Mule Killers Essay Example for Free

Mule Killers Essay â€Å"Mule Killers†, 2004 by Lydia Peele is the gripping story of love and the difficulties around it. It deals with issues such as fatherhood, friendship and marriage, including the conflicts surrounding these. Lydia Peele presents the story of a father telling his son, who is the narrator, an anecdote from his early life. The anecdote is an unhappy love story of the narrator’s father’s love life, and the relationship to the narrator’s grandfather. In a story with its roots in rural America, a much deeper story appears. This is a story of love, hope and the decisions of life. It is the story of the struggles and difficulties that are a part of life. The story, set in the countryside of the USA, presents a group of interesting characters with strong personalities, that each have their way of participating to the story. It is especially the father and the grandfather that have great significance to the Lydia Peele’s short story. The grandfather is presented as a man who is afraid of letting go of his usual surroundings and habits. This is seen on line 77-78, page 4. The grandfather tells the father: †You’re gonna see a future I can’t even stretch my mind around. Not any of it. I can’t even begin to imagine†. The fact that he has such difficulties imagining the future, points towards the conclusion that he would rather live in the present. He would rather live his old fashioned life and not worry about the future. The grandfather’s way of thinking seems old fashioned and generally conservative. When his son explains how he accidentally impregnated a young woman, without having any intentions of marrying her, the conservatism shines through. The grandfather replies on line 86-87, page 4â€Å"This is wrong†¦You got no choice but to take care of it. This is wrong†. The two different worlds of son and father clash, and the true differences are shown. Even though father and son look upon the world with different points of view, the son still has massive respect for his old man. His father is actually his role model, which is also shown throughout the text: â€Å"My father has his father’s height, and he carries it apologetically†(line 7, page 2). The word â€Å"apolegitacally† points towards the fact that the son is aware of the superiority that his father possesses. The son has difficulties living up to his father and his way of life. He wants to possess his father’s ability to show no emotion and how to be â€Å"a real man†. He hides the feelings that strong men traditionally do not feel: He is trying hard to keep certain things inside his chest: things like fear, sadness, and uncertainty†. (line 7-9, page2). This could very likely be a typical trend of the time and environment that the story takes place in. The final main character in the anecdote is the narrator, who is the son to the young man with love problems in the short story. The son is a first person narrator, so the point of view is limited to him. His main function is to tell the story. An actual presentation of his personality is not included. As stated earlier, the setting has great importance for the personalities of the main characters in the story. The setting is in Nashville, just before industrialization modernized the farming life with tractors. The father in the story carries typical traits of a farmer dedicated to old norms, such as no illegitimate children. A possible explanation of this could be that the state of Tennessee is located in the Bible belt, which is known as a highly religious area. There are also other elements of the setting that point out the religious beliefs that the two main characters have: â€Å"At church she always sits with the same girl† (line 14), page 2. The use of the adverb â€Å"always† proves that the son and father attend church on a regular basis. Whilst reading â€Å"Mule Killers† several obvious themes jump out on the page. The main theme seen in the short story is the generational difference between father and son. As stated earlier, the father tries to hold on to his old norms and principals, whereas the son believes in a modern way of life. The difference is illustrated when the son decides not to marry the girl whom he impregnated. The father regards this as uncaring and irresponsible. The views of the son seem to relate to the modern world of today. It becomes more and more ordinary to have a baby outside of marriage without the intentions of helping the mother nurture the child. A specific example is seen in MTV’s â€Å"Teenage Mom† television program where several teenage girls give birth. The program also shows the way the father typically tends to leave the mother after birth. If this had happened in the time where the â€Å"Mule Killers† takes place or prior to it, it would have had major consequences for the father of the child. One can therefore conclude that the times constantly change and some people will always be â€Å"caught† in the past, which in this case is the father. This could also be a possible message of the story. The message could be that norms change throughout history, but not all people follow the change. Regardless of this, it is still important to respect the people who have a hard time dealing with the future. Lydia Peele manages to take the reader on a journey of love and the relationship between the narrator’s father and grandfather. She also shows the reader the different norms and beliefs that the two generations have, and the clashes than can rise to the surface due to this. She also presents the stereotypical religious middle class farmer at this time. This is done by using a small farmer town located in the Bible belt as a setting. The short story is a touching and mind bobbling tale portraying the relationship between two sets of father and son. It tells the tale of the relationship between the narrator’s father and grandfather. The relationship between the narrator’s father and grandfather is presented as a relationship built on a general respect for the elderly. The narrator’s father respects the grandfather since he listens to what he says, and obeys the rules that the grandfather upholds. It is also the tale of how the setting, which is the farmer community in the US during the industrialization, has a major importance for the outcome of the story. The highly religious setting is represented in the Narrator’s grandfather’s point of view regarding childbirth. All in all the short story shows the difficulties surrounding love and how to deal with it in a sensible matter.

