Chapter 3
Hello readers! Welcome back to my blog! I have chosen this blog to be my free choice blog. In this blog I will summarize the way this chapter develops Monique W. Morris' overall argument through the use of rhetorical strategies.
This chapter is titled Jezebel in the Classroom. It discusses how many young girls turn to the sex industry when the school system fails them. The chapter starts with a short poem that I copied down below.
"Tra la-la boom-di-yay
I met a boy today
He gave me 50 cents
To go behind the fence
He knocked me on the ground
And pulled my panties down
He counted 1-2-3
And stuck it into me
My mother was surprised
To see my belly rise
My father jumped for joy
Because it was a boy" (96).
This is an aspect of Morris' writing that I would like to discuss. Before each chapter Morris includes a short rhyme or poem that pertains to what she talks about in the chapter. In this case the rhyme is about prostitution and Chapter 3 is about how young girls turn to prostitution as an alternative to school. I did some research on this rhyme, and I discovered that there are hundreds of versions of this rhyming song. One source said these songs are allusions to a song from the 1890s called "Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay" ("Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay"). These songs are typically about sex and the opening line is almost always some form of ta ra ra boom de ay. Personally, I was surprised at the graphic content of this rhyme. It certainly shocks the reader, making the reader understand what some girls suffer.
Morris educates the reader on the rationale behind young girls choosing to be prostitutes rather than students. She does this through the use of anecdotes, which utilize the rhetorical strategy pathos. Morris tells the story of Diamond, a fourteen-year-old sex worker. Diamond explains that she was expelled for writing "I hate the bitches at this school" on the wall at her school because her classmates were bullying her about her job as a prostitute (97). Morris uses the details of Diamond's expulsion to blame the school for Diamond's failure. Morris thinks that Diamond should not have been expelled for that small offense. I agree, but I think that Diamond must have committed a couple of other offenses beforehand, resulting in a harsher punishment. Morris goes on to describe how Diamond loves her boyfriend and says her "boyfriend's different" (98). This is an excellent use of pathos because I know after reading Diamond's story I pity her. I feel pity because Diamond believes her boyfriend, a twenty-five-year-old adult who was sexually exploiting her, deserves her love. The truth is, Diamond's "boyfriend" is no better than a pimp. Diamond goes on to explain that many girls turn to prostitution for the money. Morris says, "Diamond, like other girls who come from poverty, [understands] that education is a tool for economic success, but she [is] also feeling pressured to find a way out of poverty sooner rather than later..." (99). Many of the young girls employed in the sex industry understand that an education is valuable, they just would rather earn money right away. Morris explains that teenage girls, like the typical adolescents they are, sell their bodies in exchange for money to buy clothes, get their hair done, or get a manicure. I know that I certainly like buying clothes or other things, so this section helps me emphasize with these girls. I also know that I typically get money from my parents whenever I need it. Most of the girls that are involved with the sex trade receive no money from their family, so they must turn to prostitution to make money.
Diamond also explains how the majority of young sex workers drop out of school to make more money and spare themselves the bullying about their job. However, some girls manage to get an education while being a prostitute on the side. One such story is that of Paris, a transgender female. Paris says "I didn't care how long I was on that corner for, or how long I was up the next night, I made it to school. I graduated" (116). This story installs a sense of pride in me. I was proud of this girl. She was strong, transitioning during high school, selling her body to fund her transition. She worked her butt off to succeed, and her story also made me think about the other victims Morris discusses. Paris had no "boyfriend" nor was she bossed around by a pimp. She was her own master, some of these other girls have it much harder. Morris never directly tells the stories of these girls, but Paris references their hardships. Paris describes how some girls are "...held hostage in houses for months at a time getting raped, getting drugs injected into their veins, and coke forced up their nose, just to get them hooked on these addictions..." (117). Morris does not base her argument off of this detail, but she includes it to show that the girls experiencing those atrocities are definitely not going to school. Morris includes it as proof that if a school allows a girl to fail, they could possibly be forcing the girl into a life of misery. However, I think this is a pretty extreme example with weak ties to Morris' argument. I do not think it is intended to be a staple piece of evidence proving schools force girls into lives of prostitution.
