The Theme of Violence in Cage Bird, Giving Blood, Sand...

This semester in American Literature I have read and analyzed various literary works. The reoccurring theme throughout the works is violence. I have came to the conclusion that the significance of violence throughout the various works is that the group or individual singled out throughout the works is the victim of violence because the enemy has something to gain from the victim. The literary works, Caged Bird, Giving Blood, Sand Creek, and An Episode of War demonstrate this. For example, Caged Bird by Maya Angelou demonstrates how a personal struggle can become a form of violence. Angelou, an African American has a troubled childhood and as a result of her parents divorce she is sent to live with her grandmother at a young age.†¦show more content†¦Historically there have been racial tensions between white’s and Native Americans. This resulted in massacres of Native American’s. The violence reflected in this short story is the denial of the blood donation of the man and the massacre of the Native Americans by white’s. The massacre was a gain for white’s because it eliminated the Native American’s who were seen as a threat to the white’s way of life. Another example of discrimination resulting in violence is reflected in the poem Sand Creek, by Simon Ortiz. The poem is told from the point of view of an Indian who reflects on the brutality of Indian deaths by the Anglos. The poem is a historical reference to the Sand Creek massacre, which occurred in 1864 when a US military militia massacred a group of Indians who presented themselves as friendly near a fort. At the conclusion of the poem the author emphasizes that things will improve stating that, â€Å"There are flowers, and new grass, and a spring wind rising from Sand Creek† (2). The author also states that things will change for the people of Indian decent. The violence throughout the poem is the Anglos massacring the Indians just because they could. Finally, in An Episode of War, by Stephen Crane an army lieutenant experiences the reality of war first hand. In the short story, an army lieutenant isShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesCreative Style Assessment 226 Scoring Key 226 Comparison Data 226 SKILL PRACTICE Applying Conceptual Blockbusting 227 Observer’s Feedback Form 227 Answer to Matchstick Problem in Figure 3.4 229 Answer to Shakespeare Riddle in Figure 3.5 229 Some Common Themes Applying to Water and Finance 229 Answer to Name That Ship Problem in Figure 3.6 230 Answer to Nine-Dot Problem in Figure 3.7 230 Answer to Embedded Pattern Problem in Figure 3.8 231 PART II 4 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS 232 233 BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS