Brothers and Keepers
English 300
Dr. Clemons
April 21, 2013
Maria_antwanette@yahoo.com
Outline: I. Introduction: Introduce and provide information on the book Brothers and Keepers by John Edgar Wideman. II. Thesis: Wideman was affected by a wide range of challenges. While he wrote under such unbearable conditions, it is convincing that one could take a cultural studies approach to examine the hardships of poverty and the racist mindsets that had taken place during the time in which he wrote. III. Body: Provide evidence from text that supports my thesis. a. Pennsylvania during the 1960’s and 1970’s with some quotes from the book. a. John’s Life b. Robby’s life IV. Conclusion
Maria Riley
English 300
Dr. Clemons
April 21, 2013
Maria_antwanette@yahoo.com
TITLE
“The more your delve and backtrack and think, the more clear it becomes that nothing has a discrete, independent history; people and events take shape not in orderly, chronological sequence but in relation to other forces and events, tangled skein of necessity and interdependence and chance that all could have produced only one result: what is.” This quote provides insight to a brilliant memoir by John Edgar Wideman called, Brothers and Keepers. This is a story that tells how two brothers from the same predominantly African American neighborhood in Homewood, Pennsylvania and from the same background can go on two different paths. John, the oldest brother grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar and a college professor and was able to at least theoretically escape the powerful grip of the ghetto. However, for his younger brother Robert this was not the case. Robert became a victim of social pressures and was ultimately sentenced to life in prison. He becomes a convict who retains his dignity by loss and tragedy. Wideman was affected by a wide range of challenges. While he grew up under such unbearable conditions, it is convincing that one could take a cultural studies approach to examine
Dr. Clemons
April 21, 2013
Maria_antwanette@yahoo.com
Outline: I. Introduction: Introduce and provide information on the book Brothers and Keepers by John Edgar Wideman. II. Thesis: Wideman was affected by a wide range of challenges. While he wrote under such unbearable conditions, it is convincing that one could take a cultural studies approach to examine the hardships of poverty and the racist mindsets that had taken place during the time in which he wrote. III. Body: Provide evidence from text that supports my thesis. a. Pennsylvania during the 1960’s and 1970’s with some quotes from the book. a. John’s Life b. Robby’s life IV. Conclusion
Maria Riley
English 300
Dr. Clemons
April 21, 2013
Maria_antwanette@yahoo.com
TITLE
“The more your delve and backtrack and think, the more clear it becomes that nothing has a discrete, independent history; people and events take shape not in orderly, chronological sequence but in relation to other forces and events, tangled skein of necessity and interdependence and chance that all could have produced only one result: what is.” This quote provides insight to a brilliant memoir by John Edgar Wideman called, Brothers and Keepers. This is a story that tells how two brothers from the same predominantly African American neighborhood in Homewood, Pennsylvania and from the same background can go on two different paths. John, the oldest brother grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar and a college professor and was able to at least theoretically escape the powerful grip of the ghetto. However, for his younger brother Robert this was not the case. Robert became a victim of social pressures and was ultimately sentenced to life in prison. He becomes a convict who retains his dignity by loss and tragedy. Wideman was affected by a wide range of challenges. While he grew up under such unbearable conditions, it is convincing that one could take a cultural studies approach to examine