Morris focuses this chapter on how schools can encourage girls to stay in school rather than expel them, which forces them into the clutches of predators who will exploit them. She uses the rhetorical strategy pathos because she asks multiple black girls what they think the school system could do to help them stay in school. I was happy when I got to this part of the chapter because I have been waiting for Morris to provide solutions for the problems she continuously points out. I also liked how Morris got both sides of the story in this chapter, giving her ethos. She talks about cutting down on the amount of black girls that are pushed out of school with Julio, a school administrator. Julio goes into detail about how he is working on getting some troubled girls some one-on-one help. However, he explains how his methods will never work if the girls never come to school (110). This is a point that I too have raised in my previous blogs. The education systems can not be entirely at fault because some girls simply do not want to learn. As you can see by Paris' success story, if you truly want to succeed at something you can overcome any obstacles. Julio's ideas certainly do sound good, but Morris also gives the reader a chance to hear the opinions of some of the girls who are actually affected by administrative policies. Morris asks Jennifer, a sixteen-year-old prostitute, and Diamond what would help them learn. Jennifer suggests that schools "make [the girls] care more about their education" (111). I do not think this is a good suggestion because the school system is not in charge of forcing students to care about their education. It is the student's responsibility to care. Diamond suggests that more attention would help her stay in school (111). This is an amazing idea in a perfect world, but the harsh reality is there are not enough resources to hire extra teachers. Diamond also complains about how teachers are more apt to help A students than students who are having trouble (113). This is true and I see it happen in my school too. Teachers would much rather help kids who are studious and are doing well in their class than help students who have difficulty learning and constantly fail. This is something that school systems could change by making sure all teachers are helping kids who are struggling in their class. However faulty these suggestions may be, they all employ pathos because they make the reader feel hope. The reader is hopeful because these girls are suggesting what they think could improve their school, and if the schools are improved all students have a better chance of success.
Morris also talks about how the dress code can affect a girl's education through discrimination and exclusion from school, but I chose to focus on her discussion of young girls in the sex trade because I thought it had a bigger impact on the criminalization of black girls. This chapter was very informative for me because I did not realize the connections between the school system and underage prostitutes. It is still startling to see the contrast between the school system in our little town of Hopkinton and the school systems in bigger schools. My school has the resources to assign disabled or troubled students their own teacher. In bigger schools they simply do not have the time nor do they have the money to focus on keeping one girl off the streets. This chapter has been my favorite so far because Morris finally provides solutions to the problems she keeps pointing out. Morris continues her strong use of pathos throughout Chapter 3 to show how young girls are forced into prostitution, giving up their education. Another reason I like this chapter is because Morris finally places some of the blame on things other than the school system. She blames society, outside actors such as pimps, and the school system. However, she still places the majority of the blame on the school system. Unfortunately, I still do not completely agree with Morris on this matter. Morris mostly interviewed girls who went to big schools in places such as Chicago or the Bay Area. This schools have limited resources and they simply can not make the effort to keep every single girl in school, but I can guarantee that every school at least has some sort of guidance counselor. The girls need to make the effort to stay in school by meeting with their guidance counselor or attending school. Just look at Paris, she managed to stay in school and graduate. I believe that these black girls need to try before everyone blames the school systems.
