Passage 1: On page 12, in the last paragraph of that chapter, William explains his emotion at seeing Addie with Clarence in the bar, saying “when he slowly, slowly, ran his fingertip across her skin, every fowl emotion in the world churned deep down in the depths of my belly” (Jennifer Latham 12). Using slowly twice and descriptive words such as “fowl,” “churned,” and “depths” gives a vivid description of the rage he felt. William goes on to say how easy it was for a Black person to be lynched without any consequences, and admits “God help me, that’s exactly what I wanted for the man touching my Addie. I wanted him dead” (Latham 12). This passage gives us a lot of insight to the mentality of William, but also of white men at the time. William was obviously very hurt that Addie didn’t reciprocate his feelings, but instead of being sad and getting over it quietly as it’s expected one should now, the color of Clarence’s skin gave him permission to turn that sadness into hate without fear of consequences. It shows the sense of entitlement that white men felt over Black men, and how this entitlement and hatred was so ingrained in society that to William, Clarence’s pain was more important than Addie’s happiness.
Passage 2: On page 42, the author writes about the police officer coming to Rowan’s house after the body was discovered. As soon as the officer, a white man, walks in, Rowan can perceive his discomfort, noting “the slight hesitation in the policeman’s hello, the split-second tightening around his mouth, the quick once-over he gave all three of [them]” (Jennifer Latham 42). She can tell the officer wasn’t expecting a black family in a wealthy part of town. However, she also notes how he behaves when her white father comes home, saying “the shift in Officer Cooper was immediate and completely unstable. Clearly, having another standard-issue white guy in the room made him more comfortable (Latham 43). This passage demonstrates very clearly the ways in which racism is so prevalent in our society today, especially when juxtaposed against William’s point of view in the book up to this point, allowing us to see the progression we have had from outward hatred to inward and difficult to detect prejudices. The parallel sentence structure (from the first quote) also helps us see the depth of his discomfort and nervousness. It’s not clear where the Officer’s discomfort comes from - he doesn't appear hateful toward the Chase family, and seems very concerned with doing the right thing and being kind to them. However, his discomfort reveals not outward but internalized racism, allowing us to see when contrasted with William’s point of view how racism might look different now, but it unfortunately still very present.
Dreamland Burning is one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. There is so much to the story, and you give such a good description of these passages. Someone who hasn't read the book could get a really good idea about what the book is about by reading your summaries.
Passage 3: Pages 49 and 50 are from William’s point of view, and discuss the memory of his younger sister who died when he visits the home of a black family to make a delivery. The young girl who lives at the house asks if he has a sister, reminding William of her. He narrates, “A vision of my baby sister flashed through my mind, three years old, shrieking with glee as Pop tossed her into the air, “Again!” She’d cried as Mama feigned disapproval and Pop launched her higher. Until he finally caught her up for good and covered her flushed cheeks with kisses.” In this passage, the author uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of a life William once knew - one without grief, and where his family was totally happy. Because the instance is one that is simple and carefree and occurs at a time where his life seems especially complicated (making an illegal delivery to a wealthy Black family in a part of town he’s never been before,) you get a sense of how much his life has changed. In many ways, we have also grown to see William as a hateful person due to the way he treated Clarence, and this instance where he thinks fondly of younger sibling and grieving this loss humanizes him in a very unexpected way, making you reassess William and who he is. I think this passage is significant and important to remember as we learn more about William and his backstory.
Passage Four: From pages 65-66, William is working in his father’s shop when Vernon Fish is about to leave after a conversation with William’s father in which he tried to convince him to join the KKK to no avail. He calls William a half breed, a derogatory remark about his Osage heritage, and then after William tells Vernon that he wouldn’t have time for the KKK because of school. Vernon replies that maybe he doesn’t have time for getting into fights at bars either, letting him know that he knew what happened between William and Clarence. The author uses descriptive language and imagery to set the tone for the end of the chapter, talking about how there was rain and hail outside, and focusing ominously on Vernon - his smoke rings, slicked back hair, and even the shape of his lips. This makes the reader sense the tension in the room between the characters. When William meets his eyes on page 66, he says that “what I saw in the milky blueness of them sent a jolt through me like biting down on a bad tooth. He knew about the Two Knock. Verno Fish knew.” The simile of the realization to a painful toothache shows us how bad and unwelcome it was for Vernon to know, especially given his connection to the KKK, and the varied sentence structure and setting the last two sentences as their own paragraph really drives home how surprising it was and the impact of it. It also sets it apart from other instances in the book, and draws the reader’s attention to this particular moment. Because of that, we can assume that this will be an important moment as the book goes on and that what has gone on in this passage will have a big effect on the novel as it progresses.
