Sucking

"Mr. Howard? I did not know you were such an amazing teacher. Seriously, I never enjoyed literature since I had your class. Please do tell us what is your secret." Said Minnie.

Mr. Howard at the end of the day logs on to Standard Score and changes Minnie's grade to a 4.

Yeah Minnie is a total *#ss sucker. And sadly that is how our world works. A constant need to lower our standards saying what people want to hear. Why? recognition? trying to get what we want? but let's be honest we simply look like retards trying to please someone, going against our principles and against what we truly are. Like a play, pretending to be someone we are definitely not.

The nameless protagonist asks Dr. Bledsoe: "Have you seen all the campus sir?"

"Yes, I think so. I was one of the original founders, you know" Dr. Blodsoe said.

"Gee! I didn't know that, sir. Then I'll try some of the roads".

"Of course I knew he was the founder, but I knew also that it was advantageous to flatter rich white folks.  Perhaps he'd give me a large tip, or a suit, or a scholarship next year" (Pg. 38)

Yes, he totally licked his *#ss. It is interesting how it seems as if he were doing something totally natural, sucking *#ss for a personal benefit. But is it really that? what lies within those nice words?

Inferiority, exposing oneself as dependent from the person. Treating the person as superior, in this case Dr. Blodsoe,  as someone that is better, respectable, worthy of admiration.  Underestimating who we are, feeding a person's ego for something that we pretend to achieve.

Perhaps Ellison wanted to expose that difference in races, present segregation that even if it was not evident in the moment it was still present. The inability to treat each others as equals, the need for admiration to be recognized, in a way the dependency of the black race to the white race to exist, to be able to obtain what they want. The inability to stand by themselves.

The saddest thing is that when we sometimes lower ourselves for nothing. Ask Mr. Tangen, it does not work with him.