Table of ContentsModern American ProseSkating by Annie DillardThe Long Solitude by Loren EiseleyOn Being a Journalist by Ellen GoodmanPrologue by Stephen Jay GouldOn Discovery by Maxine Hong KingstonChildren in the Woods by Barry LopezThe Swiss at War by John McPheeThe Pen and the Scalpel by Richard SelzerTo Err is Human by Lewis ThomasIn Search of History by Barbra TuchmanChoice: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Alice WalkerThe Essayist by EB WhiteThe Good Things by Tom WolfVocabularyThe characters in Caleb's Crossing deal with issues of prejudice against their gender and racial discrimination. The character Bethia, the daughter of a Puritan minister, faces a lack of control over her own life due to her gender. Although the novel was set in the 1600s, where a woman's independence was completely unheard of and it was normal for the man of the family to make the woman's decision, there were still varying levels of severity. Bethia's older brother, Makepeace, demonstrates severe control over his sister throughout the majority of the novel. Makepeace constantly shouted at Bethia, “Enough!” Pride is a sister of sin. Beware of it” (18). One might think of Makepeace's methods towards women (especially towards Bethia), on the extreme side of the spectrum. However, a man like Samuel did not treat Bethia like Makepeace. Samuel shows respect and a certain independence towards Bethia, given the time period. Gender discrimination is still prevalent in today's society. In some parts of China and India, a woman is considered second class. In some parts of the Middle East, women cannot do anything without permission from their father or another male family member. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Racial discrimination is another issue that the characters in Caleb's Crossing face. The English settlers considered themselves superior to the Wampanoag. Caleb and Joel faced the difficulties of being a different race from the English settlers as they progressed in the colonial world (i.e. their college education). When Bethia was a child, and didn't know any better, she called the Wampanoag "the scavengers, the pagans, the barbarians, the pagans" (10). Because the Wampanoag were not white and did not live like the settlers, they considered them inferior. Racial discrimination is still present in today's society. There is a lot of racism against Middle Easterners. Many believe that all Middle Easterners are terrorists and people without morals, all because of terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists/jihadists. Caleb's character was different than I thought he would be. Based on my previous knowledge and understanding of Native Americans, they either completely converted to Christianity or remained true to their Native American beliefs. However, Caleb incorporated Christian and Wampanoag beliefs into his daily life. When Caleb came to live with Bethia's family, he states that Bethia "did not God create the sun" (96). He says this after telling Bethia: “Not a morning has passed, as far as I can remember, that I have not sung a greeting to Keesakand as he rose” (96). Caleb took both of his beliefs and combined them, which made him a more understanding and wiser person. Even though Bethia Mayfield went off to marry Samuel Corlett, Caleb is her true soul mate. Although they are not from the same parents, they aresibling. Their bond is stronger than the one Bethia has with her real brother, Makepeace. From the beginning, Bethia asserted that Caleb “soon became more of a brother to me than Makepeace” (25). Over the years, Caleb continually cared for Bethia in a brotherly and protective manner. Caleb confides to Bethia that “if I were your brother, I would not sell you into low servitude just to give me a future” (145). This shows that Caleb would put Bethia before himself, a true kindred spirit. Even when Caleb passes away, Bethia still has a connection to him. Bethia says that Caleb “visits me, in my dreams…” (309). The strong bond that Caleb and Bethia share is stronger than that of any other character in the novel. A soul mate is someone who is truly right for another person, and that's exactly what Caleb is for Bethia, and vice versa. Religion is a major aspect of the world in the novel Caleb's Crossing. Christianity is the foundation of settler life. Bethia's father, a Puritan minister, was going on a mission to convert the Wampanoag to Christianity. The Puritan way of life was simple, one was to do their daily chores and pray, in return they would gain God's grace. In Bethia's life, they did "the tasks that need to be done, and then sat down to pray" (15). They would do it, even in times of grief. Without religion, Caleb would never have entered into the colonial way of life. Caleb would never have had the opportunity to attend college if Bethia's father had not been so passionate about his Puritan missions. Doing something unchristian was extremely serious and could potentially be punishable by law. When Bethia, out of anger, cursed, “God curse you, Makepeace” (178), she was ridiculed and harshly punished. Bethia was forced to wear a sign on her clothes