It's interesting how Vernon is Native American and facing racism, but he's still racist to others. I feel like if he's experienced hate himself, he wouldn't put that on others. Noelle Myrick
I agree with you that it is interesting that even though others are racist towards Vernon he is still racist towards others. I know that I wrote about this in my entry but I’m jewish and have been warned by my family members about others being racist towards me based off of that. Because I was raised being warned about facing racism I feel as if I’m a lot more in tune with my emotions and the internal racism that a lot of people have but don’t realize. I have been able to notice when I’m having a racist though especially when I’m alone in the city or in a situation when I’m biased towards any older man around me out of fear for my safety, but I have been able to notice and evaluate the difference between my bias towards African Americans based off of news stories and when I’m just being bias towards all men out of fear for my safety because that’s the way I was raised. -Kayleigh Murphy
Passage Five: From pages 71-73, Rowan and James get into an argument about racial injustice and what it looks like. To show how racism is stil prevalent in our society, James brings up an example of an undocumented worker he knows being extorted, and how unjust that treatment was. Rowan asserts in return that there is a big difference between murder over racial prejudice and ripping someone off. This drifts into a really heated argument, and there is a lot of very brutal and honest dialogue. First, James lists off names of young Black people killed by police brutality and racism, which really drives home the reality and weight of the topic they are discussing. He follows this up by saying to Rowan, “sometimes you disappear inside your rich-girl bubble where someone always fixes things when they go wrong, and your brown skin only counts against you until you mention your daddy’s name. Most of us don’t have that luxury, Chase. There’s no room for us in your bubble.” The dialogue is very raw, and through the way she writes you can feel the emotion James has. Rowan doesn’t take this well, and says that “things were happening inside me. Ugly, uncomfortable things I couldn’t even begin to describe.” Because of the buildup to this moment and through the dialogue with the characters and the impact it has on Rowan, I feel like this passage is one to remember because I think she will consider what James has said, making it significant further on in the novel.
The book takes place in Oklahoma, where Rowan thinks about how peaceful life in the past was before a murder is discovered at the construction site. William had feelings for Addie Dobbs, who is described as slim, blue eyes, and black hair. Many men were attracted to Addie, but a man Clarence set William off and he was jealous. William became angry and wanted him dead. Rowan examines the body to see brownish hair on the bone. William hated Clarence, adding to my suspicion that the body is Clarence. My second suspicion is that if Will is the killer, he will end up killing someone else. Marissa Western
I like how you talk about Rowan reflecting on how peaceful Oklahoma was before the events described in the book. I think the author makes a point to get that across because then it emphasizes the importance of the rest of the events in the book. It shows how far Oklahoma has come since the race riots and the ways race relations have improved. However, especially after her argument with James, it shows how far Oklahoma has to go - they can't be complacent with the racism and prejudice in their society, and makes me think that as the novel progresses a theme that may develop is that peace is not worth it if the cost is injustice. It also has a lot of significance not only for society, but for Rowan - as her world begins to turn upside down, we can see the impact this event has had on her life because of the contrast we have of what it looked like before.
William is a 17 year old boy who lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The story he tells is in the 1920’s, when the Tulsa Race Massacres took place. We meet him in a speakeasy with his friend, Cletus, called the Two Knock. There, he sees his crush talking to a black man he doesn’t know. Being drunk, his judgment is very clouded. William goes up to them both, and tries to fight the man for touching ‘his Addie’. William ends up breaking his hand, a result of Clarence, the black man, trying to defend himself. This results in Cletus yelling about how the man attacked his friend. The problem is that this is the 1920s, and William is white and was ‘attacked’ by a black man. Even though William wasn’t attacked at all, and was actually the attacker in this situation, this puts eyes on Clarence. We can see how racism was very clearly prevalent back then.
Rowan is the girl we meet in the beginning of the book. She’s also the one who sees the old bones under where the old shed was, right after the construction workers. Right after she sees the bones, she panics and calls James, who she calls her soulmate. It’s obvious from that statement that they’re very close. She seems to be very interested in the past, especially after finding the bones. Personally, I feel like it’s very good to learn about the past. It shows us what can be repaired, and what can’t be repeated, in a sense.
Cletus is William’s friend, and the one we meet at the speakeasy. He’s also the son of a rich bank executive. Cletus seems much more outspoken when William got hurt, blaming everything on Clarence. He seems to be a lot louder with his racist behavior, as well. Unfortunately, this would most likely have dire consequences, as foreshadowed in the end of the chapter, where it is mentioned that the entire Tulsa police force had been pointed to go after Clarence. Since Cletus is the son of a very influential man, my guess is that is where he learned his racism from. Many people at the top seemed to be louder with their racist mannerisms, so it’d make sense if that was passed on. -Noelle Myrick
Rowan is one of my favorite characters so far in the book from the section we've read, and I really like your description of her. I agree that she seems very interested in the past, especially when we see how she took the wallet from the skeleton. I also think she is very relatable - she lives in the same time period as us, she has a best friend, and both her internal and external dialogue are so typical of someone our age that it isn't difficult to put yourself in her shoes and understand how she feels throughout the book. I think that this will be especially beneficial as the book continues, because seeing history through her lens is a lot easier than it is to see it from say William's point of view, simply because we have an experience closer to Rowan's.
Rowan is my favorite character as well. She seems like she would be an interesting person to know. I don't really like William so far, but you wrote a really nice summary for his part. These book is so dramatic and interesting, and I like reading more about each of the characters as their personalities are revealed further into the book.
