Chapter 2
Hello readers, and welcome back to my blog. In this blog I will be discussing the rhetorical strategies Monique Morris uses in her novel Pushout.
As I mentioned in my previous blog, Morris' writing style is a blend of pathos and logos. Morris constantly inserts narratives that help the reader understand that what Morris is writing about is not fiction, it is happening in real life. For example, Morris writes about an incident "...in 2013 involving eight-year-old Jmiyha Rickman, an autistic child who suffered from depression and separation anxiety. Her hands, feet, and waist were restrained when she was arrested in her Illinois elementary school after throwing a 'bad tantrum' and allegedly trying to hit a school resource officer" (57). This is one of the narratives Morris uses to open the second chapter; the beginning narratives all discuss the harsh punishments black girls face for acting out or having a bad attitude, the topic of Chapter 2. It is clear throughout the chapter that Morris vehemently opposes these overly severe penalties for mild behavioral challenges. She shows her opposition of these zero-tolerance policies through the inclusion of relevant narratives. In the above quote Morris adds the medical issues that this eight-year-old had to deal with. This sheds light on another rhetorical strategy Morris is an expert at using, details. In the incorporation of those details, Morris is hoping the mention of autism, depression, and anxiety will cause the reader to be sympathetic for black girls. It also makes the already brutal punishment appear even worse. Finally, Morris places bad tantrum in quotes to signify that she does not think any tantrum is bad enough to place an eight-year-old in handcuffs. Immediately after this is a paragraph of statistics about the higher rates of suspension in preschool for black girls. Morris writes that "black girls are 20 percent of female preschool enrollment, but 54 percent of girls receiving one or more out-of-school suspensions" (57). Personally, I was very shocked when I read this statistic because I was not aware there were suspensions in preschool. Preschoolers are so young that they do not yet know the difference between right and wrong. If you punish them for such tiny infractions, they are taught to be mindless robots; the slightest rule violation is met with handcuffs or a suspension. I really like how Morris continuously backs up a story about a black girl with statistical evidence. It shows the reader the emotional and logical reasoning that proves there are racial disparities when disciplining black girls.
The chapters in Pushout are organized into separate sections with titles such as "They're Not Docile" and "Smart Mouths and Fighting Words." Morris includes sections in order to focus more on a specific idea that contributes to the chapter's idea of the unfair punishments black girls receive. For example, in the section "Standing Their Ground: Zero Tolerance, Willful Defiance, and Surveillance" Morris discusses the issues with the zero tolerance policy in schools by explaining the disadvantages of expulsion and suspension for black girls. Yet another example of logos, the reader finds out that black girls make up 52 percent of all girls with an out-of-school suspension (68). That is astonishing, more than half of out-of-school suspensions are given to black girls. In this section Morris connects the high rate of suspension to an educator's inability to deal with a black girl's attitude. Morris argues that educators suspend black girls because of willful defiance, "a formalized way for a school to reprimand students for failing to follow orders" (70). She also discusses how the zero tolerance policy came to be by alluding to events such as the Columbine shooting and the signing of the Gun Free School Act (67). As you can see, each section is titled in a way so that it pertains to the information within the section. However, some sections are divided up even more. For example, in the subsection "Smart Mouths and Fighting Words," there are also five smaller subsections within the section. The subsections are titled in the form of quotes such as "She's Slow. What's Wrong With Her?" and "I Got a Smart Mouth." In these subsections Morris reflects on discussions she has had with black girls regarding their educational experience. The titles of the subsections are things that the girl said, and then within the subsection is a description of that girl's experience. For example, in the subsection "She's Slow. What's Wrong With Her?" Morris analyzes the girl Shai's experience with unfairness in her learning environment. Shai was teased whenever she got a question wrong in class, but she realized that her white classmates were never teased when they answered incorrectly. Understandably, Shai was angry, not because she got the wrong answer, rather she was angry because she was called "slow" when she answered incorrectly while her white peers were not made fun of (87). When I read Shai's story I thought it certainly connected to the section it was in because Shai is smart enough to realize the unfairness in her own classroom, but I also thought it connected back to Chapter 1 and the idea of unconscious bias. Shai's classmates probably do not realize how unfairly they are treating Shai; rather they are unintentionally singling her out because she is one of the only black students in their school. It is clear throughout this chapter that Morris uniquely organizes her chapters in order to focus more clearly on specific ideas and narratives.