Parental Control vs. Guidance in Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club :: Joy Luck Club Essays

Parental Control vs. Guidance in Joy Luck Club      Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel, "Joy Luck Club," by Amy Tan describes the struggle between a dominate mother who tries to protect her daughter, Ni kan, from the devastating losses that she suffered by convincing her that she might become anyone she wants to be. Ni kan resents her mother's control and wishes only to be herself. The author clearly illustrates in this novel that parents cannot control their children's lives; they can only guide them in the right direction and let them make their own decisions.    First of all, Amy Tan shows that Ni kan's mother attempted to dominate and control her daughter's life. The mother does this by telling Ni kan that "'. . . you can be prodigy, too'" (Tan 491) and insisting that she work toward this goal. Ni kan is then sent down a path of endless tests and lessons. These include tests on capitals of the states; multiplying numbers in her head; finding the queen of hearts in a deck of cards; trying to stand on her head without using her hands; predicting the daily temperatures in Los Angeles, New York, and London; and looking at a page from the Bible for three minutes and reporting everything that she remembers (Tan 492).    Although Ni kan quickly loses interest of her mother's dream of being a prodigy, her mother persists. She arranges for Ni kan to take piano lessons. Her mother does not ask her if she wants to play the piano or to explore another art form. She arranges a complete schedule of lessons and practices that take over not only her daughter's physical existence but also dominate Ni kan's thoughts for most of her free time. Her mother wants to control not only her actions but also her dreams and aspirations, and she will not tolerate disobedience. She clearly says that "Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter" (Tan 497).    Amy Tan shows that Ni kan resents her mother's decisions and resists her control. After many failed tests in knowledge and skills, Ni kan asserts to herself, "I won't let her change me. . ." (Tan 492). This clearly shows a child resisting parental domination and control. The piano lessons evokes a response of "...I felt like I was being sent to hell" (Tan 493).

