In the book of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me, author reveals all controversial past of black people in the United States and as Coats highlights, that Racism still the main issue of the American culture. That all kind of privileges and racial profiling are still holds in the society. In the book, Coates writes a letter to his son, hoping that he will understand that the world is unfair and he has to struggle every day as the most African-Americans.
Coates states that (page 6) “When Abraham Lincoln declared, in 1863, that the battle of Gettysburg must ensure ‘that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,’ he was not merely being aspirational. At the onset of the Civil War, the United States of America had one of the highest rates of suffrage in the world. The question is not whether Lincoln truly meant ‘government of the people’ but what our country has, throughout its history, taken the political term ‘people’ to actually mean. In 1863 it did not mean your mother or grandmother, and did not mean you and me.”
By this statement Coates means that, ‘the government of people’ it is an illusion by what government stands for; the word ‘people’ never meant the people and declaration of Abraham Lincoln did not mean black people, his show that through eyes of his family. I can strongly agree that racism still the big reason of most misunderstandings and conflicts between different races, ethnics and minors.
127 our experts are availableright now
In Between the World and Me, author uses different stylistics to cover main issues. To show emotion and self – interest through pathos, ethical appeal through ethos and to show proof and evidence, he uses logos. In the book, author opens continuous impact of racism in his life and many others African-Americans with usage of ethos stylistic. He start off his letter by addressing to his son.
Coates starts by saying, (page 5) “Son”. It explains that the whole book is a letter to his son. This helps to Coates to build a relationship between him and his aiming audience, to share his opinion and experience. This letter shows that he is warm hearted and caring parent, and to show him the naked world. Especially, we can highlight it, when Coates states, (page 5) “But race is the child of racism, not the father.” This time, Coates exposes theme of a racism and its effects in lives of African-Americans in 21st century.
Another way Coates earns trust of audience is sharing his past. He says, (page 10) “That Sunday, with the host, on that news show, I tried to explain this as best I could within the time allowed.” This particular statement shows the intention to share his past and things he experienced and suffered. Coates uses his past to connect with the reader, and it show how he dealt with racism and how it affected and influenced in his career. Coates also brings the historical facts to the readers, to display that racism has been around for long period, and was the main thing in the United States and main issue nowadays. Through usage of ethos, Coates share his experience, knowledge and how he educate himself throughout his life and though this he explains us that racism is the main problem in the United States and in the today’s world.
