In the US there are many splashes of cultures from all around the world. This means that there is not one culture of America but multiple. This is especially apparent in Troy as there is a huge Asian population and the culture is different. There is also a heavy studies oriented culture apparent as it produces some of the smartest people in Michigan as Troy high is highly regarded by many colleges. But, there are places that are not focused on studies and are driven by gangs and riddled with poverty, and these also contribute to the American culture. American culture is unified by all of the different cultures found in the US and identifies as one culture. The American culture can even change from different time periods as is apparent in Milkman’s case. In the time period of the book, Song of Solomon, Milkman had to face discrimination and the mindset of the older people on matters such as Emmett Till. People at the time of the event such as Freddie thought he was, “‘Acting big down in Bilbo country’”(Morrison). What this means for the culture during that time is that many people of color did not have strong views on what is right and wrong as they were blaming Emmett Till for his own death instead of the people who did the wrong doing such as the racially motivated group of white men. The culture at that time was also different in that there were not many successful black families in the place that Macon lived that could buy a beach house at the time, but now, there are many successful people of all races that can be able to make hefty financial decisions such as purchasing a beach house.
In The Great Gatsby, Nick has a peculiar way of describing Gatsby by making his description of him somewhat ambiguous. I feel that this is foreshadowing later into the book in some ways because of how little we know about Gatsby. The ambiguous description of Gatsby through Nick's eyes was, "[he] represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn." After reading this, I became more interested in Gatsby as throughout the reading, some of what Gatsby says and does is in contradiction to where he lives and what he does. After our discussion in class about him living in the West Egg, this can imply that Gatsby did not inherit his wealth from his family because the city that represents old money, East Egg, is the place that he should be tied to if that is the case. With the lie that he brought up, it can also be assumed that there are other lies that are in place to keep his character mysterious. Because of the reason the Gatsby wants to hide how he obtained his we...
I like how you talked about Troy's diversity and linked it to the Emmett Till scene from the book. It really highlights how culture has changed over time in America.
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