Judging on Apperance

Justin Tipton What is the first thing we do when meeting a first. We judge! Judging someone based on their appearance is an inherent human instinct. Many times when people judge a person, people end up making wrong decisions. We create mental images in our minds that categories people based upon their appearance. When you see a man in a suit, tie, and a briefcase you figure is a lawyer, professor, or a businessman. In reality the guy that you see could have been out for a special event and could be no more than a car mechanic. We base our opinions on perceptions on people based upon what we can biologically see with our eyes.In her article how the eye works Ker Than explain how we use our eyes to visually see things. â€Å"Vision begin when lights rays are reflected off an object and enter the eyes through the cornea, The transparent outer covering of the eyes. The cornea refracts the rays that pass through a round hole, called the pupil. The Irish is the colored portion of the eye that surrounds the pupil, and then become larger or smaller to regulate the amount of light passing through. The rays then travel through the lenses to the retina at the back of the eye. The retina conducts light into electrical impulses.The optic nerve sends impulses to the brain where a visual image or perception is produced. † We use our eye to visually see people, and to make an array of judgment about that person based on what we see. While it’s true we can come times tell certain thing about people by looking at their external appearance, it is not the best of measurements. I believe people should not judge people by their external appearance, and should at least speak with a person before making a judgment. You can’t judge a person character base on appearance and that why many of us make unfair and bias assumption of others.People sometimes change their appearance to fit different situations. According to a Washington post article, Joshua bell one of the world greatest violinists set out to do an experiment to test people’s perception on appearance. By most, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt and Washington National baseball cap. He positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket, from a case; he moved his violin and began to play. It was a Friday and the middle of morning rush hour. The violinist played for nearly an hour, and performed six classical pieces.Nearly 1,100 people passed by, many of them on their way to work. No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. In the hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stooped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for minute. Twenty-seven gave money, for a total of thirty-two dollars and seventeen cents. That means over 1 ,070 people passed on by, with few even turning to look.Three days before conducting this experiment on a street corner in Washington, Joshua bell filled the house at Boston’s stately symphony Hall, where the average seat went for one-hundred dollars. the appearance of a guy in plain clothes playing a violin at the street corner, made many people ignore his sound before ever even taking the time to listen. Many times people judge what they see, and ignore the beauty that right in front of their face. To begin with, someone external appearance is not mirror of one’s inner self. I can relate to from examples in my own life.Being a young African-American male, growing up near Memphis one of Americas most dangerous cities. I came from a poorer family, I been working full time since attending college. In the day time I was a college student, but at work I was a normal sweaty and dirty factory worker. When people saw me at work, they assumed I was uneducated and not very int elligent. In reality, I was a good academic student, has a good reputation among my fellow students and professors. My co-workers couldn’t see the college side of me, and many of my fellow students couldn’t see working in a factory which was known for harsh working conditions.Since leaving the factory, I know have a security job just outside of downtown Nashville. TRICOR is the name of the corporation is profits in the million, by utilizing inmates for production and paying their cheap labor wages. This cooperation is ran by your typical CEO, a short old white man, that dresses in suits and ties and owns many expenses vehicles. For many months while working there, he passed by me every day and never once he even acknowledging my presence. One day I was reading a book about written from a famous entrepreneur, and the boom caught the eye of the CEO.He walked up to me and asked why I reading a book like that, I told I was a college student that was a business major, and t hat it has beneficial information in this nook, and that I read many book from this author. He then brought to my attention that he has read the same book and he too was a fan of the author books. After conversation for a few minutes he then brought to my attention that he too grew up from a poor family, and that he also work at a factory and once at a security job while too attending college. I am a business management major and he too has a degree in business management .Ever since that day of our conversation he speak to me daily, and we hold brief but interesting conversation often. Prior to that conversation we had never spoken to another, once we looked past the external appearance, we realized we two men who shared many things in common. You may not realize it, but perception based on appearance happen all the time. Studies show that fifty-five percent of opinion of a person is based upon physical appearance, and that it takes around fifteen second for a person to realize if he or she like your or not, or want to do business with you.Do honestly we feel like we get accurate of someone inner self with over half of what we perceive come from appearance, and while only judging them for one-fourth of a minute? Many people believe that judging people on the appearance is beneficial and effective. Mangers often use appearance as a asset while evaluating a candidate for a job. You could have two good candidates with impressive resume, but choosing a candidate based on race, or which dressed too me is ineffective. In reality just because one candidate is dressed better, doesn’t make him any smarter or better qualified than the other.When it comes to judging a lover or friend, external appearance shouldn’t be a factor on your judgment about that person. Much time we see that a man or women date someone because she is beautiful and he is handsome. In high school and college you see on many occasions when someone hangs around a certain person because it will increase his/her popularity. In a poem I once read it state â€Å"we see best when we look for the less†. In just a few words, that poem speaks a lot, we see the best when look past the artificial obvious, and see the beauty that deep within a person.Beauty and the Beast just a fairy tale and a kid’s story but moral of this tale has such a deeper meaning. The story about a beautiful women falling in love with an ugly beast, passed artificial obvious and see the beauty that lied deep within him. Making a judgment on some based only external appearance is an unfair and accurate judgment of someone. It is not accurate to judge someone based on we biologically see wit our eyes. A appearance can adjust and change their appearance to fit many different situation where there true selves do not show, but a person cannot change his/her character.For these reason, it is important to get to know someone before making a judgment. â€Å"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched†. â€Å"But must be felt by the heart†. The best and most beautiful things in people cannot be seen by the eyes. Judging someone on external appearance is an inherent and instinct that happen almost instantaneously. We as people have the ability to control our judgment, we have the ability to use our minds to see more within people than what we see with our eyes.Stero-typing is something we do without even noticing, but placing people into different categories based on external appearance limits our ability to meet new people. Sometimes the people that we expect knot to have anything in common with, could be a totally false assumption. If we allow ourselves to judge and meet people of different culture, many would be surprised to know they share many things in common with people they would have never suspected. As long as people allow ourselves to be blinded by external appearance then we will fully see the inner beauty within so m any people.

