Discrimination is one of the most common themes in literary works and one that exists in the society since time immemorial. A person can get discriminated by his skin color, cultural background, or even gender. In the workplace, there are various types of discrimination. Discrimination can be directly or indirectly done. In a direct discrimination, a group or an individual is treated in a less favorable way. On the other hand, in an indirect discrimination, a practice or standard poses disadvantage on certain individuals or groups. Whichever the case maybe, the law prohibits discrimination based on personal characteristics.
In the story titled The Fourth of July, the author, Audre Lorde, reviews an early affair that profoundly influenced her both mentally and mentally. Her graduation from the eighth grade marked the end of her adolescence. It also set apart by a family outing to Washington, D.C., amid which she gets to be mindful of the revolting reality of racism. The story communicates Lorde's annoyance at the mortifications she and her family endured, her failure in her folks' disposition of avoidance and denial, and her resolution not to follow their paths. Their family travel to Washington is influenced and triggered by racism. Audre was not fully aware about that at first. As Audre stated: “I wanted to eat in the dining car because I have read all of them food always costs too much money” (Fairbank 63). Little did Audre know that there was discrimination at that time. Her sister who was graduating from secondary school cannot be on her class’ trip because the hotel does not have any room for rent to the blacks. “American racism was a new and crushing reality that my parents handled as a private woe” (Fairbank 64). Being distinctive is something that individuals in the public eye appear to not comprehend, and it alarms them. Society had principles, and expects something out of every one of us, and when a person is distinctive, society tries to push it out. Racism has been something that goes path back, and has made laws be made. Lamentably, racism still proceeds with today, even with the laws that were made.
In Amy Tan's Fish Cheeks, the author investigates a disappointed adolescent's battle to acknowledge her own particular social foundation. The young child communicates her humiliation about her family's traditions and Chinese customs. Tan clarifies how she felt like an outsider in a transcendently white society. Rather than grasping the distinctions, she wished to show up and traditions vanish so she could adjust to the American methods. The topic of this masterpiece concentrates on the difficulties that young adolescents face as they are growing up. Being in a place with different culture, the author emphasized how it is to have a very diverse way of doing things. When his parents invited the minister, she felt excited that she would see the young man he admires, but she also felt worried with how her family would behave. As stated: “What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners? What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?” (Tan 1). Among young adults, racism extends even to the workplace. Such has been frustrating to see in today’s society.
In Fairbank's Foot Binding, the story centers on the endeavor to stop the development of the feet. Foot binding started as an extravagance among the rich; it made the women more subject to others and less helpful around the house. As Fairbank stated: “Foot binding spread as a mark of gentility and upper-class status” (Fairbank 119). This was particularly hard on the poor who required help around the house or ranch. It soon turned into an essential for marriage. It even served as an alibi for a man to cancel marriage in the event that he discovered that the lady who has been partnered with him to wed did not possess bound feet. Many lower class families who truly could not stand to tie their little girls feet, because of the loss of work she would have added to the family, did as such an in any case with the expectation that she would have the capacity to be wed into the white collar class. It is pitiful since there are not very many records of women who were successful. These women would wind up in torment attempting to work in the fields wobbling on their bound feet. This was viewed as exceptionally beguiling, subsequent to a bound foot lady was to a great extent limited to her home, bound feet turned into an image of celibacy. The reasoning was that the bound foot, once it was shaped, could not be opened like a modesty belt. This story basically demonstrates the clear sexual orientation imbalance in China. All through history, sexual orientation imbalance keeps on being an issue that is not generally at the forefront of everyone's thoughts. Sex imbalance is the unequal treatment or perspectives of individuals in view of climate they are male or female. As a matter of first importance, sexual orientation imbalance is a continuous issue on the grounds that insufficient mindfulness is being spread on the subject. Another motivation behind why sexual orientation imbalance is destructive is on the grounds that women are underestimated
One of Joseph's primary focuses in his article Why I Dread Black History Month is that African American history should not be taught independently from whatever is left of American history. Instead, they must be taught as one since, "dark history is American history" (463). Racial discrimination against the blacks encompasses an extensive percent of the population in the United States. Albeit numerous individuals and gatherings attempt each day to wipe out racial segregation, it is still a noteworthy issue in that needs an answer. Numerous casualties of racial discrimination get to be supremacist individuals themselves yet some only use this to put-down others to motivate them to succeed.
Overcoming the racial barriers at the workplace or in any aspect of the society is a rather challenging and demanding task, with high chances of discrimination against the African Americans and other ethnicities taking place and a consistent increase in the concerning cases. Discrimination can be prevented by being careful with what comes out from our mouth. Respecting people and honoring their rights are some of the ways to completely eradicate discrimination.
Works Cited
Fairbank, John King. “Foot binding.” N. d.
Lorde, Audre. The collected poems of Audre Lorde. WW Norton & Company, 2000.
Tan, Amy. "Fish Cheeks." Glencoe literature: The reader’s choice. Course 2 (2000).
Joseph, Wayne. “Why I Dread Black History Month.” N. d.
