Values 2

Throughout all of the stories, songs, and ballads we have read there has been a constant theme of perseverance and the idea of getting through all of the hard times that the individual is going through. In all of the pieces we have read, the people have been placed in a hard situation. The man in “The Message” lived in an environment that was full of bad influences, violence and drugs. The slaves in the all of the work songs were all being treated unjustly. Shine was told to stay in the bowels of the ship while it was going down in order to try and keep it afloat. All of these characters are placed in awful situations, but for the most part, they all have the mindset of believing that things can get better, and they won’t stop until that is done. If that isn’t the case, then they at least have the mindset of deciding not to take stuff from anyone. In “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” the theme of not letting anyone tell them what was going to happen was very evident. This theme showed up in Shine and John Henry as well. Shine kept telling his captain that he needed to get out of the boat, but the captain never listened. Once Shine took matters into his own hands, he escaped the boat, while everyone else died. This gives the impression that being a strong independent person is what will save you in life. In John Henry, he wasn’t going to let his white boss beat him. He worked as hard as he could so he could get ahead. These themes are seen throughout many different pieces we have read, but hope is another value. The story of Ezekial saw the Wheel gave the slaves hope while they were working. It told them that everything was in God’s hands and that everything was going to be alright. This theme was also seen in some of the songs for social change. Just saying the phrase “We shall over come” over and over again like in the song “We Shall Overcome,” hope is spread. These themes have been evident in all of he pieces we have read so far.