Enforcing Racial Discrimination Essay

The series of photographs documented by the Farm Security Administration of the Office of War Information photographers were taken between 1937 and 1943, presumably during the years the unit was in operation. These photographers were tasked to document various manifestations of change and continuity in the prevalent American life, and this resulted in a vivid collection of images that particularly focused on the practice of racial segregation. Curiously, while the photographers were not officially acknowledged to have been directed to document specific scenes, the prints produced exhibited a skew toward signs that indicate racial discrimination and segregation (LOC 2004). Among the thirty-one photos included in the series, all depict signs situated in a number of locations such as bus and train stations, restaurants, cafes, bars, movie theaters, stores, and billiard halls. These signs also collectively show the use of words such as â€Å"colored† and â€Å"white’, which clearly validate the existence of segregation between Caucasian Americans and individuals of ethnic origins such as blacks and Indians. True to the era during which they were photographed, the environment and people incidentally present in each picture appear in authentic manners of architecture and fashion. II. Racial Segregation in America The issue on race and discrimination in America can be famously traced centuries back, with the history of Africans being brought into the country as slaves. Though this deplorable condition had been corrected by the gains of the Civil War, thus granting freedom to blacks. However, the occurrence of the Great Depression in the 1920s brought back situations identical to those experienced by African-Americans previously, as the country was beset by the chaos produced by the lack of jobs and sources of income. In 1932, most blacks found themselves without work, and there was increasing pressure from whites to have blacks fired from any job that they believed should be assigned to unemployed whites. Numerous forms of racial violence again ensued, particularly in the South, during the 1930s (LOC 2002). The legal foundation of racial segregation was the Jim Crow laws, which were imposed in the 1860s mainly in railroad cars, and continued to be enforced throughout the decades until the 1960s (McElrath 2008). The effects of segregation on typical American life and society were apparently significant enough to create scenes extraordinary enough to tell their own stories through photographs, which were precisely what the Farm Security collection achieved. III. Beyond the Signs: Marking the Lines of Race The objective of the Farm Security photographs had been to depict regular American life, yet it is clear how the typicality of the images at the time does not lend itself in the same nature today. There is a point of discussion in the deliberate move to show not just groups of whites and ethnic people, but the centering on the signs that limit freedom, that erase the function of choice. The study of signs, known as semiotics, provides the connection between the audience, interpreter, and the sign itself (Littlejohn 2008). The photos, with their studied involvement of the actual sign, venue, and individuals, already form the three-part process; the blacks are the audience and the photographer is the interpreter, within the space covered by the sign. This shows how the photographers aimed to convey a reality, a system that used semiotics as a way to impose discrimination. This they had done with not just a bit of participation on their end, quite like the way Coles (1997) appropriated documentary work with the linking of lives with the subject. The same logic is utilized by Gripsrud (in Gillespie and Toynbee 2006), when he classified a photographer’s work as indexical—the identifying of a specific aspect of a subject—and therefore lends to much subjectivity. IV. Showing Signs of Racial Conflict to an Audience While the audience of the signs were the blacks—and whites, depending on the sign and situation—the photos’ audience are people who would benefit from knowledge of a different period, as was the arguable objective of the Farm Security photographers in documenting change and continuity in American life. Mainly, the photos were for research and evaluation, whether or not the audience would find them appalling or give them their approval. It may be possible that some of those who comprise the audience are people who have lived through the same era, making them mere confirmations of what they already know; but the more relevant audience would be the uninformed, who would find new insight into American society and its management of racial issues in the late 1930s and early 40s. V. Appropriation of Technique and Style in Communicating Racism The black-and-white photography is already significant on its own, referring to the subjects as well; seeing words on the signs captured in the photographs deals a double blow—‘black’, or ‘colored’, and ‘white’ signs in black-and-white photos. The photographers simply captured the signs as they were, specially for those in venues without people milling around, but there were also photos that provided degrees of humanity and emotion. One of the most striking is a photo of a bar showing whites having beer, a sign on the wall above them that says â€Å"Positively no beer sold to Indians†. Though Indians are known for their penchant for alcohol, it is disturbing one clear sign can show how this ethnic group is singled out and discriminated against—an error of generalization. The white people in the photo appear serious and quite professional, which indicates how the sign should not be misconstrued as a joke. Other photos in the collection, though showing signs and places rather than people as subjects, reveal the increasing culture of urbanization—shown by the railroads, buses, and stores where the signs are found. Urbanization, being common ground for both blacks and whites, necessitates signs; these indicate white control over society and economy, and the intent to keep ‘colored’ people away from this power. Works Cited Primary Source: Library of Congress. â€Å"Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial Discrimination: Documentation by Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information Photographers†. Prints & Photographs Reading Room. April 30, 2004. Secondary Sources: Coles, Robert. â€Å"The Tradition: Fact and Fiction†. Doing Documentary Work. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Gripsrud, Jostein. â€Å"Semiotics: signs, codes and cultures†. In Gillespie, Marie and Jason Toynbee. Analysing Media Texts. Berkshire: Open University Press, 2006. Library of Congress. â€Å"Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945: Race Relations in the 1930s and 1940s†. 2002. McElrath, Jessica. â€Å"Creation of Jim Crow South: Segregation in the South†. About. com. 2008.

