Tupac’s inspiration for his art was also his inspiration for evil, but without those struggles one is to wonder would he have made the same art and impact?
Sacrifice
Tupuc says when he cries I am alone. His life was all about sacrifing. His childhood was pretty much shot. He had to learn life the hard way. His mother was addicted to drugs and had no concern for him as a young boy. He disowned hos mother due to the life style she had. When some people cry there is not a sholder to lean on. At times you may find it difficult to carry on with their lives. His mother was an ex-panther. No one seemed to care if you cry.
In chapter two of "Holler If You Hear Me" Dyson writes, about how Tupuc had to be so independent as a young boy and dont ever depends on anyone. His mother taught him somethings a young boy should not know just yet. Also seeing your mom getting arrested was tough too.
One sacrifice Tupuc was to be around his family, eventhough he loved them. Tupuc could not handle seeing his mom as a drug addict. Tupuc surrounded himself with people who struggled with black freedom and some died for it. He wanted to start an improved version of The Black Panthers group. As time went by he cant believe what he went through.
In conclusion, his mother was not fit to be a parent. All she thought of was herself. Once you have children it is no long just about you. It's all about the child and what he or she needs.
Debbie Lee
Professor Sabir
English 1A
The Rose That Grew from Concrete
In the novel Rose That Grew from Concrete, Tupac describes his life like a rose that grew from concrete. Tupac lived a hard life throughout his whole life. He was born knowing his mother, Afeni Shakur who was a drug addicted. Although she spent most of their warfare money on drugs, she was an independent black woman who was very strongly opinionated. She joins clubs like Black Panther Party. Tupac only had himself and his mother in his life. They struggle through so many pain and memories which brought then closer then ever to each other.
Although his mother had her own issues she was dealing with, Tupac struggled as a child to grow up. Tupac needed attention but he never received it. Instead, he learns how to keep all of his emotion to himself and learn how to push them away like it was bliss of fresh wind blowing. Like the title of his book “The Rose That Grew from Concrete,” He learns that even though there are hard times in his life which feels impossible to overcome and seems unlikely to happen can happen like a rose that can grow from concrete.
Although everyone but his mother neglected Tupac since he was born, he learns to become a brilliant child with a mind like no other. Dyson states, “It was an abandonment that deeply affected Tupac, spurring him to create brilliant art and to cry out for attention with his own brand of chaotic, self-destructive behavior” (40). Tupac’s struggling life led him to become who he is today, an icon. He learns how to deal with his pain and learn to put his emotions onto music for everyone to feel. Since Tupac was basically alone, he gain an mature emotion no many can achieve and but it into a creative piece of art.
Anne Hallford
English 1a
Tupac's Sacrifices
Tupac Shakur’s entire life has been explored and analyzed multiple times. He personally opened up about many experiences he went through that were stated as things that made him the person he was. His mother’s involvement with the Black Panthers and heavy drugs were often topics that sometimes viewed as controversial. Tupac was forced to grow up fast and learn to provide for himself because of his mothers absence through out his life. Sacrifice became a popular word in Tupac’s vocabulary during his adolescent life.
Although Tupac made many sacrifices for his family, the greatest one was his childhood. Growing up with such a revolutionary and drug addicted mother caused Tupac to learn at a young age that you need to provide for yourself. Some may argue that Afeni Shakur was a bad mother, while others may say she was teaching her son how to be independent because nothing in life is free.
“And from the start, Afeni’s role in the movement was costly, limiting, in Tupac’s mind, the time she spent with him. “At first I rebelled against her because she was in a movement and we never spent time together because she was always speaking and going to college and everything”, Tupac says” (Pg 50, Holler if You Hear Me)
Afeni left her children alone many times, whether it was for the Black Panthers or to feed her crack cocaine habit. Tupac went as far as to move away from his mother at one point in his life because he could not stand to sit around and watch his mother throw her life away because of crack.
As an adult Tupac saw all his mother’s flaws and her parenting techniques as something to love. He was taught that life was hard and no one would be there for you but you, “ But who do u know that stops that long to help another carry on” (pg 7, A Rose That Grew From Concrete). He told his mother exactly how he felt about her addiction and her time spent with the Black Panthers. He was angry with her, but then at the same time her actions made him the man he was. Tupac took the hand that was dealt to him and made the best of it he could.
Bettie Nguyen (Tram Nguyen)
Professor Sabir
English 1A
26 Septemeber 2009
Sometimes I Cry
Drug addiction causes families to be dysfunctional. Growing up, Tupac had missed out on many things because of his mother’s addiction, and this made him bitter. In the poem, “Sometimes I Cry” from The Rose Grew from Concrete, Tupac describes his pain and hurt from his difficulties. In Holler if You Hear Me, Dyson describes about Tupacs’ mother’s addiction that has caused him emotional pain. Afeni’s addiction had caused Tupac poverty, homelessness and made him give up his education.
Tupac had to sacrifice his daily necessities and other important things in his life.
Tupac was constantly poor and was not able to afford the things he wanted. Dyson states, “Tupac knows that taking critical inventory of one’s surroundings does not make for job security, though he admits that he’s bitter about being poor for his principles, since he missed “out on a lot of things” and because “I can’t always have what I want or even things that I think I need”’ (51). Tupac’s family could not improve because Afeni lead her into this sense of poverty. Tupac was also unable to finish high school. Tupac had a lot of responsibilities at a young age, and that made it difficult to focus on academics. Jada Pinkett Smith states that even though Tupac was unable to graduate from high school, he was self-educated, and he was able to teach her something (71). Due to Afeni’s addiction, Tupac also had to move a lot; he also left Afeni and his sister to be on his own and start working. It also caused Tupac homelessness because he never seems to have a permanent home. Dyson states, “If he shook her brain up, he did the same to her household: He moved in with Steinberg’s family shortly after meeting her” (91). This shows that drug addiction can affect a family member to a breaking point because Tupac does not want to be with his family. Afeni was not able to support herself, so her children had to suffer along with her. The difficulties Tupac had to deal with correspond with the pain and hurt he feels in “Sometimes I Cry.” It is difficult to not be able to help his family improve their lives; it is also heartbreaking to think that no one cared about him or what he is going through.
Afeni’s addiction caused Tupac to make sacrifices to the important things in his life. It is sad to not be able to do anything for himself because he is too busy worrying about his family. Tupac had to pay a price for being Afeni’s child, so these are the things he had to sacrifice to at least try to improve his life.
The Rose That Grew From Concrete is not really about a rose that grew from the concrete. The rose symbolizes a man and the concrete symbolizes the ghetto. A rose would never grow from concrete and by this he is meaning to say that it is really hard to survive the hard life of the ghetto and make something out of yourself. The second line means that the person has made something out of himself. "nature's law" means that no one expected the man to survive.
Growing up in the Bronx and Harlem, Tupac learned and excelled in the verbal dexterity and exuberances that characterize African American working class speech culture. At the same time Tupac also absorbed influences from his mother's political past. From Afeni, from Afeni's husband Lumumba Shakur, and from Lumumba's brother, Muula Shakur, all former Black Panther activists. Tupac learned to believe that racism, economic discrimination and other forms of oppression contributed to the poverty and powerless of working class Blacks. He learned to blame the so-called white establishment, including the police, for these conditions.
Being that Tupac was brought up on the Black Panther Party and was around nothing but the party he learned the principles of it. When creating his own party he could learn from the mistakes they made and instead do something better.
Tupac seemed very ambitious about what he wanted. He had even quit his own job just to be apart of an interview. He felt that interview would get him somewhere and being that he's come so far, i believe this decision helped create the image he holds today.
Post a Comment
<< Home