I really like how you connected Cletus’s behavior to that of his father and the way he was raised. I think it is very important to see how parents behavior can affect their children in the future. This makes me realize just how important it is that when I do have kids I don’t just pretend like everyone is the same no matter the color of their skin, but rather that I teach my kids not to trust everything they hear from the media and that no matter what they hear their are good and bad apples in every race and that my children should treat everyone they meet the same. Later, after they get to know the person they can then change the way they treat the person because I fully believe that you should treat others the way you want to be treated up until a certain point then you should treat others the way they treat you so as to not get walked all over.
Rowan is one of my favorite characters so far in the book from the section we've read, and I really like your description of her. I agree that she seems very interested in the past, especially when we see how she took the wallet from the skeleton. I also think she is very relatable - she lives in the same time period as us, she has a best friend, and both her internal and external dialogue are so typical of someone our age that it isn't difficult to put yourself in her shoes and understand how she feels throughout the book. I think that this will be especially beneficial as the book continues, because seeing history through her lens is a lot easier than it is to see it from say William's point of view, simply because we have an experience closer to Rowan's.
I drew the scene I pictured when I read the quote “They whipped him yesterday,” she whispered. “And beat him and left him in the street to die” (Latham 53). While reading this quote I pictured Clarence being jumped in the middle of the street, whipped and cowering trying to protect himself. When I pictured this scene I felt sorry and ashamed that it was white people that used to treat African Americans like this. That I had ancestors that were capable of acts of violence against innocent people just because of their bias against them for their skin color. When drawing this scene I tried to represent that it was night and that he was beat and left in the middle of the road. I tried to really make the people viewing my artwork feel sympathy towards Clarence through his defensive stance trying to protect himself while he was being beat. I had to look up how to draw a street light because I wanted to represent that it was nighttime in the city but didn’t trust my artistic abilities to draw a city landscape so I decided on a street light because during that time period I’m pretty sure only cities were developed enough to have street lights lining the roads. Although it’s not the same, I was raised Jewish and my mom constantly told me that I shouldn’t tell people I wasn’t close with that I was Jewish out of fear for the bias that may make them have towards me. While she was growing up Synagogues were being burned down and she was scared that I wouldn’t have the best childhood possible if I was open about being Jewish. This makes me truly feel bad for African Americans because unlike me they can’t hide their race to stop people from having bias towards them. In recent years I have become more open with the fact that by blood I am jewish and have tried to really embrace my past and do lots of research, however through this research it made me truly realize how horrible some people can be just because they’re scared of their differences. -Kayleigh Murphy
I also grieve for the people of color that my ancestors have probably hurt. For context, a lot of my cousins and uncles and aunts on my dad's side are racist and bigoted, and I'm thankful I wasn't raised that way. There's nothing that can erase that pain and suffering that white people have caused. That's why I think it's important to stand behind and next to people of color who are actively fighting for better livelihoods. It's also important to remember that it it their time to speak, and as white people, we should not overshadow their voices with our own. -Noelle Myrick
I completely agree with you about having family members that are racist, it truly hurts me when I hear some of the things one of my grandparents says, I understand that he is from a different generation, but to hear someone speak the way he does about African Americans is truly heartbreaking. He once criticized me for being in a relationship with an African American and it hurt me that he could say the things he said about him without even getting to know him; however, after the things he said I told him that as much as I want to respect him because he is my elder I don't when it comes to this and that he lost his chance to get to know the great guy I was dating. I think that's one of the most difficult things during this generation is that so many people are afraid to call out adults around them for being racist, but I think if we did and made them feel shame for their actions, maybe we would see a change in the older generations that could then in turn influence the younger generations.
For my illustration I drew Ruby’s roller skates, because I feel like it demonstrates not only a lot about her as a character, but is a very powerful symbol in the book. On page 120, the author talks about Ruby “zigging and zagging around parked bicycles, ducking in and out of the shade from striped store awnings, weaving through a display of shovels and rakes outside a hardware store” (Latham). Along with several other instances throughout the book, and especially as Will and Ruby grow closer, we can see how carefree and loving and innocent Ruby is as a young child - which can especially be seen in her roller skates, a symbol of youth. However, throughout the book, we also see the many things that diminish the beauty of childhood for young African American children of that time period, and the ways in which they aren’t allowed the same freedom to enjoy their childhood because of the dangers of the racist society they were born into. Around the roller skates, I drew symbols of these things which also take away from an unfettered childhood experience - broken milk bottles from when the milk truck crashed and she almost was in serious trouble, Vernon Fish’s gun Maybelle, a sign for Central High School where racism isn’t only ingrained but flourishing and infecting the youth, and finally a fishing pole to represent Clete - a racist and bigoted young man. I drew these smaller around it, and I colored them in - but I didn’t add color to the roller skates, because I wanted that to represent how systemic and socially accepted racism drains a lot of the joy and carefree spirit - the “color” if you will - from childhood for Ruby and for other children like her at the time. I think Ruby and all of the prejudice she faces really makes the reader think about society and not just how far we have come, but how far we have to go. If someone so young and innocent and pure could be seen as such a threat and be so easily disrespected and hurt easily because it was so socially accepted, it makes you really think about how prevalent and deep-rooted and evil racism is, and it propels us to want to continue to make changes and grow as a society so no child ever has to have even the most slightly similar experience growing up. - Rachel Vrazel
I really like how you didn't add color to the skates, but did for everything else. Hatred takes a lot of innocence out of the people affected by it, throwing at them the shocking and truly unfortunate reality that they could be killed or beaten for something they cannot control. Dreamland Burning is a good book, but it hurts to see the pain that people of color went through. And although it hurts, I think it's an important thing to read about. -Noelle Myrick
I like how you also drew around it to talk about all the things taken away from her childhood, I feel like I'm getting a complete story with just the picture. (Alyson Lawrence)
You did an amazing job of describing your picture in great detail. I love the symbolism you used when creating this image, how you thought of all the things that took away from Ruby's childhood and put those each into their own little pictures. I also love how you described your thought process behind why you decided not to color the roller-skates. I feel like even without the full story to back it up, your image would still manage to express the point you're trying to get across. Also, on a side note I love that you managed to take something as simple as roller-skates and turn it into a really meaningful image with a very important message to it.
It was really creative leaving the skates colorless. You do a great job explaining in detail what and how you drew important events and symbols. This book really makes me think about the pain we inflict on others without even thinking about it and the pain that we cause purposefully out of hatred.
Will In this part of the book, Will is slowly starting to decide for himself that racism is wrong. We can especially see this in the decisions he makes during the evening the race riots start, when he risks his own safety multiple times to protect his black friends. I think that his personal relationships with Will and Ruby helped him especially to make that decision and stand up for what is right, especially because in the middle of the race riot you can tell that Ruby’s safety was always on his mind. He even said “We have to find Ruby now” on page 274 after they talked to Gideon and he realized how much worse things were getting (Latham). Rowan In the last part of the book, Rowan is facing a lot of complicated emotions as she grieves the death of Arvin, grapples with regret, and researches about the body. Something I observed is that as she learns more about the body and learns more about who Arvin is, she starts to heal. Specifically when they go to meet Joseph Tillman and Ruby’s daughter. You can tell from when Opal asks if she’s sure she wants to learn all of the gory details of the past, and she responds “‘I’m sure’” (Latham 352) that it is important for her healing to have answers. Her story is a real testament to what I believe the author is trying to get across - that to heal and experience closure, we need to examine our lives and the past also to see how we can do better and overcome and root out racism and bigotry. Clete During this section of the book, we get to know Clete a little more, and we realize he is a very sanguine person. The reader will get the impression that he does things to have a good time - between him skipping school, falling in love with a prostitute, and trying to start up a section of the junior klan at their school, it seems everything he does he does for fun and to fit in. At the end, though, when he dies, he experiences a lot of regret. He even says to Will “I’ve done bad things, and now I’m on my way to stand judgement…’” (Latham 345), and you can tell how scared he is that because of the way he lived he might be punished for it after he dies. You get the impression his life was very empty, and he tried to fill it with a lot of things and a lot of evil that didn’t fulfill him.
This section of the book was very interesting regarding character development. Rowan had been so naive about the racism all around her, and now she has to face the harsh reality. Will seems guilty and genuinely wants to help. I liked how protective he was of Ruby. Clete is an interesting character in the book, and I think he's very regretful of his actions.
Plot Pro 1. Will saving ruby from car 2. When Rowan returns the receipt 3. the day Sarah Page cried about being raped in the elevator 4. When ruby goes missing 5. The riot Predictions 1. I wonder if Will ever told his dad about killing Vernon Fish. “I’m guessing whoever killed this guy wasn’t interested in bragging about it. They wanted him erased, like he never even existed”(Lathan 30). Based on this quote from the novel I don’t believe Will ever would have told his father or anyone else for that matter about him killing Vernon, I don’t think he would have felt ashamed because it was something that had to be done, but he wasn’t going to be like Vernon and show off notches on a gun.
Predictions 2. I wonder how it felt for Ruby growing up with white people being racist towards her, but then becoming friends with Will. Based off of Will’s son I know that they will stay friends even after the death of Vernon. I hope that through her friendship with Will at a young age Ruby grows up knowing not all white people are bad and that they just need to gain more knowledge and get away from what they were taught by their parents. -kayleigh murphy
I was glad to see the way Will began changing and finally seeing how wrong his actions were. I like that Will became an ally and actually wanted to help. Although he's my least favorite, he plays an interesting part in the book. I feel like Ruby and Rowan were very similar and naive about the reality of how people of color are treated.