The novel contains evident appeals to the reader's sympathy. Perhaps Morris' strongest rhetorical strategy is her inclusion of pathos. She makes the reader feel bad for these black girls who experience prejudice everyday. An example of this is when she talks about Sheila, a student who repeatedly failed to do her work in her AP European History class. However, she had a couple good reasons. Her uncle had recently passed away and she was experiencing debilitating migraines due to a fall. She advised her teacher multiple times of her situation, yet her teacher just kept nagging her and suggesting that Sheila switch to an easier history class. Sheila also observed her teacher tell a white student who did not do her homework one day that it was okay, the exact opposite of what the teacher had told Sheila. Even after Sheila started to do well in the class again, her teacher still suggested that she take a different class (65). Sheila's story definitely installed a sense of sympathy in me because Sheila was working hard, she was trying, yet she was met with nothing but negative energy from her teacher. It was clear that her teacher was experiencing some unconscious bias because the teacher reprimanded Sheila while supporting Sheila's white peer. I felt extremely bad for Sheila because her school does not treat her fairly. I am confident that at my school, if I was unable to complete my work for some reason, my teachers would help me catch up on all my work rather than telling me I need to switch to another class. Going back to a theme seen in Chapter 1, Sheila's teacher was allowing her to fail. Another appeal to the reader's sympathy is when Morris talks about six-year-old Salecia Johnson. Salecia was arrested and brought to the police station for "...throwing books, toys, and wall hangings..." (56). I was very shocked when I read this because Salecia was six-years-old; six-years-old and she was arrested, transported in a police car, and brought to a police station. Even though I do not completely agree with Morris' arguments, arresting a six-year-old for throwing a tantrum simply is not right. That poor little girl was traumatized by the event, her mother said Salecia sometimes woke up at night screaming "They're coming to get me" (57). I am extremely sympathetic to Salecia and the hardship she endured at such a young age is just unbelievable. As you can see by the above examples, Morris does a very good job appealing to the reader's sympathy, but there also some instances where Morris appeals to her audience by directly addressing them. One example of this is when Morris writes, "Even as you read this - no matter your race, background, or ethnicity - your mind is likely floating toward an image of a brown-skinned young woman with her arms folded, lips pursed, and head poised to swivel as she gives a thorough 'eye-reading' and then settles into either an eye roll or a teeth-sucking dismissal" (58). Morris includes this to appeal to audience, she is saying that she understands we all have our vision of a stereotypical black woman. How can we not? Many black woman in movies or television shows act like the above description. We draw our opinions from what is around us, and I am sure that I do not just speak for myself when I say I have gathered most of my prior knowledge of black woman from television. I have never truly experienced diversity so my thoughts on a stereotypical black woman will reflect that, and Morris understands that. Morris does an excellent job appealing to her readers and the sympathy we have for injustice.
To conclude, I would just like to reflect on my thoughts about Chapter 2. In Chapter 2 Morris explored the unfair disciplinary practices imposed on young black girls. I do have to agree with Morris on her thoughts regarding the zero tolerance policy; I think it should be enforced regarding weapons on school property, but I do not think a student should be expelled for one fight or one argument with a teacher. However, once again I do have to find a fault in Morris' argument. Morris says that black girls are constantly punished for their attitude by teachers with an unconscious bias against black girls, but if these girls truly wanted to learn they would not be rude in class or argue with the teacher. Morris implies that the teachers or school systems incite these behavioral issues, but if a girl gets into a fight or is rude to a teacher, it is no one's fault but her own. All in all, Morris once again has written a chapter filled with an exemplary use of rhetorical strategies. I am excited to see how she further argues the criminalization of black girls in schools.
