I really enjoyed Joy Harjo's poem because I could really relate to it. I have lived in fear all of my life but I am changing that, just as Joy Harjo did in her poem. In truth, the only reason we are afraid is because we let ourselves be afraid. I am so glad that I came to this realization at the start of college. Here is an example in her poem:
"You have choked me but I gave you the leash.
You have gutted me, but I gave you the knife"(Joy Harjo).
I grew up scared of different races except my own because my mother told me that every other race was racist. I did not understand when I was little, and I wish she explained to me, that there will always be racists in every kind of race, but that is not the whole story. There are bad people and there are good people in all races. We cannot judge all people of one race by the acts of one individual. This has been my favorite reading assignment we have had.
I could relate to Joy Harjo's "Fear Poem" as well. Like you, I've always lived in fear. However, I was only scared of certain races because of the neighborhood I grew up in, and the events I've experienced and witnessed in the neighborhood. I do agree that we cannot judge people of difference races based on one individual. But, I think it's what the news show that makes everyone judge different races either positively or negatively. For example, most of the crimes shown on the news are done by African Americans. The news rarely show crimes done by other races, but I'm sure the crime rates of all the races are pretty equal.
ReplyDeleteThe quote you put up shows that she is quite strong in first acknowledging that she will put down her pride to admit she has a part in contributing to how she feels but also, secondly, that she learned from it and is not going back to how she felt again.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I feel sometimes it all has to do with understanding and the ability to look past the anger of people's ignorance and try to teach them even. I'm not sure all would be understanding but some just need to be given the opportunity to learn.
This poem is very strong because Joy Harjo talks about fear and being able to finally release it. My group actually analyzed this poem and we related fear to a parasite and how this parasite draws blood. Like a parasite, Joy Harjo's fear is latched on to her but she is finally going to kill it and let it loose. I have to admit that I have many fears and I do try to get over some of them but it is not that easy. So this poem is very inspiring as well.
ReplyDeleteThis poem by Joy Harjo is very deep and actually changed my mood and feelings at time about living in fear just as you had talked about. Unlike you i didn't grow up with much fear, but that just the way that i took on life. Especially after reading this poem I feel like it sort of is proof to the way I have felt about fear because it is so strong. I also like how you talk about how at first when you were young you were afraid of people that were not your race and later on realized that all people of other races aren't racist, just the bad people. For me I have honestly never felt any sort of racism towards other people. I feel like it is due to the way that I was raised and my best friends growing up were a two african americans and a cuban.
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