Passage 1:
ReplyDeleteOn page 12, in the last paragraph of that chapter, William explains his emotion at seeing Addie with Clarence in the bar, saying “when he slowly, slowly, ran his fingertip across her skin, every fowl emotion in the world churned deep down in the depths of my belly” (Jennifer Latham 12). Using slowly twice and descriptive words such as “fowl,” “churned,” and “depths” gives a vivid description of the rage he felt. William goes on to say how easy it was for a Black person to be lynched without any consequences, and admits “God help me, that’s exactly what I wanted for the man touching my Addie. I wanted him dead” (Latham 12). This passage gives us a lot of insight to the mentality of William, but also of white men at the time. William was obviously very hurt that Addie didn’t reciprocate his feelings, but instead of being sad and getting over it quietly as it’s expected one should now, the color of Clarence’s skin gave him permission to turn that sadness into hate without fear of consequences. It shows the sense of entitlement that white men felt over Black men, and how this entitlement and hatred was so ingrained in society that to William, Clarence’s pain was more important than Addie’s happiness.
Passage 2:
ReplyDeleteOn page 42, the author writes about the police officer coming to Rowan’s house after the body was discovered. As soon as the officer, a white man, walks in, Rowan can perceive his discomfort, noting “the slight hesitation in the policeman’s hello, the split-second tightening around his mouth, the quick once-over he gave all three of [them]” (Jennifer Latham 42). She can tell the officer wasn’t expecting a black family in a wealthy part of town. However, she also notes how he behaves when her white father comes home, saying “the shift in Officer Cooper was immediate and completely unstable. Clearly, having another standard-issue white guy in the room made him more comfortable (Latham 43). This passage demonstrates very clearly the ways in which racism is so prevalent in our society today, especially when juxtaposed against William’s point of view in the book up to this point, allowing us to see the progression we have had from outward hatred to inward and difficult to detect prejudices. The parallel sentence structure (from the first quote) also helps us see the depth of his discomfort and nervousness. It’s not clear where the Officer’s discomfort comes from - he doesn't appear hateful toward the Chase family, and seems very concerned with doing the right thing and being kind to them. However, his discomfort reveals not outward but internalized racism, allowing us to see when contrasted with William’s point of view how racism might look different now, but it unfortunately still very present.
Dreamland Burning is one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. There is so much to the story, and you give such a good description of these passages. Someone who hasn't read the book could get a really good idea about what the book is about by reading your summaries.
DeletePassage 3:
ReplyDeletePages 49 and 50 are from William’s point of view, and discuss the memory of his younger sister who died when he visits the home of a black family to make a delivery. The young girl who lives at the house asks if he has a sister, reminding William of her. He narrates, “A vision of my baby sister flashed through my mind, three years old, shrieking with glee as Pop tossed her into the air, “Again!” She’d cried as Mama feigned disapproval and Pop launched her higher. Until he finally caught her up for good and covered her flushed cheeks with kisses.” In this passage, the author uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of a life William once knew - one without grief, and where his family was totally happy. Because the instance is one that is simple and carefree and occurs at a time where his life seems especially complicated (making an illegal delivery to a wealthy Black family in a part of town he’s never been before,) you get a sense of how much his life has changed. In many ways, we have also grown to see William as a hateful person due to the way he treated Clarence, and this instance where he thinks fondly of younger sibling and grieving this loss humanizes him in a very unexpected way, making you reassess William and who he is. I think this passage is significant and important to remember as we learn more about William and his backstory.
Passage Four:
ReplyDeleteFrom pages 65-66, William is working in his father’s shop when Vernon Fish is about to leave after a conversation with William’s father in which he tried to convince him to join the KKK to no avail. He calls William a half breed, a derogatory remark about his Osage heritage, and then after William tells Vernon that he wouldn’t have time for the KKK because of school. Vernon replies that maybe he doesn’t have time for getting into fights at bars either, letting him know that he knew what happened between William and Clarence. The author uses descriptive language and imagery to set the tone for the end of the chapter, talking about how there was rain and hail outside, and focusing ominously on Vernon - his smoke rings, slicked back hair, and even the shape of his lips. This makes the reader sense the tension in the room between the characters. When William meets his eyes on page 66, he says that “what I saw in the milky blueness of them sent a jolt through me like biting down on a bad tooth. He knew about the Two Knock. Verno Fish knew.” The simile of the realization to a painful toothache shows us how bad and unwelcome it was for Vernon to know, especially given his connection to the KKK, and the varied sentence structure and setting the last two sentences as their own paragraph really drives home how surprising it was and the impact of it. It also sets it apart from other instances in the book, and draws the reader’s attention to this particular moment. Because of that, we can assume that this will be an important moment as the book goes on and that what has gone on in this passage will have a big effect on the novel as it progresses.
It's interesting how Vernon is Native American and facing racism, but he's still racist to others. I feel like if he's experienced hate himself, he wouldn't put that on others.
DeleteNoelle Myrick
I agree with you that it is interesting that even though others are racist towards Vernon he is still racist towards others. I know that I wrote about this in my entry but I’m jewish and have been warned by my family members about others being racist towards me based off of that. Because I was raised being warned about facing racism I feel as if I’m a lot more in tune with my emotions and the internal racism that a lot of people have but don’t realize. I have been able to notice when I’m having a racist though especially when I’m alone in the city or in a situation when I’m biased towards any older man around me out of fear for my safety, but I have been able to notice and evaluate the difference between my bias towards African Americans based off of news stories and when I’m just being bias towards all men out of fear for my safety because that’s the way I was raised.