As I mentioned in my previous blog, Morris' writing style is a blend of pathos and logos. Morris constantly inserts narratives that help the reader understand that what Morris is writing about is not fiction, it is happening in real life. For example, Morris writes about an incident "...in 2013 involving eight-year-old Jmiyha Rickman, an autistic child who suffered from depression and separation anxiety. Her hands, feet, and waist were restrained when she was arrested in her Illinois elementary school after throwing a 'bad tantrum' and allegedly trying to hit a school resource officer" (57). This is one of the narratives Morris uses to open the second chapter; the beginning narratives all discuss the harsh punishments black girls face for acting out or having a bad attitude, the topic of Chapter 2. It is clear throughout the chapter that Morris vehemently opposes these overly severe penalties for mild behavioral challenges. She shows her opposition of these zero-tolerance policies through the inclusion of relevant narratives. In the above quote Morris adds the medical issues that this eight-year-old had to deal with. This sheds light on another rhetorical strategy Morris is an expert at using, details. In the incorporation of those details, Morris is hoping the mention of autism, depression, and anxiety will cause the reader to be sympathetic for black girls. It also makes the already brutal punishment appear even worse. Finally, Morris places bad tantrum in quotes to signify that she does not think any tantrum is bad enough to place an eight-year-old in handcuffs. Immediately after this is a paragraph of statistics about the higher rates of suspension in preschool for black girls. Morris writes that "black girls are 20 percent of female preschool enrollment, but 54 percent of girls receiving one or more out-of-school suspensions" (57). Personally, I was very shocked when I read this statistic because I was not aware there were suspensions in preschool. Preschoolers are so young that they do not yet know the difference between right and wrong. If you punish them for such tiny infractions, they are taught to be mindless robots; the slightest rule violation is met with handcuffs or a suspension. I really like how Morris continuously backs up a story about a black girl with statistical evidence. It shows the reader the emotional and logical reasoning that proves there are racial disparities when disciplining black girls.
The chapters in Pushout are organized into separate sections with titles such as "They're Not Docile" and "Smart Mouths and Fighting Words." Morris includes sections in order to focus more on a specific idea that contributes to the chapter's idea of the unfair punishments black girls receive. For example, in the section "Standing Their Ground: Zero Tolerance, Willful Defiance, and Surveillance" Morris discusses the issues with the zero tolerance policy in schools by explaining the disadvantages of expulsion and suspension for black girls. Yet another example of logos, the reader finds out that black girls make up 52 percent of all girls with an out-of-school suspension (68). That is astonishing, more than half of out-of-school suspensions are given to black girls. In this section Morris connects the high rate of suspension to an educator's inability to deal with a black girl's attitude. Morris argues that educators suspend black girls because of willful defiance, "a formalized way for a school to reprimand students for failing to follow orders" (70). She also discusses how the zero tolerance policy came to be by alluding to events such as the Columbine shooting and the signing of the Gun Free School Act (67). As you can see, each section is titled in a way so that it pertains to the information within the section. However, some sections are divided up even more. For example, in the subsection "Smart Mouths and Fighting Words," there are also five smaller subsections within the section. The subsections are titled in the form of quotes such as "She's Slow. What's Wrong With Her?" and "I Got a Smart Mouth." In these subsections Morris reflects on discussions she has had with black girls regarding their educational experience. The titles of the subsections are things that the girl said, and then within the subsection is a description of that girl's experience. For example, in the subsection "She's Slow. What's Wrong With Her?" Morris analyzes the girl Shai's experience with unfairness in her learning environment. Shai was teased whenever she got a question wrong in class, but she realized that her white classmates were never teased when they answered incorrectly. Understandably, Shai was angry, not because she got the wrong answer, rather she was angry because she was called "slow" when she answered incorrectly while her white peers were not made fun of (87). When I read Shai's story I thought it certainly connected to the section it was in because Shai is smart enough to realize the unfairness in her own classroom, but I also thought it connected back to Chapter 1 and the idea of unconscious bias. Shai's classmates probably do not realize how unfairly they are treating Shai; rather they are unintentionally singling her out because she is one of the only black students in their school. It is clear throughout this chapter that Morris uniquely organizes her chapters in order to focus more clearly on specific ideas and narratives.
