The Snowy Day by Keats Ezra J. is one of the pioneer writings among stories for children that depicted an African American child as the main central character. The story was published during the Civil Rights Movement era by an author of Jewish heritage. Although it is a children’s book, some individuals found racial issues and even racist remarks. The fact that the author did not intentionally include some prejudices and stereotypes proves that these ideological fallacies are deeply ingrained in one’s mind. Therefore, the book inevitably contained highly racial sub-textual messages and reflected the general prejudices and stereotypes regarding African Americans.
Stereotypes
It is important to note that The Snowy Day is a highly innocent book that describes an African American child’s day during the winter. It does not explicitly state the racial background of the character, nor does it directly carry racial pieces. However, the images and visual aspect of the story signals strong race-related messages. The author stated that he approached the story with total innocence and no predetermined racial subtext (Hintz and Tribunella 314). Hintz and Tribunella state: “just because Keats’s goal were benevolent does not mean his work is not a product of its historical context and therefore marked by race and racial bias” (314). However, it makes matters worse, because it means that stereotypes are deeply ingrained in one’s mind without him or her realizing that it exists.
In order to understand the stereotypes in the text, it is important to define it. A stereotype is a fixed order of actions, described according to the model of conditioned reflexes and included in a social setting. They are predefined, easy to identify, used to understand, organize the social world, and interact as long as the situation is not problematic. In addition, stereotypes can be manifested in negative-stereotypic and positive-counterstereotypic information (Dukes and Gaither 796). By reproducing possible relationships, social stereotypes constitute a special type of logic that works in different contexts, on any amount of information due to the unlimited attribution of the known to the unknown.
The manifestation of racial stereotypes is characterized by the close interconnectedness of cognitive, emotional, affective, and behavioral components, which can be observed in the book’s subtext. In the story, there are a number of African American stereotypes, such sub-urban environment and red hooded clothing of an African American child. The same components can be attributed to the content of ethnic stereotypes. The cognitive component is an integral part of the stereotype, which is information about the norm of perception of the object. The latter can be observed in the author’s depiction of the overall setting and child’s lifestyle features. The mechanism of the formation of the cognitive component of national stereotypes is still not well understood. Due to the limited interethnic communication, cognition of another racial group is often carried out on the basis of absolutization and transfer of traits characteristic of its individual representatives to the racial group as a whole. In some cases, ideas about an alien group can arise even through third parties, without direct contact.
Racial consciousness not only absolutizes some truly existing ethnic properties but also tends to ascribe to “own” and “alien” races non-existent traits. For instance, it is stated that the media representation of African Americans as victims of police brutality can be manipulated to shift towards victim-blaming through stereotype induction rather than rational analysis (Dukes and Gaither 790). As a result, only approximate, simplified ideas about the basic properties and characteristics of another group are formed. The representations themselves are not just visual images of reality, but always to a certain extent, generalized models that are essential in the mental regulation of human activity. It is also important to distinguish the three main functions of representations, such as signal, regulation, and tuning. Although the author did not possess any intentions to impose racial context on the story, he inevitably signals his own deeply ingrained stereotypes.
Racial consciousness presupposes not only a statement of the specifics of an alien group but also an emotional and affective attitude towards it. Even initial superficial knowledge of a racial or ethnic object already generates certain relationships. The latter may include attraction, repulsion, or indifference to members of another racial group. Thus, the main components of the cognitive structure of racial self-consciousness are stable attributive integration and differentiation symptom complexes. They characterize members of their own racial group, as well as representatives of other groups along the lines of traditional and cultural systems. Under the attributive symptom complex is understood as a system of characteristics attributed to one or another group reflecting the content of a racial stereotype.