Delete-Kayleigh Murphy
Passage Five:
ReplyDeleteFrom pages 71-73, Rowan and James get into an argument about racial injustice and what it looks like. To show how racism is stil prevalent in our society, James brings up an example of an undocumented worker he knows being extorted, and how unjust that treatment was. Rowan asserts in return that there is a big difference between murder over racial prejudice and ripping someone off. This drifts into a really heated argument, and there is a lot of very brutal and honest dialogue. First, James lists off names of young Black people killed by police brutality and racism, which really drives home the reality and weight of the topic they are discussing. He follows this up by saying to Rowan, “sometimes you disappear inside your rich-girl bubble where someone always fixes things when they go wrong, and your brown skin only counts against you until you mention your daddy’s name. Most of us don’t have that luxury, Chase. There’s no room for us in your bubble.” The dialogue is very raw, and through the way she writes you can feel the emotion James has. Rowan doesn’t take this well, and says that “things were happening inside me. Ugly, uncomfortable things I couldn’t even begin to describe.” Because of the buildup to this moment and through the dialogue with the characters and the impact it has on Rowan, I feel like this passage is one to remember because I think she will consider what James has said, making it significant further on in the novel.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe book takes place in Oklahoma, where Rowan thinks about how peaceful life in the past was before a murder is discovered at the construction site. William had feelings for Addie Dobbs, who is described as slim, blue eyes, and black hair. Many men were attracted to Addie, but a man Clarence set William off and he was jealous. William became angry and wanted him dead. Rowan examines the body to see brownish hair on the bone. William hated Clarence, adding to my suspicion that the body is Clarence. My second suspicion is that if Will is the killer, he will end up killing someone else.
ReplyDeleteMarissa Western
I like how you talk about Rowan reflecting on how peaceful Oklahoma was before the events described in the book. I think the author makes a point to get that across because then it emphasizes the importance of the rest of the events in the book. It shows how far Oklahoma has come since the race riots and the ways race relations have improved. However, especially after her argument with James, it shows how far Oklahoma has to go - they can't be complacent with the racism and prejudice in their society, and makes me think that as the novel progresses a theme that may develop is that peace is not worth it if the cost is injustice. It also has a lot of significance not only for society, but for Rowan - as her world begins to turn upside down, we can see the impact this event has had on her life because of the contrast we have of what it looked like before.
Delete- Rachel Vrazel
William is a 17 year old boy who lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The story he tells is in the 1920’s, when the Tulsa Race Massacres took place. We meet him in a speakeasy with his friend, Cletus, called the Two Knock. There, he sees his crush talking to a black man he doesn’t know. Being drunk, his judgment is very clouded. William goes up to them both, and tries to fight the man for touching ‘his Addie’. William ends up breaking his hand, a result of Clarence, the black man, trying to defend himself. This results in Cletus yelling about how the man attacked his friend. The problem is that this is the 1920s, and William is white and was ‘attacked’ by a black man. Even though William wasn’t attacked at all, and was actually the attacker in this situation, this puts eyes on Clarence. We can see how racism was very clearly prevalent back then.
ReplyDeleteRowan is the girl we meet in the beginning of the book. She’s also the one who sees the old bones under where the old shed was, right after the construction workers. Right after she sees the bones, she panics and calls James, who she calls her soulmate. It’s obvious from that statement that they’re very close. She seems to be very interested in the past, especially after finding the bones. Personally, I feel like it’s very good to learn about the past. It shows us what can be repaired, and what can’t be repeated, in a sense.
Cletus is William’s friend, and the one we meet at the speakeasy. He’s also the son of a rich bank executive. Cletus seems much more outspoken when William got hurt, blaming everything on Clarence. He seems to be a lot louder with his racist behavior, as well. Unfortunately, this would most likely have dire consequences, as foreshadowed in the end of the chapter, where it is mentioned that the entire Tulsa police force had been pointed to go after Clarence. Since Cletus is the son of a very influential man, my guess is that is where he learned his racism from. Many people at the top seemed to be louder with their racist mannerisms, so it’d make sense if that was passed on.
-Noelle Myrick
Rowan is one of my favorite characters so far in the book from the section we've read, and I really like your description of her. I agree that she seems very interested in the past, especially when we see how she took the wallet from the skeleton. I also think she is very relatable - she lives in the same time period as us, she has a best friend, and both her internal and external dialogue are so typical of someone our age that it isn't difficult to put yourself in her shoes and understand how she feels throughout the book. I think that this will be especially beneficial as the book continues, because seeing history through her lens is a lot easier than it is to see it from say William's point of view, simply because we have an experience closer to Rowan's.
Delete- Rachel Vrazel
Rowan is my favorite character as well. She seems like she would be an interesting person to know. I don't really like William so far, but you wrote a really nice summary for his part. These book is so dramatic and interesting, and I like reading more about each of the characters as their personalities are revealed further into the book.
