Christopher Newman
LE 1360-001 Opening Diverse Doors
CRN 21659
April 12, 2011
ePortfolio Signature Assignment
Tennessee Williams and Diversity Consciousness
Throughout the entire 2011 spring semester at Salt Lake Community College, I have been
studying the life and works of Tennessee Williams in my class, Opening Diverse Doors. I had
the opportunity to learn about a man, playwright, poet, and author that I had never known of
prior to my participation in this course. The lessons I learned through Williams fit in perfectly
with the aspects of diversity consciousness that I studied throughout this course. Through these
principles, coupled with interactions with diverse individuals in my classroom, I learned a lot
about myself, the way I view the world, and the way that others view me.
The greatest lesson I learned through this process was the fact that, to effectively
communicate with others, I need to “step outside of myself” (Buchar 165). For an assignment in
this course, I chose to give a brief oral comparison of Williams “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and this
principle of communication. I was able to see the problems that arise when someone is unable to
step outside and “process and understand another person’s point of view” (Buchar 165).
Learning this has helped me check myself before I judge someone. Lately I’ve been trying to
understand where other people come from, what their background is, and why they might be
thinking or acting the way they are. I’ve found that by doing this I’m able to see and appreciate
their point of view, apart from my beliefs and preconceived notions. On a recent occasion, I had
an argument with my brother about something completely pointless. The argument escalated to
the point where I asked him to leave, which he abruptly obliged in doing. Upon thinking about
his argument and realizing his situation and experience, being the youngest of all my siblings, I
understood his point of view and why he had acted the way he did. I was able to set aside my
views on the matter and see that his opinion was indeed valid.
Another aspect of diversity consciousness that has had an effect on me is the principle of
“Following Through” (Buchar 169). I never before realized that someone actually needed to
consciously practice their communication skills on a daily basis to refine them. This realization
has helped me to keep better tabs on my interactions throughout my day. In our in-class reading
of Williams “The Glass Menagerie” and in my own reading of the play, I found several examples
where following through with active listening could have prevented serious miscommunication
and turmoil. The way Tom’s mother goes on and on about the things he needed to improve on
while not listening or seeing the way it affected him was devastating to their fragile family.
Reading and watching this part of the story opened my eyes to the importance of listening in
communication. Speaking and actively listening are two parts of a whole that are essential to
effective communication. This is why it is so important to follow through and cultivate a variety
of communication and diversity skills.
Generally speaking, the intimate view of Williams’ personal life had an impact on me.
Seeing the trials and pain that Williams experienced in his lifetime really helped me to see value
in others’ differences. I wouldn’t consider myself a discriminatory person, but I have realized
that I sometimes listen or don’t listen to people based on their lifestyle or my first impression of
them. If I had known Tennessee Williams during his life, there are things about him that I might
not have found appealing and therefore may not have taken in his unique view of life. Now that
I have read his poems and plays, seen video footage of him reading poetry, and studied the
hardships he experienced in his life, I can see great value in his expression of himself. Because
of this I have learned a lot about myself. It has made me wonder about how I express myself to
others and the way that they see me and receive that I have to say. I know that I want others to
take value in my opinion and I assume that most people feel the same way.
To be honest, when I heard that this course was devoting so much time to studying just
one man, I doubted whether or not it would be effective. Interestingly enough, it took almost the
whole semester for me to see how diversity consciousness really encapsulates Williams’ life. If I
hadn’t spent so much time reading his work and learning about his life, I wouldn’t have been
able to, at least partially, see life through his eyes. Although there is a lot I still don’t know
about him, or even diversity for that matter, I have learned to appreciate other people. I can see
that what I have learned will benefit many different aspects of my life, especially my interactions
with others throughout my education and whatever career field I choose. Everyone has a
different story to tell and, especially to them, it is worth hearing about.
Bibliography
Buchar, R. (2010). Diversity Consciousness (3rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Prentice Hall