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Personally, I did not really find the overall theme or message in David Sedaris’s essay, “Us and Them,” to be clear and straightforward. I understand it has something to do with the perception of people and the way they present themselves, and perhaps maybe even about the multiple different images the world provides, making some more irrelevant than others. I like the way the essay is structured; the beginning where Sedaris mentions the family moving frequently and not having the time or the intention of making friends for that reason, and the ending where the protagonist speaks about the different images that exist, are two very different topics but they all seem to come together throughout the essay. The different things discussed in this essay all provide a smooth transition to the next part of the essay.

The protagonist’s way of speaking about his feelings towards the Tomkey’s before and after the trick or treating incident provides a gateway to understanding his character better. When he says, “Wondering about the Tomkey family had made me feel generous, but now I would have to shift gears and find pleasure in hating them” (Sedaris 1), it makes me realize that the speaker is very judgmental and dramatic in a sense as well since he is able to hate a family for something as insignificant as having to give them his “earned” chocolate. Although his reaction may seem unrealistic and exaggerated, I actually have seen children act this way when they are asked to share something that belongs to them with other children. I can also tell that this character is very stubborn and careless as he says, “This was an old trick, designed to turn one’s hatred inward, and while I was determined not to fall for it, it was hard to shake the mental picture” (Sedaris 1). Although he understands his mother’s disciplinary tactics and how it is supposed to make him feel, he mentions that he was trying his best to not let it get to him. Although he knows that attempting to eat all the chocolate so he does not need to give any to the Tomkeys is wrong, he does not care and still believes that his actions are justified because it is his chocolate and they are a day late for trick or treating.

I don’t know if I can relate to this story on a personal level because I was never a stingy child and I definitely would never judge an entire family for straying from the conventional way of celebrating a holiday, but I do know a lot of people who would act the same way as the main character does. Overall, I think the story was interesting even though I do feel as if the main message of the essay is difficult to understand.

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Mellody Hobson works for the African American owned money management firm, Ariel Investments, which makes it clear that Hobson is a big supporter of institutions and projects run by African Americans. Since she acknowledges the fact that racism is a universal and ongoing issue, her intended audience is probably everyone who can access the video. The TED talk was published in May 2014, but seeing that it is still very relevant and effective today further emphasizes the significance of the issue. The argument that Hobson is making in this speech is that people should leave behind the notion of being “color blind” and instead be “color brave” and be comfortable with having to speak up against racism.

Hobson uses rhetorical devices such as logos, pathos, and ethos to effectively convey her argument. She includes many statistics about discrimination in the workplace and other professional settings, and follows it up with ethos by mentioning her career as an investment expert and how it is a known saying in her field that “numbers do not lie.” The professionalism in her appearance and her tone, along with the fact that she isn’t just complaining about the issue also adds to her credibility. All her personal experiences throughout her life is pathos as it appeals to the audience’s emotions and makes those who understand what she is saying feel empathetic. Also, I’m not sure if this counts as kairos or if it is just something that stood out to me personally, but her mentioning that “it is time to become comfortable with being uncomfortable” was really the biggest and most memorable point in the speech.

In my opinion, her ethos was not something that she had to try too hard for since it was mostly to do with her background, her profession, and keeping a professional tone, but it was definitely one of the best ways to capture the audience’s attention. Her use of pathos and logos also added to her ethos and basically made her seem as a trustworthy, smart person who is worth listening to. Hobson’s ability to appear as a credible source effectively conveys her argument about becoming more aware and active in fighting racism, as her other rhetorical techniques further enhance her ethos.

Mellody Hobson’s speech “Color Blind or Color Brave?” is one of the first things that came to mind when I was given the prompt. In my opinion, racism and any type of discrimination is a significant issue in society which should be discussed more frequently as a way to educate people and alleviate ignorance. Although this topic may cause controversial arguments to emerge, I believe it is important to counter every argument that tries to undermine the urgency of this issue. Hearing about the racist encounters that people of color are faced with in their everyday lives would make those who know about the preexisting issue care more and those who are not familiar with it more aware. Since I have seen people I care about be discriminated against either because of their race or religion, I feel very strongly about this topic and would love to try to make a difference somehow. Although I know that  solely my writing in this class won’t be able to make a difference in society, I believe that writing about this issue will allow me to at least inform those who read it and make them realize the merit in Hobson’s argument. Her use of rhetorical devices in her speech is very effective, but her use of pathos and logos are most prominent. I know that those who have experienced racism would be able to relate and empathize when hearing about her personal experiences at work and at school as a seven year old girl. Her use of statistical evidence to support her claims about racism in the workplace and the faultiness in being “color blind” is also very effective since most people do not know much about it. In my opinion, the main reason why people are still so uninformed and ignorant about this ongoing issue is because of the discomfort that comes along with talking about it. However, as Hobson states, it is important for everyone to become “comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Her speech: https://www.ted.com/talks/mellody_hobson_color_blind_or_color_brave

Ever since I was a young girl, I wanted to become a doctor when I got older. I was so sure of what I wanted to pursue that my relatives and even my friends would always refer to me as “Doctor Raisa.” It made me feel good about myself back then, but now I feel as if I have to live up to everyone’s expectations and that’s pretty stressful. Especially now, as a biochemistry major, I realize how difficult it is going to actually be to become a doctor. However, there is nothing else I want to study and pursue, so I am motivated enough to try as hard as I can to succeed and become what I want. So far, school hasn’t been too difficult, but I can see how it can easily become challenging and difficult to maintain. Especially since I have the tendency to procrastinate a lot and get distracted easily, I always end up getting my work done in time making sure it’s quality work. Coming from a South Asian, Bengali family, the pressure to do exceptionally well in school and actually become either a doctor, lawyer, or engineer is real (I know other South Asians can relate).

In addition to my academic interests, I always enjoyed arts and crafts, even though I’m not all that great. It’s very comforting and stress relieving and I have been exposed to it ever since I was young because of my mother. My childhood consisted of doing a lot of art at home with my mother for fun and it stuck as a hobby as I got older. The artwork that we created always had some cultural or religious characteristics and I feel as if that helped me to grow up with a lot of Bengali Muslim pride. Although there were times when I have faced problems because of my ethnicity and especially my religion, I would never let racism and disrespectful comments make me lose sight of how amazing my identity is. Even now, my pride in my culture and religion is very prominent and I would definitely say that it’s a big part of me.

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