Double-Entry Journal - Weekly Homework
Name & Course Section: Chris Mumford
Week: 2
Reading / Viewing Assignment: Recitatif
Due Date: 08/29/2008
Understanding/Note taking:
The main thing I noticed in the story is the fact that
she never revealed the character's race. However
the author used a pleathora of racial and social
stereotypes.
Twyla : I could tell she was African-American
because of her name being unique(most African
american mother's name their kids uniqu names).
Also her mother's dancing/stripping addiction and
most stereotypes nowadays say that black women
are whores/strippers because they like to dance.
Her mother's demeanor when she was disrespected
at the church and how she reacted after the fact
being a disruption to the church.
Roberta: You really couldn't tell her race because
there were mixed stereotypes with her: I thought she
was either one of two races Latina or Caucasian.
LATINA
-She couldn't read or write well.
Stereotype: Latino's are illiterate and the cannot
comprehend the English language too well.
-When Twyla said “They don't wash they're hair
and they smell funny”
Stereotype: Latino's have a funny smell and they
DON'T wash they're hair. Also they smell like tacos
UNST 140 section 10
Interpretation/reflection: Connect notes from the left side to
yourself and to the world around you.
How do you “feel” about what you read?
In the beginning I was more confused because I thought the
races of the charcters were going to be revealed. But it was quite
the contrary. In the end I thought that what made this story so
confusing made me think outside of the box and I was very
surprised at my realizations of how they began in the same
situation long ago and they went in two different directions in
life.
What ideas does the reading stimulate?
The main thing the story brought out was the fact that had
racism and social stereotypes not been created I would have
never got the picture of the story and I myself without the
authors help found myself thinking “Oh Roberta's whit
because...” or “Twyla is black because.....”.
How does it relate to the learning objectives indicated for the
unit?
The theme in this Unit is race and the fact that she used race in
the story without having used the word race or any particular
races at all. Had this been my story I would have used the terms
hundreds of times.
How does it impact you as a scholar/activist?
-Her mother was very religious with the huge cross
and the “biggest BIBLE ever made.”
Stereotype: Most hispanic/latino women are very
religious.
It makes me think about how thing were back in the times when
my parent's were growing up and how much success they made
from what little they had.
CAUCASIAN
Metacognition: Examine how you’re “thinking” about this
topic?
-The way Roberta wasted food.
Stereotype: Caucasian people waste food because
they are wealthy and they can waste food and afford
more.
I have always used race to make my decision for me because as
a young black man I feel you can only do certain things to
certain people without offending them.
-Roberta's mother brought a load of food when she
came to visit
Stereotype: Caucasian families care more about
their kids and love to do things.
Why was that your first reaction?
I really believe race is just a word to control people and had it
not been used as a power tool the world would be better off.
After reflection, how might you broaden you perspective?
-Roberta getting a easier path in life.
It seemed Roberta had it easier than Twyla and she
ended up marrying a rich businessman and having a
rich husband so she didn't have to work while
Twyla on the other hand married a fireman and
while she didn't have life that bad either she had to
work to make a living and she seemingly had better
values than Roberta.
I plan on really learning about how this term race came to be
and think about ways to remove the social and racial stereotypes
out of my mind.