Morris educates the reader on the rationale behind young girls choosing to be prostitutes rather than students. She does this through the use of anecdotes, which utilize the rhetorical strategy pathos. Morris tells the story of Diamond, a fourteen-year-old sex worker. Diamond explains that she was expelled for writing "I hate the bitches at this school" on the wall at her school because her classmates were bullying her about her job as a prostitute (97). Morris uses the details of Diamond's expulsion to blame the school for Diamond's failure. Morris thinks that Diamond should not have been expelled for that small offense. I agree, but I think that Diamond must have committed a couple of other offenses beforehand, resulting in a harsher punishment. Morris goes on to describe how Diamond loves her boyfriend and says her "boyfriend's different" (98). This is an excellent use of pathos because I know after reading Diamond's story I pity her. I feel pity because Diamond believes her boyfriend, a twenty-five-year-old adult who was sexually exploiting her, deserves her love. The truth is, Diamond's "boyfriend" is no better than a pimp. Diamond goes on to explain that many girls turn to prostitution for the money. Morris says, "Diamond, like other girls who come from poverty, [understands] that education is a tool for economic success, but she [is] also feeling pressured to find a way out of poverty sooner rather than later..." (99). Many of the young girls employed in the sex industry understand that an education is valuable, they just would rather earn money right away. Morris explains that teenage girls, like the typical adolescents they are, sell their bodies in exchange for money to buy clothes, get their hair done, or get a manicure. I know that I certainly like buying clothes or other things, so this section helps me emphasize with these girls. I also know that I typically get money from my parents whenever I need it. Most of the girls that are involved with the sex trade receive no money from their family, so they must turn to prostitution to make money.
Diamond also explains how the majority of young sex workers drop out of school to make more money and spare themselves the bullying about their job. However, some girls manage to get an education while being a prostitute on the side. One such story is that of Paris, a transgender female. Paris says "I didn't care how long I was on that corner for, or how long I was up the next night, I made it to school. I graduated" (116). This story installs a sense of pride in me. I was proud of this girl. She was strong, transitioning during high school, selling her body to fund her transition. She worked her butt off to succeed, and her story also made me think about the other victims Morris discusses. Paris had no "boyfriend" nor was she bossed around by a pimp. She was her own master, some of these other girls have it much harder. Morris never directly tells the stories of these girls, but Paris references their hardships. Paris describes how some girls are "...held hostage in houses for months at a time getting raped, getting drugs injected into their veins, and coke forced up their nose, just to get them hooked on these addictions..." (117). Morris does not base her argument off of this detail, but she includes it to show that the girls experiencing those atrocities are definitely not going to school. Morris includes it as proof that if a school allows a girl to fail, they could possibly be forcing the girl into a life of misery. However, I think this is a pretty extreme example with weak ties to Morris' argument. I do not think it is intended to be a staple piece of evidence proving schools force girls into lives of prostitution.
Morris focuses this chapter on how schools can encourage girls to stay in school rather than expel them, which forces them into the clutches of predators who will exploit them. She uses the rhetorical strategy pathos because she asks multiple black girls what they think the school system could do to help them stay in school. I was happy when I got to this part of the chapter because I have been waiting for Morris to provide solutions for the problems she continuously points out. I also liked how Morris got both sides of the story in this chapter, giving her ethos. She talks about cutting down on the amount of black girls that are pushed out of school with Julio, a school administrator. Julio goes into detail about how he is working on getting some troubled girls some one-on-one help. However, he explains how his methods will never work if the girls never come to school (110). This is a point that I too have raised in my previous blogs. The education systems can not be entirely at fault because some girls simply do not want to learn. As you can see by Paris' success story, if you truly want to succeed at something you can overcome any obstacles. Julio's ideas certainly do sound good, but Morris also gives the reader a chance to hear the opinions of some of the girls who are actually affected by administrative policies. Morris asks Jennifer, a sixteen-year-old prostitute, and Diamond what would help them learn. Jennifer suggests that schools "make [the girls] care more about their education" (111). I do not think this is a good suggestion because the school system is not in charge of forcing students to care about their education. It is the student's responsibility to care. Diamond suggests that more attention would help her stay in school (111). This is an amazing idea in a perfect world, but the harsh reality is there are not enough resources to hire extra teachers. Diamond also complains about how teachers are more apt to help A students than students who are having trouble (113). This is true and I see it happen in my school too. Teachers would much rather help kids who are studious and are doing well in their class than help students who have difficulty learning and constantly fail. This is something that school systems could change by making sure all teachers are helping kids who are struggling in their class. However faulty these suggestions may be, they all employ pathos because they make the reader feel hope. The reader is hopeful because these girls are suggesting what they think could improve their school, and if the schools are improved all students have a better chance of success.
