Going to the Territory :: Going to the Territory Essays

Going to the Territory Ralph Ellisons essay Going to the Territory is truly a definition of American culture. Ellisons essay is a description of his journey from Oklahoma to cook University and along the way he uncovers truths about the way Americans selectively acknowledge their history and miss important aspects of their culture and let them fester into an uncontrollable problem. Ellison had a connection to Brown University before he even made it out of grammar school. His principal was the front colored man to graduate from Brown and Ellison received an award in memorial to Dr. Inman Page, Ellisons grammar school principal. It is through his time spent at Brown and his journey there that he realizes that American culture is based upon what people choose to hear and see. Considering the ironic fact that Americans continue to find themselves stumbling into (as well as over) details of their history, tonights is a most American occasionAt any rate, in the two hundreds y ears of our existence a abundant deal has been overlooked or forgotten (123). Ellison says that Americans ignore the social problems of our country, which resolvents in the problems growing out of control. Race is one of these problems. According to Ellison, race is a result of peoples personal interests. People are so self interested that they look past the pressing issues of today. Our unknown history doesnt collar having consequences each though we ignore them (133). Because we as Americans ignored such issues as racial inequality- in that the debt Americans owe the black community is not repayable. We think that by instituting laws to make all persons equal is enough, but this equality is never achieved, but looked past as though it is fine. Ellison speaks of Black culture as being imitated and mimicked by many non-white citizens. He mentions Europeans dancing like the Negroes, and how they other members of society find it absurd for them to behave in such a way. These people are render to the prejudices of those who have overlooked the instances of inequality in the past. Today, people who pose as Blacks are subject to much scrutiny and discrimination. They are termed wiggers and and are often seen as offensive. Ellison thought that this mimicking behavior was okay and acceptable.