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Post by Ms. English on May 30, 2023 7:46:01 GMT -5
Post your answers to the discussion question here. Make sure to read the responses of those posted before you and respond directly to them when appropriate before posting your own.
Reflect on Lorde's use of irony in the essay. On one level, irony is simply when you say one thing but mean another, or when people in a narrative perceive a situation one way while readers know they're wrong; on another, deeper level, irony is about how things in the world are widely said to be one way when in fact they are not that way at all. How does Lorde use the surface ironies available to narrative -- the ways in which things aren't what they seem -- to write about the deeper ironies of American society?
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brynn
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Post by brynn on Jul 5, 2023 10:38:29 GMT -5
Lorde hints about the deeper irony about American society by showing the way this deeper irony affected her through smaller surface ironies. These smaller ironies are things like her parents trying to ignore and shield her from racism but when they get told they can't sit at the ice cream place this shielding didn't really do anything about it but delay her finding out about it. Instead of telling her about the racism in America they told her not to trust white people even though her mother had lighter skin, another irony. The irony at the end of the story is that she believed that America was about freedom and democracy even though it discriminated and would keep discriminating against her. That is what I think is close to the deeper irony of American society which is that even though the founding fathers wrote about freedom for all men they were talking about white men and that idea deeply affected American society and is still being fought against today.
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Post by Arianna McCord on Jul 10, 2023 11:44:50 GMT -5
She uses the surface ironies to write about deeper ironies about American society by showing how the events affect her. It started with her parents ignoring her when anything with racism made an appearance but then when they were told to leave the ice cream place, they still ignored her. But then she found out herself. With these surface ironies, it revealed the bigger irony how America was supposed to be about freedom for every American citizen but come to find out it's only for certain citizens. White ones.
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Post by johnhawver on Jul 31, 2023 15:31:55 GMT -5
Lorde uses surface ironies to write about the deeper ironies in American society through her experiences. The first irony is her sister, Phyllis, getting rejected from her school trip to Washington DC, a place that is supposed to represent freedom. Another irony is her parents not addressing racism, ignoring it, and not telling their kids. This is ironic because it does nothing to protect Audre and Phyllis, and only angers them. This is a deeper irony in American society because during the civil rights movement African-Americans got little from ignoring racism and started looking for more direct ways to protest. Another irony in this essay is Audre not having sunglasses during her trip, which made everything brighter and whiter than back home, even the pavement. She gets sick of everything being white in Washington DC and her trip was spoiled. This is a deeper irony in American society because what seems like freedom for all is really in favor of whites.
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Post by violetkn on Jul 31, 2023 20:09:06 GMT -5
Lorde uses surface irony to explain the deeper ironies of American society by using smaller instances of irony to put the deeper ironies into context. An example of this is how Lorde’s story takes place around July 4th, a holiday celebrating America's independence and freedom despite the millions of Americans who still did not experience true equality. This is a deeper irony which is discussed by the surface ironies that occur in Lorde’s writing. Another surface irony used to describe deeper ironies of American society is the fact that Lorde’s family took the trip together because her sister was not welcome on her classes trip due to discrimination however this was the trip that introduced Lorde to discrimination on the basis of the color of her skin. Another surface irony was the fact that both of those events occurred in Washington D.C., the capitol of a nation which preaches equality and opportunity to all.
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Question 4
Aug 15, 2023 11:48:31 GMT -5
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Post by cristianvargas on Aug 15, 2023 11:48:31 GMT -5
Lorde recounts how her family eagerly anticipates and prepares for the festivities, only to be confronted with racial prejudice and inequality. The surface irony lies in the comparison between the ideals and values associated with Independence Day and the actual lived experiences of discrimination. However, Lorde delves deeper into the ironies of American society, highlighting the differences between the nation’s proclaimed principles of liberty, equality, and justice, and the systemic racism that persists beneath the surface. She exposes the profound irony of celebrating a holiday that symbolizes freedom while simultaneously experiencing the limitations of that freedom due to racial bias and prejudice.
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Post by emmagray on Aug 21, 2023 16:10:13 GMT -5
Lorde uses surface/smaller iornies to write about depper iornies og American society using her experiences in the country. Smaller ironies include the fact that, her parents were only able to delay her learning about racism it when they were told they couldn't sit at the ice cream shop. (I would even just say ignoring the whole conversation untill it was forced out o them for their children to know.) Even though her mother had lighter skin, they cautioned her against trusting white people rather than educating her about the color of her skin, and peoples views on it. She believed that America was about freedom and democracy, but she soon found out that the people of america (whites) would just have judgment and have discrimination towards her and her family, and this was the bigger iorny.
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Post by Zoe Reeves on Aug 21, 2023 18:49:38 GMT -5
In “The Fourth of July” by Audre Lorde, she uses several subtle ironies to make the deeper irony more apparent. For example, a subtle irony in the story was the fact that Lorde describes how growing up she was very sheltered from the racism and hate in America by her parents, but even being as sheltered as she was- she traveled and still experienced being discriminated against in the ice cream store whether she was shielded growing up or not. This angered Lorde that her parents not only didn’t discuss racism with her, but they rather block it out without addressing the incident at the restaurant. This led her to a traumatic and eye opening event on this vacation. Another irony was when Lorde wrote how she was excited to eat in the dining car, and instead of her mother telling her the truth, she lied by saying “dining car food cost too much.” Even though her mom lied to her she still found out and realized that her parents chose to ignore the discrimination. All of these subtle ironies scratched at the surface and revealed that the biggest irony of all was that on the Fourth of July they were celebrating American independence about freedom for every American- when freedom favored only white people.
