Makes Me Wanna Holler

Nathan McCall’s Makes Me Wanna Holler offers a unique perspective on race in America. A first person account of a life on the streets, McCall showcases the lesser-known side of racial conflict. Through masterful storytelling and insightful narrative, McCall effectively explains his beginnings. Part one of his book specifically focuses on his childhood and young adulthood in Portsmouth, Virginia. Throughout this part he highlights the many influences on his character and his resulting actions up until his ultimate arrest.

Throughout this section, his life is thoroughly laid out, detailed, and analyzed. From the first time he shot a gun and stole something to his thoughts throughout, his voice is clear and powerful. The one thing, however, that isn’t as clear is his organization of time. With much of the book jumping back and forth with chapters focused on themes rather than linear organization, it is easy for the reader to get lost in time. Despite this hurdle, the book stands powerfully descriptive.

McCall’s book is an effective explanation of otherwise inexplicable people, but yet it still deals with similar concepts to MLK and Malcolm X’s famous speeches. These two conflicting ideologies intertwine and clash throughout McCall’s book. In his life his father represented the MLK ideology as a passive man who wished for change to come, but did not push the barrier. On the other hand, he and his friends were Malcolm X’s embodiment—taking no flack from the white man, justifying their violence with the violence that was always shown towards them. This young, radical generation, however, was not spurred by politics but by their everyday lives being put below the whites on the hierarchy. 

Most overwhelmingly this story was sad. It is about a man, namely a generation of men, who felt trapped by his peers and his society into poor decision-making. It is clear throughout the book that McCall knew right from wrong; he wanted to stop. He had to drown out his conscience by taking drugs and alcohol simply to get through the day.

In this way, Makes Me Wanna Holler is a powerful narrative of a life most have never seen. It showcases the factors that led to delinquency and offers an explanation for it where otherwise there are none.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

In a time of political and social redefinition, two men with the same dream, but very different plans rose to leadership. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X both delivered very influential speeches regarding their role in a civil rights movement.

MLK’s speech, commonly referenced in history classes across the US, is full of beautiful figurative language. His whole speech is packed with visuals. From the “lonely island of poverty” to the “bank of justice,” everything is given an analogy that can be pictured. Throughout his piece, he stresses non-violent protesting—a key difference from Malcolm X. His use of repetition is also a very common thing in oratorical work. His most common line “I have a dream” is repeated multiple times as he describes a vivid picture of his “dream.” He then transitions to repeating “let freedom ring,” which is restated until the very end of his speech.

Malcolm X’s speech, less widely reviewed due to his seeming radicalism, is obviously more violent. “The ballot or the bullet,” he repeats throughout the whole speech; “it’ll either be the ballot or the bullet.” His language is nowhere near as smooth as that of MLK; it has a crude, almost offensive tone. He begins with a discussion of hatred towards white people, which he then refines to say is purely based off of their exploitation, degradation, and oppression. He even alludes to MLK saying, “I don’t see any American dream, I see an American nightmare.” One key part of his ideology is that of Black Nationalism. He says that blacks must fight for not only their civil rights but also their human rights. Violence is permitted when violence is procured. Throughout his speech he alludes to the American Revolution, “It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death,” clearly comparing this to a revolutionary moment in history.

Although the two pieces seem very different, they have many commonalities—repetition, allusions to our nation’s history, visual language, and the same goal.  The goal of true equality among men.

The Devil Baby at the Hull-House

Jane Addams’s Devil Baby at the Hull-House is much more than an account of an old wives tale. It tells the story of a group of women who related to the pain in the tale. In the passage, Addams recounts the numerous variations of the devil baby story and the consequent visitors.

The story evolved differently among varying ethnicities, but they all had the same major theme. The devil baby was a product of the father’s error. This singly feminist tone is inherent in the rest of Addams writing as well. She talks of how it is standard in their society for the man to bring his paycheck home to his wife to open. If a man opened his paycheck before going home it was a negative sign—generally, it meant he was drinking.

This apparent power to the women is harshly contradictory to the stories of abuse that women tell when they visit. Addams notes that most of the women visiting are older and are further distanced from their pain. They recount horrors and tragedies so terrible that she questions how they have gotten over them. The women come, though, because the devil baby story seems to be a generalization of all of their own stories. There is a piece of their own pain in the woman who left her own kin, the devil baby, at the Hull-House.

Great Gatsby--Movie Review

The Great Gatsby’s iconic characters and story come to life in Luhrmann’s brand new rendition of the classic. His artistic version of the timeless tale lends itself perfectly into Fitzgerald’s prose and mystique.

Luhrmann’s motion picture follows Nick Carraway’s character through multiple therapy sessions where his first hand account forms Fitzgerald’s first person narrative. In this way, the dialogue in the movie exactly matches certain passages of the original text. Most notably, the movie’s ending is word for word from the book. Luhrmann understood the power of the language in The Great Gatsby and seamlessly formed a brilliant movie around it.

Despite staying true to the past, the movie also had its modern flare. Throughout the movie the score was up-to-date. This juxtaposed music created a very glorified version of the story, not to mention it was just fun.

One part about the movie that didn’t quite match the book was the murder. In the book it very much comes out of nowhere, most of the explanation to the event is told after the fact by Carraway’s relentless research. In the movie, however, there is a lot of foreshadowing that leads up to Gatsby’s murder. For example, it shows Buchanan telling Wilson it was Gatsby’s car, and consequently shows Wilson grab his gun. It may be that that is the only efficient way to explain the event, but there was something about its abruptness that sticks with the reader.

Besides that minor thing, the movie was very impressive. Unlike most movies inspired by novels, it followed the text simply. It created an accurate version that not only was enjoyable but captured the major themes of the book. The green light on Daisy’s dock remains a strong motif in the movie. A symbol of the past that Gatsby everyday wished was in his future.

Great Gatsby--American Masterpiece

Fitzgerald’s masterpiece The Great Gatsby is riddled with brilliant literary devices and strong themes relevant to his own life. His story is consistently a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. It flows with ease as his deep themes are revealed through the story line.

The Great Gatsby has all the qualities of a well-written novel—description, drama, and intense dialogue. Fitzgerald’s skill in finely defining every setting and character is what draws the reader closer to the story. The drama and dialogue keeps them there. Nick Carraway, the main character, perfectly narrates with humor and curiosity as he experiences Mr. Gatsby’s grandeur.

Fitzgerald also seamlessly incorporates past events in his present tense moments. Towards the end of the book, this is even more apparent, as Mr. Gatsby recounts his past. Without error the reader can jump back and forth in time to understand Gatsby.

One of the biggest themes in The Great Gatsby surrounds the construction of a golden girl, a devoted man and the struggle of class between them. Throughout Fitzgerald’s life, he struggled to be accepted into a class worthy of his golden girl, and so portrays it in his story. Gatsby’s unwavering devotion to Daisy is akin to Fitzgerald’s own experiences.

Another theme that is very plainly laid out at the end of the book is the past and its role in present day. Throughout the story, Gatsby maintains that the past can be recreated and relived out of his incorruptible hope to regain Daisy. In the end though, it ends up that the past was not recreated and never will be again. It is that Gatsby never realized that Daisy was in his past not his future.

The Great Gatsby is truly an American masterpiece full of amazing story telling. Fitzgerald’s piece will continue to be renowned for its well-written, engaging dialogue and relatable themes.