1. Theme for English B
1.1. Themes
1.1.1. Identity: His skin color changes others view on him "I guess being colored doesn't make me NOT like the same things other folks like who are other races." (Hughes 25-26)
1.2. Characterization
1.2.1. Development: We see that the main character accepts how he lives his life and accepts who he is "You are white--- yet a part of me, as I am a part of you." (Hughes 31-32)
1.3. Conflicts
1.3.1. External: He is the only colored one in his class so it will make him feel isolated from the rest "I am the only colored student in my class." (Hughes 10)
1.4. Motifs
1.4.1. Symbol: The paper he wrote for the class can symbolize how everyone is the same no matter what their color or race "As I learn from you--- I guess you learn from me---." (Hughes 37-38)
1.5. Use of language
1.5.1. Style: Is how his view is based on this discriminated colored man and how alone he feels. Also, how he accepts the perception of being the only colored in the class. "Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you." (Hughes 34-35)
1.6. Text connections
1.6.1. Text To Self: The reader can relate to this poem by their skin tone and how colored people got less privileges than white people.
1.6.2. Text To World: This can see colored people are more discriminated than white people and white people are seen to be "more intelligent" than colored.
2. The Jacket
2.1. Themes
2.1.1. Identity: The jacket changes others view on him after they see them "Even the girls who had been friendly blew away like loose flowers to follow the boys in neat jackets." (Soto 8)
2.2. Characterization
2.2.1. Development: We see the young boy grow and get use to the jacket sticking to him. "I blame that jacket for those bad years" (Soto 10) "I stared up at the alley and soon slipped into my jacket, that green ugly brother who breathed over my shoulder that day ever since." (Soto 12)
2.3. Conflicts
2.3.1. People: Most of the boy's conflicts involves other children making fun of him at school "During the morning recess Frankie T., the playground terrorist, pushed me to the ground and told me to stay there until recess was over." (Soto 6)
2.4. Motifs
2.4.1. The Jacket: The jacket represents his insecurities and poverty and how it affects the way he sees things "I blame my mother for her bad taste and her cheap ways." (Soto 10)
2.5. Use of language
2.5.1. Childlike Mindset: The author speaks in the story like a young Hispanic boy with an overly large imagination "They looked my way and talked about how foolish I looked in my new jacket. I saw their heads bob with laughter, their hands half covering their mouths." (Soto 6)
2.6. Text connections
2.6.1. Text to Self: The reader could relate to this poem because the reader may also have something that affects others view of them like their beliefs or the things they like.
2.6.2. Text to World: If the jacket is representing the young boy's race, then the text connects to the world on how people are looked down upon others due to their race.
3. Similarities
3.1. Themes
3.1.1. Identity: Both show how identity affects peoples view of them " I heard the buzz-buzz of gossip and even laughter that I knew was meant for me." (Soto 7) "I guess being colored doesn't make me NOT like the same things other folds like who are other races."(Hughes 25-26)
3.2. Characterization
3.2.1. Development: We see that both characters learn t accept what they have and they accept the future that they will have with it."I stared up at the alley and soon slipped into my jacket, that green ugly brother who breathed over my shoulder that day ever since." (Soto 12) "You are white--- yet a part of me, as I am a part of you." (Hughes 31-32)
3.3. Conflicts
3.3.1. External and Internal: Both have conflicts being discriminated and feeling left out. "Although they didn't say out loud, "Man, that's ugly," I heard the buzz-buzz of gossip and even laughter that I knew was meant for me." (Soto 7) "Although your're older---and white---...and somewhat more free." (Hughes 39-40)
3.4. Motifs
3.4.1. Race: Both characters must handle the struggle of being Black in college or Hispanic in school during a dark time of racism. "I showed the cracksto my mother, who always seemed to be at the stove with steamed-up glasses, and she said that there were children in Mexico who would loved that jacket."(Soto 3) "So will my page be colored that I write?...Being me, it will not be white" (Hughes 27-28)
3.5. Use of language
3.5.1. Development: Both authors write a character that first start with pain from what they have until they accept their life and what they must live with. "I stared up at the alley and soon slipped into my jacket, that green ugly brother who breathed over my shoulder that day ever since." (Soto 12) "You are white--- yet a part of me, as I am a part of you." (Hughes 31-32)
3.6. Text connections
3.6.1. Text To Self: Both of these poems can relate to the reader by showing how race affects others view of the reader like how they boy is bullied and how the young adult is looked down upon.
3.6.2. Text To World: Both of these poems can connect to the world by people should accept what their race or views on oneself. Also, believe in yourself more and ignore what people say or your the only colored one in the class.