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Post by Maya Alvarez on Aug 21, 2023 18:49:51 GMT -5
Lorde works surface ironies into her writing by bringing up ironies in American society at the time. First, her sister Phyllis is denied attendance to her school trip to Washington D.C., due to it being a white-only hotel. Which is ironic because they are taking a trip to the nations capital that is all about freedom. Secondly, Lorde's parents ignore and shield their children from the racism and discrimination that is going on in the South, but this does not keep it at bay from their children. Instead, ironically it angers them that they do not comment about it. Finally, Lorde uses repetition in her writing to highlight how "white" everything is in D.C., which highlighted her experience. The pavement,the monuments, the heat, the waiter, the counter; all white. Which is a deeper irony to American society because freedom is not represented in all white.
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Post by Isabella Johnson on Aug 22, 2023 17:01:20 GMT -5
Lorde uses surface irony a few times in her story to show small things that are representing a bigger picture. One of the surface irony's that Lorde uses that sticks out to me was that when she went to Washington D.C. she didn't have any sunglasses because her parents didn't approve and she had to squint all day. She said in the story " and wondered why the light and heat were so much stronger in Washington D.C." I say this quote as a surface Irony because our government and capital is run mainly by white people and I think the light and heat represent that without her sunglasses of protection on she can see see more things such as racism and discrimination towards colored people. Another bigger but still not deepest irony was when they went to the ice cream place in Washington D.C. and the lady told them she could give them take out but they couldn't eat in the restaurant. Lorde was confused and keep asking her family why they had to leave. She was confused because she had learned and written about freedom and democracy for all yet in the capital of our country their were still places that didn't allow people of a certain race into their establishment. After they got kicked out Lorde writes about how the waitress, the counter in the restaurant, and the ice cream they were going to eat was all white and that is all of Washington D.C. was covered in white and that really goes back to the first example of surface irony that she brought up. That the whole capital of our city was run by white and the people their were white and she didn't feel the sense of belonging that she expected to feel in her nations capital and that every American no matter their race should be able to feel.
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Jisela Albarran-Trujillo
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Post by Jisela Albarran-Trujillo on Aug 25, 2023 13:45:33 GMT -5
In ¨The Fourth of July” by Audre Lorde, Lorde writes about the deeper ironies in American society by explaining the way the irony affected her through smaller ways. While Phyllis´s high school classmates still attended there senior trip, the nuns had returned her deposit and was told she wouldn't be happy at that hotel. Lorde´s parents thought it was best to protect there kids from racism by not discussing it. They where simply told to ¨never trust white people¨. This deep irony in American society makes her understand everything is under control of white people. Further on they decided to stop by an ice cream and soda fountain where they were told they couldn't dine in. Lorde´s family never fought, they just cooperated and left without a saying. Her family's silence bothered her, yet along the treatment they got. Everything in Washington D.C to her was white, the waitress, counters, pavement, and heat. The irony of Lorde not being able to wear sunglasses due to there expense made everything seem more white than back home.
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Post by tatummielke on Aug 27, 2023 15:54:33 GMT -5
Lorde uses surface ironies to write about the deeper ironies in American society that have effected her throughout her life. The first irony is her sister getting rejected from her school trip to Washington DC, a place that is supposed to emphasize freedom. Another example of using surface irony to hint at deeper irony is how Lorde’s story takes place around July 4th, a holiday celebrating America's independence and freedom despite the millions of Americans who still do not experience equality. Lorde had said in the essay " and wondered why the light and heat were so much stronger in Washington D.C." Our government and capital is run mainly by white people, Lorde could be saying that the light and heat without her sunglasses that hypothetically “protect” her represents that she can see more racism and discrimination towards colored people in the real world.
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Post by Josi on Aug 31, 2023 9:43:41 GMT -5
Audrey Lorde uses irony throughout her essay to bring emphasis on how racism effected her and her families life. She uses irony first in describing her parents and how they choose to educate Audrey and her sister Phyllis on racism, rather than fully explaining to them why they are treated differently they are very vague and don't fully admit to Phillis the reason she couldn't go on her school trip to Washington DC. Another irony is brought up when Lorde points out that Washington DC is supposed to represent freedom and equality for all and yet Her sister is denied from the trip because of her race. When her family decides to go on their own Audrey is ecstatic and refuses to wear sunglasses to take in the full beauty of the trip, she notices everything being brighter, and white, she looks at this as a positive and almost beautiful thing until her family is denied service in an ice cream shop. This climax in the tory brings together all of the previously set up irony; her parents refusal to admit the impacts racism had on them did not protect their daughters it only made them confused and unsettled. They were in the capital of freedom-being denied service. Finally at the emd of her story lordes perspective about the whiteness changes, she is no longer astounded by the brightness she is disgusted by it.
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Post by Jesse Ruelas on Sept 1, 2023 16:11:13 GMT -5
Audrey Lorde uses these superficial ironies throughout her essay to explore the deeper ironies of American society by demonstrating how the events impact her. For example, her parents ignore her when racism is present, but when they are told to get out of the ice cream parlor, they still ignore her. But she finds out about it herself. By using these superficial ironies, she reveals the deeper irony of how America is supposed to be the land of the free for all Americans, but it turns out to be a land of only the whites.
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cavan
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Post by cavan on Sept 1, 2023 21:26:51 GMT -5
In "The Fourth of July" by Audre Lorde, irony plays a huge role. Independence day, a day to celebrate what the nation America is built on, freedom, justice and opportunity for all. Although "for all" doesn't include Lorde, it doesn't include a huge percent of America's population. We celebrate freedom, but many of our citizens face restriction and discrimination when attempting to do, or achieve things that white people can get in a second. Opportunity for all, yet Lorde can't even order white ice cream? How ironic. Irony was displayed in such a emotional way throughout the essay, which was the final push that hit home in many readers.
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