In English this year we are learning to deconstruct and adult text. This particular text provoked discussion around segregation and discrimination. The text below is my first reading response, witch is a discussion about my views and opinions on the story.

I believe this story is a good representation of oppression but also growth and understanding. It shows the siblings and everyone else a small amount of acceptance, helping the people in the town grow to accept people and their differences . But this does not serve to help any other prejudice that happens to people. Things like the Jim Crow laws that oppressed african americans in the southern states of america for years. Forcing them to do terribly inhuman things, forcing them to do things like leave out the back of a store or walk on the other side of the street of a white person. 

In this text I learnt that segregation is commonly passed down from parents, it is common for kids to hate others due to their parents beliefs. What I mean by this is, in the time this story is based in, everything is about class. If you have a good job you are high class and powerful in the area you live in, if you have a less significant job such as cleaner or cook you are seen as lower class. Lower hierarchy people are not allowed to even speak to upper class people, it goes against all that is right in the eyes of high class people. The message that is conveyed in this story I believe is equality, people growing out of routine, hating less people, being more peaceful. Just like when Kezia said, “It doesn’t matter. You can see our doll’s house all the same.” After Lil had told her that they couldn’t, this shows dramatic growth. There has always been oppression happening all around the world and there still is today. This text was written in 1922 and it still has meaning to this day, people still continue hating others just because they are different. This story teaches us to respect people and treat them all as equals. 

My favorite part of the text was when Aunt Beryl told Kezie she was a “Wicked, disobedient little girl.” her Aunt telling her this makes the Aunt’s personality very obvious. She called her niece something extremely rude and hurtful just because she had let some less lucky people look at her doll’s house. Aunt Beryl is the definition of a bad influence, she is trying to enforce her ideales of lesser class people onto her niece. This is similar to things that happen in today’s society, people grow up with homophobic and racist caregivers resulting in children growing up with the same outdated fixed mindsets. Children should grow up and have the opportunity to form their own opinions on things, they should be allowed to choose their own way of living life by living it themselves.

I would recommend this text to teenagers, I think this text will help people gain a better understanding of what humans do to each other just because of small differences. Things like Lil only ever responding with a smile are outcomes of exclusion and bullying. When Lena said “Is it true you’re going to be a servant when you grow up, Lil Kelvey.” And Lil was practically unfazed by the comment. She expects nothing but belittling remarks every time somebody speaks to them. This reminded me of a time when I was a child. I was in England at the time when I joined a new school handout halfway through the year. When I was wandering around the playground at lunch I noticed a group of kids bullying an Indian boy. I went over and asked what they were doing and they proceeded to spout “I’m telling this curry muncher to go back to where he came from.” This was something I didn’t understand at the time, there was a group of kids bullying someone because of their race. I then heard the boy say “My mum is English, please leave me alone,” in an English accent. I don’t believe that this 7 year old child really knew what he was doing, I believe he was reflecting on something he had heard his parents talking about. 

The influence in today’s society that has made me believe in acceptance is probably how I was raised. I grew up with some very accepting parents. Sadly not all people have the same upbring as me. Such as Kezia who has parents who discriminate against people and try to push their beliefs on their children. I also am very well educated of past prejudice that happened to people all around the world. Such as, racist america and about slave trade. Women’s rights,  gay rights and poverty. This knowledge makes me aware of the similarities in all humans, this text is just a small portion of the discrimination happening all around the world. But a small problem only needs a small solution. I appreciate my knowledge of all of these things, it helps me realize that changes happened and still need to happen in the world. We as humans need to grow up and fix our issues, we are all the same in the end and there is no point of discrimination. All of these people were treated as lower class, barely human. I think all of these things are differences that people felt offended by, they hated that people lived differently. When someone lives their life hating a certain group of people, being brought up and living with these thoughts, beliefs that some people are lesser than others. Those beliefs get passed down, they are forcefully fed these opinions and are forced to follow them. Resulting in those ideals being passed down and down until eventually broken by someone. Psychologically humans are all very similar, ever since time existed there has been hatred for others. Human Beings are selfish creatures and always want to be the best, they believe that they are better than all other people. Whether it is religion, occupation, race or sexuality. Kezia asked her mum “Mother, could the Kelveys come just once.” her mum immediately shut it down telling her she should know exactly why they are not aloud. But Kezia did not listen to her words and let the Kelvey’s see. This shows that she is more mature than her own parents, she understood that they were just humans and are the same as everyone else. Her actions highlight the concept of change and growth, this is symbolic of people growing out of there bad ways and learning to accept people for who they are.