Individuality within another World
...men, Rosaleen lifted her snuff jug, which was filled with black spit, and calmly poured it across the tops of the men’s shoes, moving her hand in little loops like she was writing her name-Rosaleen Daise-just the way she’d practiced” (Kidd, 32). An open character has good self-knowledge and self-esteem that shares distinctions about themselves honestly with others, making healthier relationships. Sharon Schnake taught us students about stereotyping and prejudice. Prejudice is an unjustifiable prejudgment and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members. Often times these are different cultures, ethnic, or gender groups. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action. Many people in the past and still presently have been prejudice against African-American individuals. People use social categorization so that they focus on the differences between them and other groups in which they do not belong to. That is what the gentlemen did when Rosaleen poured the snuff on their shoes. Before the incident happened they had prejudged her, due to the color of her skin, and based their actions upon the differences between them and people of her race. Even today students feel as if they are prejudiced against. In a survey at 390 colleges and universities, 53 percent of African-American students felt excluded from school activities (Myers, 715). Rosaleen is an individualist who is subtle with words, yet opens herself greatly. Individualists give priority to one’s goals over group goals, and define one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications. Throughout the novel Rosaleen constantly show...