Gigantopithecus - Facts and Figures

Gigantopithecus - Facts and Figures Name: Gigantopithecus (Greek for giant ape); prounced jie-GAN-toe-pith-ECK-us Habitat: Woodlands of Asia Historical Epoch: Miocene-Pleistocene (six million to 200,000 years ago) Size and Weight: Up to nine feet tall and 1,000 pounds Diet: Probably omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; large, flat molars; four-footed posture About Gigantopithecus The literal 1,000-pound gorilla sitting in the corner of a natural history museum, the appropriately named Gigantopithecus was the largest ape that ever lived, not quite King Kong-sized but, at up to half a ton or so, much bigger than your average lowland gorilla. Or, at least, thats the way this prehistoric primate has been reconstructed; frustratingly, practically everything we know about Gigantopithecus is based on its scattered, fossilized teeth and jaws, which first came to the worlds attention when they were sold in Chinese apothecary shops in the first half of the 20th century. Paleontologists arent even sure how this colossus moved; the consensus is that it must have been a ponderous knuckle-walker, like modern gorillas, but a minority opinion holds that Gigantopithecus may have been capable of walking on its two hind feet. Another mysterious thing about Gigantopithecus is when, exactly, it lived. Most experts date this ape from Miocene to mid-Pleistocene eastern and southeastern Asia, about six million to one million years B.C., and it may have survived in small populations until as late as 200,000 or 300,000 years ago. Predictably, a small community of cryptozoologists insists that Gigantopithecus never went extinct, and persists in the present day, high up in the Himalayan Mountains, as the mythical Yeti, better known in the west as the Abominable Snowman! (Rest assured that no reputable scientists subscribe to this theory, which is supported by absolutely no compelling material or eyewitness evidence.) As fearsome as it must have looked, Gigantopithecus seems to have been mostly herbivorouswe can infer from its teeth and jaws that this primate subsisted on fruits, nuts, shoots and, just possibly, the occasional small, quivering mammal or lizard. (The presence of an unusual number of cavities in Gigantopithecus teeth also points to a possible diet of bamboo, much like that of a modern Panda Bear.) Given its size when fully grown, an adult Gigantopithecus would not have been an active target of predation, though the same cant be said for sick, juvenile or aged individuals, which figured on the lunch menu of various tigers, crocodiles and hyenas. Gigantopithecus comprises three separate species. The first and largest, G. blacki, lived in southeastern Asia starting in the middle Pleistocene epoch and shared its territory, toward the end of its existence, with various populations of Homo erectus, the immediate precursor of Homo sapiens. The second, G. bilaspurensis, dates to six million years ago, during the Miocene epoch, about the same early time frame as the oddly named G. giganteus, which was only about half the size of its G. blacki cousin.