DeleteI really like how you connected Cletus’s behavior to that of his father and the way he was raised. I think it is very important to see how parents behavior can affect their children in the future. This makes me realize just how important it is that when I do have kids I don’t just pretend like everyone is the same no matter the color of their skin, but rather that I teach my kids not to trust everything they hear from the media and that no matter what they hear their are good and bad apples in every race and that my children should treat everyone they meet the same. Later, after they get to know the person they can then change the way they treat the person because I fully believe that you should treat others the way you want to be treated up until a certain point then you should treat others the way they treat you so as to not get walked all over.
DeleteRowan is one of my favorite characters so far in the book from the section we've read, and I really like your description of her. I agree that she seems very interested in the past, especially when we see how she took the wallet from the skeleton. I also think she is very relatable - she lives in the same time period as us, she has a best friend, and both her internal and external dialogue are so typical of someone our age that it isn't difficult to put yourself in her shoes and understand how she feels throughout the book. I think that this will be especially beneficial as the book continues, because seeing history through her lens is a lot easier than it is to see it from say William's point of view, simply because we have an experience closer to Rowan's.
ReplyDelete- Rachel Vrazel
I drew the scene I pictured when I read the quote “They whipped him yesterday,” she whispered. “And beat him and left him in the street to die” (Latham 53). While reading this quote I pictured Clarence being jumped in the middle of the street, whipped and cowering trying to protect himself. When I pictured this scene I felt sorry and ashamed that it was white people that used to treat African Americans like this. That I had ancestors that were capable of acts of violence against innocent people just because of their bias against them for their skin color. When drawing this scene I tried to represent that it was night and that he was beat and left in the middle of the road. I tried to really make the people viewing my artwork feel sympathy towards Clarence through his defensive stance trying to protect himself while he was being beat. I had to look up how to draw a street light because I wanted to represent that it was nighttime in the city but didn’t trust my artistic abilities to draw a city landscape so I decided on a street light because during that time period I’m pretty sure only cities were developed enough to have street lights lining the roads.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it’s not the same, I was raised Jewish and my mom constantly told me that I shouldn’t tell people I wasn’t close with that I was Jewish out of fear for the bias that may make them have towards me. While she was growing up Synagogues were being burned down and she was scared that I wouldn’t have the best childhood possible if I was open about being Jewish. This makes me truly feel bad for African Americans because unlike me they can’t hide their race to stop people from having bias towards them. In recent years I have become more open with the fact that by blood I am jewish and have tried to really embrace my past and do lots of research, however through this research it made me truly realize how horrible some people can be just because they’re scared of their differences.
-Kayleigh Murphy
I also grieve for the people of color that my ancestors have probably hurt. For context, a lot of my cousins and uncles and aunts on my dad's side are racist and bigoted, and I'm thankful I wasn't raised that way. There's nothing that can erase that pain and suffering that white people have caused. That's why I think it's important to stand behind and next to people of color who are actively fighting for better livelihoods. It's also important to remember that it it their time to speak, and as white people, we should not overshadow their voices with our own.
Delete-Noelle Myrick
I completely agree with you about having family members that are racist, it truly hurts me when I hear some of the things one of my grandparents says, I understand that he is from a different generation, but to hear someone speak the way he does about African Americans is truly heartbreaking. He once criticized me for being in a relationship with an African American and it hurt me that he could say the things he said about him without even getting to know him; however, after the things he said I told him that as much as I want to respect him because he is my elder I don't when it comes to this and that he lost his chance to get to know the great guy I was dating. I think that's one of the most difficult things during this generation is that so many people are afraid to call out adults around them for being racist, but I think if we did and made them feel shame for their actions, maybe we would see a change in the older generations that could then in turn influence the younger generations.
DeleteKayleigh Murphy
For my illustration I drew Ruby’s roller skates, because I feel like it demonstrates not only a lot about her as a character, but is a very powerful symbol in the book. On page 120, the author talks about Ruby “zigging and zagging around parked bicycles, ducking in and out of the shade from striped store awnings, weaving through a display of shovels and rakes outside a hardware store” (Latham). Along with several other instances throughout the book, and especially as Will and Ruby grow closer, we can see how carefree and loving and innocent Ruby is as a young child - which can especially be seen in her roller skates, a symbol of youth. However, throughout the book, we also see the many things that diminish the beauty of childhood for young African American children of that time period, and the ways in which they aren’t allowed the same freedom to enjoy their childhood because of the dangers of the racist society they were born into. Around the roller skates, I drew symbols of these things which also take away from an unfettered childhood experience - broken milk bottles from when the milk truck crashed and she almost was in serious trouble, Vernon Fish’s gun Maybelle, a sign for Central High School where racism isn’t only ingrained but flourishing and infecting the youth, and finally a fishing pole to represent Clete - a racist and bigoted young man. I drew these smaller around it, and I colored them in - but I didn’t add color to the roller skates, because I wanted that to represent how systemic and socially accepted racism drains a lot of the joy and carefree spirit - the “color” if you will - from childhood for Ruby and for other children like her at the time. I think Ruby and all of the prejudice she faces really makes the reader think about society and not just how far we have come, but how far we have to go. If someone so young and innocent and pure could be seen as such a threat and be so easily disrespected and hurt easily because it was so socially accepted, it makes you really think about how prevalent and deep-rooted and evil racism is, and it propels us to want to continue to make changes and grow as a society so no child ever has to have even the most slightly similar experience growing up. - Rachel Vrazel
ReplyDeleteI really like how you didn't add color to the skates, but did for everything else. Hatred takes a lot of innocence out of the people affected by it, throwing at them the shocking and truly unfortunate reality that they could be killed or beaten for something they cannot control. Dreamland Burning is a good book, but it hurts to see the pain that people of color went through. And although it hurts, I think it's an important thing to read about.
