Essential question for Equiano's narrative: What is an American?
After reading this passage, my views on what an American is has changed. I think an American is one who endures a lot of troubles in life and maintains their will to live on. I also think that the African Americans in Equiano's story are true Americans. The reason is because they are the ones who endure the pain and have to fight for a better life. Even though they don't always succeed, they have the will to keep on fighting for freedom.
Political Cartoon on Racial Discrimination:
People are blinded by ignorance which prevents them from seeing the truth presented to them. For example, in this political cartoon a black girl says, "I survived life on welfare and food stamps...in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood with crumbling schools filled with guns and drugs...in a world that rewards rich white men." This shows how the black girl has survived through the trials in the world where whites are elevated beyond others. Furthermore, in the political cartoon the girl also says, "So now...affirmative action will help me get into college", while a white boy says in response to the black girl, "That's so UNFAIR!" This signifies that while on the surface it may seem unfair, in reality it really is fair because of the different conditions some African Americans live in. Therefore, many whites are too ignorant to see the difference circumstances that blacks live as opposed to themselves. 