The novel contains evident appeals to the reader's sympathy. Perhaps Morris' strongest rhetorical strategy is her inclusion of pathos. She makes the reader feel bad for these black girls who experience prejudice everyday. An example of this is when she talks about Sheila, a student who repeatedly failed to do her work in her AP European History class. However, she had a couple good reasons. Her uncle had recently passed away and she was experiencing debilitating migraines due to a fall. She advised her teacher multiple times of her situation, yet her teacher just kept nagging her and suggesting that Sheila switch to an easier history class. Sheila also observed her teacher tell a white student who did not do her homework one day that it was okay, the exact opposite of what the teacher had told Sheila. Even after Sheila started to do well in the class again, her teacher still suggested that she take a different class (65). Sheila's story definitely installed a sense of sympathy in me because Sheila was working hard, she was trying, yet she was met with nothing but negative energy from her teacher. It was clear that her teacher was experiencing some unconscious bias because the teacher reprimanded Sheila while supporting Sheila's white peer. I felt extremely bad for Sheila because her school does not treat her fairly. I am confident that at my school, if I was unable to complete my work for some reason, my teachers would help me catch up on all my work rather than telling me I need to switch to another class. Going back to a theme seen in Chapter 1, Sheila's teacher was allowing her to fail. Another appeal to the reader's sympathy is when Morris talks about six-year-old Salecia Johnson. Salecia was arrested and brought to the police station for "...throwing books, toys, and wall hangings..." (56). I was very shocked when I read this because Salecia was six-years-old; six-years-old and she was arrested, transported in a police car, and brought to a police station. Even though I do not completely agree with Morris' arguments, arresting a six-year-old for throwing a tantrum simply is not right. That poor little girl was traumatized by the event, her mother said Salecia sometimes woke up at night screaming "They're coming to get me" (57). I am extremely sympathetic to Salecia and the hardship she endured at such a young age is just unbelievable. As you can see by the above examples, Morris does a very good job appealing to the reader's sympathy, but there also some instances where Morris appeals to her audience by directly addressing them. One example of this is when Morris writes, "Even as you read this - no matter your race, background, or ethnicity - your mind is likely floating toward an image of a brown-skinned young woman with her arms folded, lips pursed, and head poised to swivel as she gives a thorough 'eye-reading' and then settles into either an eye roll or a teeth-sucking dismissal" (58). Morris includes this to appeal to audience, she is saying that she understands we all have our vision of a stereotypical black woman. How can we not? Many black woman in movies or television shows act like the above description. We draw our opinions from what is around us, and I am sure that I do not just speak for myself when I say I have gathered most of my prior knowledge of black woman from television. I have never truly experienced diversity so my thoughts on a stereotypical black woman will reflect that, and Morris understands that. Morris does an excellent job appealing to her readers and the sympathy we have for injustice.
To conclude, I would just like to reflect on my thoughts about Chapter 2. In Chapter 2 Morris explored the unfair disciplinary practices imposed on young black girls. I do have to agree with Morris on her thoughts regarding the zero tolerance policy; I think it should be enforced regarding weapons on school property, but I do not think a student should be expelled for one fight or one argument with a teacher. However, once again I do have to find a fault in Morris' argument. Morris says that black girls are constantly punished for their attitude by teachers with an unconscious bias against black girls, but if these girls truly wanted to learn they would not be rude in class or argue with the teacher. Morris implies that the teachers or school systems incite these behavioral issues, but if a girl gets into a fight or is rude to a teacher, it is no one's fault but her own. All in all, Morris once again has written a chapter filled with an exemplary use of rhetorical strategies. I am excited to see how she further argues the criminalization of black girls in schools.
Works Cited
Morris, Monique W. Pushout: the Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools. New Press, 2018.
The stories Morris use to help bring about her point sound like they are very powerful, especially the one you talked about at the beginning of your post. Just reading the quote from the book evoked emotions out of me. The word choice in the quotes is also very powerful. Later in your post, you quote her describing the way a young African American woman is standing. The vividness of her description is amazing.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your thoughts on the chapter, I can also definitely agree with you on the fact that students shouldn’t get expelled just for one fight in school.
Thank you for reading! I also enjoy Morris' use of quotes, they do indeed make her argument more powerful. Her description of a stereotypical black woman is certainly one of her stronger quotes, as it uses imagery while appealing to her audience. I found it intriguing how detailed her description was; it was obvious she had thought about it a lot. Thank you for your agreement with me on the zero tolerance policy. The zero tolerance policy, if implemented, should only apply in the most severe situations. Thank you for reading my blog!
DeleteI certainly agree with your comment about being shocked about the statistics of preschoolers being suspended from school. I also talked about the stereotypes of black women in my blog too. I think it's something that we cannot avoid in our generation because of the movies and shows that we watch today. You talked about the zero tolerance policy that I did not get to talk about in mine. I personally do think that it is unfair of them to get in a fight and be expelled from their learning environment. I love how you explain your thoughts in your blog because that makes me look at the text in your eyes!
ReplyDeleteEllie, good discussion of the appeals towards sympathy, as well as the balance between specific examples and statistics to prove that each individual story doesn't operate as an anomaly.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that the argument she's making about schools is less that schools are the cause of the behavior but that they worsen the problem by acting unfairly towards black girls, which just perpetuates the issues?