Prejudice
In order to understand prejudices of the book, it is important to define its definition. Prejudice is highly interlinked with stereotyping, but it differs in meaning. The former describes the pre-judgment of an individual regarding another group, and it does not require experience to develop a specific set of beliefs and feelings. One may never encounter or be among Asian people, but hold prejudices about the given racial group. This is also applicable to the story, where the author depicts an only adult and the main character’s mother as a stereotypical African American single parent (The Teacher’s Library 00:02:03-00:02:06). Prejudice supposes and even promotes the notion that African American families lack fathers. Although the writing does not explicitly state that the child does or does not have a fatherly figure, it paints a clear prejudice-based picture of African American single-mother families.
The prejudice is based on pre-judgment, that is, an unfounded negative view of other people. In itself, a negative view is not yet a prejudice. It becomes such if it does not change even if there is convincing evidence that this judgment is unfair, erroneous, and refuted by positive facts. Any prejudice is a deviation from three specific norms, such as norms of rationality, norms of justice, and norms of humanity. The tendency to prejudice becomes a character trait, reinforcing prejudices, and antipathies towards certain groups of people. Prejudice is a negative idea of other people, which does not change even if there is convincing evidence that this judgment is unfair, erroneous. The causes of prejudice are labeling, an inappropriate parenting style that is rude and dismissive of other people, and unexpected emotional trauma received by the child when interacting with other groups.
Prejudice is widespread and enduring since, like stereotypes, it is an effortless way of thinking, and it is triggered by anxiety and a threat to security. They are an integral property of an authoritarian personality, and they become part of her thinking. Most likely, this is because many people, by their character, need prejudice and religion in order to ensure themselves comfort in life. Therefore, people might possess without any intentional analysis, which can be observed in the author’s story. Prejudice is tenacious by virtue of conformism, and the functioning of prejudice in society explains such a terrible social phenomenon as fanaticism (Rini and Matulessy 38). Prejudice is a type of blinders in front of quite intelligent and educated people. They are even more rooted in those people who have insufficient experience and gaps in education, delusions and lack of intelligence, inadequate development of empathy and sensitivity, responsiveness, compassion, not to mention the need for high morality and humane attitude to people.
The fact that the author did not deliberately include racial subtext into the story means that even a well-mannered and a socially aware individual can develop certain prejudices. Education, the development of self-awareness and intense self-knowledge, the formation of self-esteem, which does not allow neglect of other people, help get rid of prejudice. However, the given case illustrates that these approaches do not guarantee the complete elimination of all prejudices. Prejudices change if their change reveals social, economic, and personal meaning. Social sciences are a powerful weapon against fanaticism, and social psychology occupies an important place among them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that the story is not meant to address racial topics and invoke a debate about one’s race. The primary intention and objective of the author were to make children stories more inclusive and diverse by depicting an African American child as the main protagonist. The overall criticism and controversy around the story is not targeted at the author and his individual issues, but rather addresses the fact that prejudices and stereotypes are present among even well-meaning people. By deliberately making efforts to promote African American imagery in stories for children, the author unintentionally illustrated his inherent stereotypes and prejudices regarding the African American people. These cognitive elements are not explicitly expressed, but rather take the form of the subtext. The most prominent depiction can be observed in the visual components of the book.
Works Cited
“The Snowy Day.” YouTube, uploaded by The Teacher’s Library, 2016, Web.
Dukes, Kristin Nicole, and Sarah E. Gaither. “Black Racial Stereotypes and Victim Blaming: Implications for Media Coverage and Criminal Proceedings in Cases of Police Violence against Racial and Ethnic Minorities.” Journal of Social Issues, vol. 73, no. 4, 2017, pp. 789-807.
Hintz, Carrie, and Eric L. Tribunella. Reading Children’s Literature: A Critical Introduction. Broadview Press, 2019.
Rini, Amanda Pasca, and Andik Matulessy. “The Influence of Private Conformity, Group Self-Esteem, Fanaticism and Obedience toward the Aggressiveness of Political Party Partisan.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, vol. 5, no. 12, 2016, pp. 37-46.