Geography of Arizona & Facts About the 48th State

Geography of Arizona & Facts About the 48th State Population: 6,595,778 (2009 estimate)Capital: PhoenixBordering States: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New MexicoLand Area: 113,998 square miles (295,254 sq km)Highest Point: Humphreys Peak at 12,637 feet (3,851 m)Lowest Point: Colorado River at 70 feet (22 m)Arizona is a state located in the southwestern United States. It became a part of the U.S. as the 48th state (the last of the contiguous states) to be admitted into the Union on February 14, 1912. Today Arizona is known for its varied landscape, national parks, desert climate and the Grand Canyon. Arizona has recently been in the news due to its stringent and controversial policies on illegal immigration. 10 Geographic Facts About Arizona The first Europeans to explore the Arizona region were the Spanish in 1539. In the 1690s and early 1700s, several Spanish missions were established in the state and Spain established Tubac in 1752 and Tucson in 1775 as presidios. In 1812, when Mexico achieved its independence from Spain, Arizona became a part of Alta California. However with the Mexican-American War in 1847, the area of present-day Arizona was given up and it eventually became a part of the Territory of New Mexico.In 1863, Arizona became territory after New Mexico seceded from the Union two years earlier. The new Arizona Territory consisted of the western part of New Mexico.Throughout the rest of the 1800s and into the 1900s, Arizona began to grow as people moved into the area, including Mormon settlers who founded the cities of Mesa, Snowflake, Heber and Stafford. In 1912, Arizona became the 48th state to enter the Union.Following its entry into the Union, Arizona continued to grow and cotton farming and copper mini ng became the states two largest industries. After World War II, the state grew even more with the development of air conditioning and tourism to the states national parks also increased. In addition, retirement communities began to develop and today, the state is one of the most popular for people of retirement age on the West Coast. Today, Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the U.S. and the Phoenix area alone has over four million residents. The total population of Arizona is hard to determine however because of its large number of illegal immigrants. Some estimates claim that illegal immigrants make up 7.9% of the states population.Arizona is considered one of the Four Corner states and it is best known for its desert landscape and highly varied topography. High mountains and plateaus cover more than half of the state and the Grand Canyon, which was carved over millions of years by the Colorado River, is a popular tourist destinations.Like its topography, Arizona also has a varied climate, though much of the state is considered desert with mild winters and very hot summers. Phoenix for instance has an average July high of 106.6ËšF (49.4ËšC) and a January average low of 44.8ËšF (7.1ËšC). By contrast, Arizonas higher elevations often have milder summers and very cold winters. Flagstaff for ex ample has a January average low of 15.3ËšF (-9.28ËšC) and a July average high of 97ËšF (36ËšC). Thunderstorms are also common throughout much of the state. Because of its desert landscape, Arizona mainly has vegetation that can be classified as xerophytes - these are plants like cactus that use little water. The mountain ranges however have forested areas and Arizona is home to the larges stand of Ponderosa pine trees in the world.In addition to the Grand Canyon and its desert landscape, Arizona is known as having one of the best preserved meteorite impact sites in the world. The Barringer Meteorite Crater is about 25 miles (40 km) west of Winslow, Az. and is almost one mile (1.6 km) wide and 570 feet (170 m) deep.Arizona is one state in the U.S. (along with Hawaii) that does not observe Daylight Saving Time.To learn more about Arizona, visit the states official website. SourceInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Arizona: History, Geography, Population and State Facts- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0108181.htmlWikipedia.com. (24 July 2010). Arizona - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona

Toni Morrison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Toni Morrison - Research Paper Example Most of the blacks in America came in as slaves and lacked education. The last 3 centuries have been dominated by whites in the literature industry. When Toni was born in 1930, she experienced racism and decided to create an impact in black society in America (Fultz 78). This paper is going to make an inquiry about Toni Morrison’s life and how she had influenced American culture especially for the Blacks. The paper seek to find out her early life and the challenges she had go through to end up as a well-recognized icon in the field of literature in the US and her impact on black culture. Toni fought the notion that the Negros is not intellectual and for this she was awarded with Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts on human rights activism. Morrison was born in Ohio in 1931. She became a catholic at age 12 and she adapted her writing skills from the story telling character that she acquired from his father who told many stories about the black community. This is where Toni found her point her career for fighting for the Negros human rights. As a catholic she acquired the name Anthony which was later nicknamed Toni a name she is famously known for. She graduated from Howard University in 1953 with an Bachelor of Art in English. Her interest in writing career made her pursue her second degree which she acquired in 1955 from Cornell University. According to Toni, only education and knowledge would break the chains of racism and discrimination the blacks suffered in America hence her reasons for further studies. 3 years from her Masters graduation Toni was married to Harold Morrison whom they both gave birth to 2 children. Their marriage only lasted 6 years after which Toni divorced her architectural husband she met in Howard University. After this divorce, Toni was forced to move to New York where she landed a job as a book editor. This job inspired Toni to be a good writer and her efforts led to the exposure of black literature works into the