This week for reading a short story we read “The Party Down On The Square.” This was a very interesting story because it involved the lynching of an African-American and a plane crash. The setting is in the early 1900s. It is during a very nasty wind night it Mississippi.
This little boy is originally from Cincinnati and is Uncle Ed tells him to come to the town square for a huge party. Well it turns out that there really is no party instead it’s and angry mob wanting the life of an African-American man. Since the boy had never seen anything like this he made his way to the front of the pack and watched. As the man got closer and closer to the fire out of nowhere a plane crashed right next to the square when the plane landed it hit power lines that began to spark and fly around and eventually caught a white woman.
As the woman laid there the author made a comparison between the man about to die and her because of the color of their skin. Finally the man falls into the fire and everyone except the little boy is happy. Since the little boy is so disgusted he tries so hard to get away and when he finally does he ends up vomiting all over. His Uncle Ed sees him vomiting and says you’ll get use to it but the kid vows to never see that again.
What a crazy story. It is appalling that this type of thing actually happened. It really hit me with all the derogatory language. The author painted a realistic picture of life in the south in that era. It is a sad, sad thing, but people have to know and remember to be prevented from making prejudiced mistakes in the future.
ReplyDeleteI fiund Party down at the square not very plesant at all. I made to the part someone was yelling throw more gas on the fire and I quit reading it. I have a thing about the entire race isue.
ReplyDeleteAntoine, I can tell this story moved you.
ReplyDeleteFor these blog entries, you need to avoid summarizing what you're reading. Take a peek at the handout I gave you for ideas on what to write. I want to hear YOUR thoughts.