Delete-Noelle Myrick
I like how you also drew around it to talk about all the things taken away from her childhood, I feel like I'm getting a complete story with just the picture. (Alyson Lawrence)
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DeleteYou did an amazing job of describing your picture in great detail. I love the symbolism you used when creating this image, how you thought of all the things that took away from Ruby's childhood and put those each into their own little pictures. I also love how you described your thought process behind why you decided not to color the roller-skates. I feel like even without the full story to back it up, your image would still manage to express the point you're trying to get across. Also, on a side note I love that you managed to take something as simple as roller-skates and turn it into a really meaningful image with a very important message to it.
Deletekayleigh murphy
It was really creative leaving the skates colorless. You do a great job explaining in detail what and how you drew important events and symbols. This book really makes me think about the pain we inflict on others without even thinking about it and the pain that we cause purposefully out of hatred.
ReplyDeleteWill
ReplyDeleteIn this part of the book, Will is slowly starting to decide for himself that racism is wrong. We can especially see this in the decisions he makes during the evening the race riots start, when he risks his own safety multiple times to protect his black friends. I think that his personal relationships with Will and Ruby helped him especially to make that decision and stand up for what is right, especially because in the middle of the race riot you can tell that Ruby’s safety was always on his mind. He even said “We have to find Ruby now” on page 274 after they talked to Gideon and he realized how much worse things were getting (Latham).
Rowan
In the last part of the book, Rowan is facing a lot of complicated emotions as she grieves the death of Arvin, grapples with regret, and researches about the body. Something I observed is that as she learns more about the body and learns more about who Arvin is, she starts to heal. Specifically when they go to meet Joseph Tillman and Ruby’s daughter. You can tell from when Opal asks if she’s sure she wants to learn all of the gory details of the past, and she responds “‘I’m sure’” (Latham 352) that it is important for her healing to have answers. Her story is a real testament to what I believe the author is trying to get across - that to heal and experience closure, we need to examine our lives and the past also to see how we can do better and overcome and root out racism and bigotry.
Clete
During this section of the book, we get to know Clete a little more, and we realize he is a very sanguine person. The reader will get the impression that he does things to have a good time - between him skipping school, falling in love with a prostitute, and trying to start up a section of the junior klan at their school, it seems everything he does he does for fun and to fit in. At the end, though, when he dies, he experiences a lot of regret. He even says to Will “I’ve done bad things, and now I’m on my way to stand judgement…’” (Latham 345), and you can tell how scared he is that because of the way he lived he might be punished for it after he dies. You get the impression his life was very empty, and he tried to fill it with a lot of things and a lot of evil that didn’t fulfill him.
- Rachel Vrazel, Character Watcher
This section of the book was very interesting regarding character development. Rowan had been so naive about the racism all around her, and now she has to face the harsh reality. Will seems guilty and genuinely wants to help. I liked how protective he was of Ruby. Clete is an interesting character in the book, and I think he's very regretful of his actions.
DeletePlot Pro
ReplyDelete1. Will saving ruby from car
2. When Rowan returns the receipt
3. the day Sarah Page cried about being raped in the elevator
4. When ruby goes missing
5. The riot
Predictions 1. I wonder if Will ever told his dad about killing Vernon Fish.
“I’m guessing whoever killed this guy wasn’t interested in bragging about it. They wanted him erased, like he never even existed”(Lathan 30). Based on this quote from the novel I don’t believe Will ever would have told his father or anyone else for that matter about him killing Vernon, I don’t think he would have felt ashamed because it was something that had to be done, but he wasn’t going to be like Vernon and show off notches on a gun.
Predictions 2. I wonder how it felt for Ruby growing up with white people being racist towards her, but then becoming friends with Will.
Based off of Will’s son I know that they will stay friends even after the death of Vernon. I hope that through her friendship with Will at a young age Ruby grows up knowing not all white people are bad and that they just need to gain more knowledge and get away from what they were taught by their parents.
-kayleigh murphy
I was glad to see the way Will began changing and finally seeing how wrong his actions were. I like that Will became an ally and actually wanted to help. Although he's my least favorite, he plays an interesting part in the book. I feel like Ruby and Rowan were very similar and naive about the reality of how people of color are treated.
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