Reflection On Achievement Of Outcomes Concept Map
The outlined concept map demonstrates the existence of links between the planned course outcomes and activities that had to be performed during the course. The MSN Program Outcome #2 presupposes the acquisition of knowledge related to the creation of a caring environment and the achievement of quality health outcomes. First of all, this goal demands a better understanding of the factors that impact populations and how some adverse effects can be mitigated to achieve positive results. In this regard, the Week 1 assignment contributed to an improvement of knowledge related to the topic and their summary with the primary goal to understand the basic concepts of the discussed issue and their peculiarities.
At the same time, the Week 2 Assignment, Healthy People 2020 Impact paper was another essential step towards the generation of an improved understanding of who better health outcomes can be generated by moderating the existing environment and solving some problems that might have a pernicious impact on the health of the nation. These two elements of the course were critical for the improvement of knowledge related to the aspect and achievement of desired outcomes.
The second desired goal of the course was the achievement of a high level of competence in clinical prevention and population health, MSN Essential VII. For this reason, the training included tasks aimed at the provision of critical knowledge related to this aspect and their discussion. Week 3 Assignment: Epidemiological Methods and Measurements is considered a critically important step for the acquisition of in-depth and relevant knowledge about the effect of epidemiological factors on the health of the population and how they can be evaluated to avoid undesired outcomes.
As for the second assignment regarding the outlined goal Week 4 Open Forum Discussion, this task also promoted the formation of the desired competence. Creating posts, all learners were able to acquire additional information about the sources of epidemiological data and approaches that could be used to evaluate a particular aspect of communities’ functioning. In such a way, the mentioned assignments are closely connected with the desired outcome and help learners to practice and broaden their knowledge base and competence.
The generation of NONPF competencies was the third desired outcome of the course presupposing that would-be nurses could apply, integrate, and use client-centered and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, and managing multiple activities regarding the evidence-based care. This goal presupposes the improved understanding of cultural and individual peculiarities of individuals, their problems, and demands on the quality of provided services. Additionally, there is a requirement for enhanced analytical skills and the ability to solve some current issues. Week 5 Assignment, Infectious Disease Paper helped to train in evaluating the current state of the community and ways to struggle with infectious diseases by using the epidemiological knowledge and how they spread.
Finally, the Week 6 Analysis of Chronic Health Problem contributed to the development of critical skills and the formation of the ability to function in terms of evidence-based practice, which is one of the main goals of the whole course.
Altogether, all existing goals are interconnected as their achievement is possible only by the acquisition of improved knowledge in all mentioned spheres. The assignments outlined in the concept map can be considered vital tasks that helped to attain desired outcomes and enhance understanding of epidemiology, communities’ health, and evidence-based practice.
American Revolution: The Abolitionism Movement
The abolitionism movement was a significant event in the history of the state, changing the views and legal treatment of slavery. “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” is a speech by Douglas prepared for the celebration of the American Revolution, in which Douglass argues for the freedom. Douglass was a well-known civil rights advocate, fighting against slavery and for protection of women’s rights, and his work helped advance the anti-slavery movement. This paper aims to examine Douglass’ allusions to the Exodus, their purpose, and their meaning.
Douglass refers to different elements that the American society was built on, including the Constitution and the values of the citizens, to support the anti-slavery views. Mainly, liberty and freedom, as well as citizenship, being the defining parts of an American state were not provided to a slave. In his speech, Douglass refers to the Bible many times, although he states that the church has failed to support the values that the religion advocates for in the Bible.
One reason for using Exodus is to better explain Douglass’ views to the audience since the Bible is a well-known text that both religious and non-religious people are familiar with, so it can be used as a reference. This religious text does not support slavery in any form, although some part of the Exodus describes the Israelites being enslaved and by the Egyptians. Since slavery was common at the time, Douglass had to use arguments that would show the inconsistency between people’s declared values and ethics and their actions. Mainly, the Americans value freedom but failed to provide it to the slaves.