Morris also talks about how the dress code can affect a girl's education through discrimination and exclusion from school, but I chose to focus on her discussion of young girls in the sex trade because I thought it had a bigger impact on the criminalization of black girls. This chapter was very informative for me because I did not realize the connections between the school system and underage prostitutes. It is still startling to see the contrast between the school system in our little town of Hopkinton and the school systems in bigger schools. My school has the resources to assign disabled or troubled students their own teacher. In bigger schools they simply do not have the time nor do they have the money to focus on keeping one girl off the streets. This chapter has been my favorite so far because Morris finally provides solutions to the problems she keeps pointing out. Morris continues her strong use of pathos throughout Chapter 3 to show how young girls are forced into prostitution, giving up their education. Another reason I like this chapter is because Morris finally places some of the blame on things other than the school system. She blames society, outside actors such as pimps, and the school system. However, she still places the majority of the blame on the school system. Unfortunately, I still do not completely agree with Morris on this matter. Morris mostly interviewed girls who went to big schools in places such as Chicago or the Bay Area. This schools have limited resources and they simply can not make the effort to keep every single girl in school, but I can guarantee that every school at least has some sort of guidance counselor. The girls need to make the effort to stay in school by meeting with their guidance counselor or attending school. Just look at Paris, she managed to stay in school and graduate. I believe that these black girls need to try before everyone blames the school systems.
Works Cited
Morris, Monique W. Pushout: the Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools. New Press, 2018.
“Ta Ra Ra Boom De Ay.” Playground Jungle, playgroundjungle.com/2009/12/ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay.html.
As a teenager, I can understand the want and, in this case, the need for money. I find it interesting how many of the girls who were involved with child prostitution realized how valuable an education is, and how getting one gives them a higher chance of getting out of poverty. But in their case, getting out of poverty now is a far more important thing than getting out later after completing their education. It really shows the different priorities for different people. They feel they need this money so bad that they sell themselves to people many times their age, while people in communities such as ours would never trade their education for prostitution.
ReplyDeleteHey Ellie!
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis of Ch.3, I specifically liked your research into the opening line, which we, as readers all know is disturbing just from the content of the rhyme itself, but I now find this even more creepy as you stated that this line is a very famous variation that has been used throughout 1890s till now. I find this being a very smart choice by the author to start the chapter this way, it shows her historical knowledge of the history on the topic, establishing her ethos. The rest of your post flowed nicely off of that analysis, I also liked your paragraph on dress code. And I agree that we are very lucky to have lived in a town that has the luxury to focus on the wellbeing of their students. Keep up the great work! - Abbey
Ellie, nice analysis of the appeals to pathos. Did you notice any appeals to logos in this section? Do you think that her appealing to logic and providing more statistical information would have helped her argument? Also, while I understand your points about schools not being responsible for children caring about learning, do you think that some of the responsibility has to fall on the schools if it's not coming from the parents (or if there are no parents)? Does it depend on how the school is structured and what they value about their students and about education?
ReplyDeleteI did notice appeals to logos in this section but since this was my free choice blog, I chose to focus on Morris' use of pathos. Her use of logos is extensive and certainly does strengthen her argument, I just wanted to focus on pathos for this blog. I also agree that the schools are partially responsible if their teachers do not properly educate their students. However, in many schools the education is great, but students simply do not try. I do think that responsibility for education depends on school structure. For example, a school's ability to educate their students becomes harder if the school has a zero-tolerance policy. In these schools the focus is typically on discipline rather than an adequate education. I hope this answered your questions and thank you for reading my blog!
DeleteHi Ellie,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog very interesting, because I have never really heard the issue of prostitution discussed from a perspective other than hearing about how it is not a positive thing. Coming from such a small town, it is difficult to imagine the kind of hardships that girls must endure from their classmates and the kind of pressure they may be under by members of the opposite sex. Did the chapter discuss anything about Diamond's childhood or family, and how that affected her life choices?
Katie