for a week and was scolded by Makepeace by violently beating her. At Caleb's Crossing, Caleb's spirit and strong aptitude for learning are not held in very high regard due to his ethnicity. If Caleb were white, then his academic excellence would be admired by all, as he should be. Caleb had to struggle just to get an education, like the settlers. In the academic world, Caleb was treated as an outcast because "his fellow academics did nothing to accommodate them, and instead invented a series of petty slights, such as not giving them any room to sit on the forms in the room and never make a remark. either at dinner or during brief playtime in the yard” (129). Being treated as an outcast by his peers demonstrates how his Wampanoag heritage was used against him and prevented him from being accepted. This also happened to Joel. Because Caleb and Joel were Native Americans, they worked twice as hard to earn what was so easily given to the white settlers. Unfortunately, this still happens today in the United States. People expect that some minorities won't achieve what others can achieve. Race and ethnicity do not define a person's success, a person's actions do. Bethia's thirst for learning is most engaging in the novel Caleb's Crossing. As a child, Bethia loved learning and was able to retain information well. Bethia yearned for knowledge, which is why, when her father stopped giving her lessons, she listened to those of her brother Makepeace. She “even provided all the answers that my brother (Makepeace) could not give” (15). Bethia was even able to learn the Wampanoag language, simply by listening to her father's lessons. Even as he grew up, his love of learning did not fade. Bethia even took a menial jobat a university, just to be able to hear the university lectures. Bethia explains to Master Corlett that “all my life the only thing I have aspired to is an education of the kind that is closed to me by my sex” (239). Throughout the novel, all Bethia wants is to be able to learn, this is her constant desire. Bethia takes a pitiful job at a university to expand her already impressive knowledge and reveals how important education is to Bethia. This aspect of Bethia leads the reader to have immense respect for Bethia's character. Modern American Prose If Black English is not a language, then tell me what is? by James Baldwin. Baldwin explains the importance of language, explaining that it can be used as a tool. Baldwin also writes that Black English is its own language. “Blacks arrived in the United States chained together, but from different tribes: neither could speak the other's language” (37). Baldwin's use of the colon further helps make his point. This particular use of syntax leads the reader to logically understand the author's point of view. On Keeping a Notebook by Joan Didion. In this essay, Joan Didion explains how she keeps a notebook and records random events in her daily life. write it? To remember, of course, but what exactly did I want to remember” (99). Didion asks rhetorical questions, which results in an engaged reader. The writer's casual and conversational style is demonstrated through this essay. Joawn Didion has a consciousness-driven writing style. Skating by Annie Dillard This essay recounts Annie's childhood during a big snowfall, where she writes about her memories of their Irish Catholic neighbor skating at night. This essay also explains Annie's experience with Catholic racism as a child. “What was she doing there?” Was everything beautiful so daring? I expected a car to hit her at any moment: the street was a deadly place, where I was forbidden to set foot. The use of details by the author, Annie Dillard, allows the reader to learn more about the child, Annie. Not being allowed to go out into the street was additional information. The detail the author uses reveals how much the event meant to the author and how much it impacted her. The Long Solitude of Loren Eiseley Loren Eiseley states that man is alone all his life. However, he can strive to be an intellectual human being. “His methods, however, are not the cold-blooded nature of real fish. » Eiseley's use of commas in the sentence causes the reader to pause and think about what the author is trying to do. say. His choice of diction for the word “however” also allows readers to think more deeply about what the author is saying. Being a Journalist by Ellen Goodman In this essay, Goodman writes about journalism and how one can connect larger events to their own. those of my personal life. "To respect my "quota", I need two opinions per week, even if I assure you that some weeks I am overflowing with ideas, I let opinions flow, while other weeks I can’t decide what I think about the weather” (187). Goodman's use of commas in this particular sentence makes the writing seem more like a conversation than an essay. What Goodman is talking about is a common feeling that everyone can relate to, which makes his writing enjoyable with his readers. Goodman uses commas constantly, not just in this particular passage. This method allows the reader to think about what they have just read. With Goodman's writing style, the.