Additionally, the Bible, as a major religious text, highlights these principles, and by referring to it, Douglass was able to create a good argument. Therefore, Douglass’ allusions to the Bible aim to bridge the gap between the beliefs of the people and their actions regarding slavery.
Douglass argues that religious people in the United States fail to adhere to the principles outlined in the Bible. By referring to the Exodus, he is able to show how the religion sees slavery in general and the inconsistencies between these views and the society’s approach to slavery. According to Douglass, “the church of this country is not only indifferent to the wrongs of the slave, and that it actually takes sides with the oppressors. It has made itself the bulwark of American slavery, and the shield of American slave-hunters.” In this quote, Douglass argues that the American church actually supports people whose actions go against the Bible’s principles. Therefore, he appeals to the Exodus as a source of beliefs of the people, highlighting that the church fails to demonstrate these values.
Next, the Exodus refers to the story of Israelites who were enslaved by the Egyptians, which is a narrative demonstrating God’s view of slavery. Douglass states the following – “but, with that blindness which seems to be the unvarying characteristic of tyrants since Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned in the Red Sea.” This quote refers to the story in Exodus, where Moses parted the Red Sea to allow the Israelites people to pass. The Pharaoh and his army followed, but they drowned in the Red Sea.
Here, Douglass compares slavery in the United States to the enslavement of Israelites. Additionally, Douglass argues that God helped Moses and the Israelites escape from enslavement, and slavery is against God’s will. Therefore, the Exodus describes the Israelites freed from the Egyptians, and Douglass uses it to demonstrate the need to address slavery as something that is against the Bible.
Notably, Douglass makes a distinction between religion and the sects or churches that supported slavery at that time. In his speech, he notes that he is a religious man. However, he does not adhere to the teachings of the church. Both Douglass and his audience based their views of the world and of what is right and wrong on the same primary source – the Bible. However, they manifested these views differently, and in this speech, Douglass aimed to bridge this gap by stating that:
“they convert the very name of religion into an engine of tyranny and barbarous cruelty and serve to confirm more infidels, in this age, than all the infidel writings of Thomas Paine, Voltaire, and Bolingbroke put together have done.”
However, despite these statements, Douglass believed that religion and church could help find a solution to the problem of slavery. He cites an example of Great Britain that was able to overcome these pro-slavery beliefs and establish a civil society as their way of manifesting the Bible’s teachings. Therefore, the Bible was an important reference source for Douglass and helped him find common ground with his listeners.
Douglass used the Bible in his other works as well, as part of his anti-slavery argument. However, he did not base his anti-slavery position solely on the Bible or religious texts. He mainly referred to the Constitution and the principles outlined there, such as freedom and liberty. The Bible served as a source of support for his opinion and as a way of appealing to the religious communities.
The purpose of using allusions from the Bible is to create an argument that is tailored to the listener. Since the majority of people in the United States were Christians, including the African-American community, the Bible could provide support to the arguments that Douglass stated. Moreover, by demonstrating his knowledge of the Bible, Douglass was able to show his audience the similarities between his community and pro-slavery individuals. He was able to show that both communities use the same source to guide their decisions and to learn values and ethics. However, the use of this source differed, and in Douglass opinion, it was because of church and its support of slavery.
Douglass mentions that the anti-slavery movement was asked to spare the church. As he notes in his speech, the church ministers argue that one must obey the “man’s laws before obeying God’s laws” (Douglas). This quote suggests that Douglas and the anti-slavery moment saw the church as an enemy because of their controversial views and teachings that were against what is said in the Bible.
Overall, Douglass’ speech was written to appeal to the audience and create understandable references for the author’s arguments. He used the Bible, and in particular, the Exodus because it includes the story about the Israel slaves being freed from the Egyptians. These references make Douglass’ speech more convincing because his listeners were often religious. Through the use of the Bible and other references, Douglass is able to demonstrate the inconsistency between what the Americans of that time believed in and their actions.
Work Cited
Douglass, Frederick. “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Teaching American History. Web.