Literary Narrative

Ever since I was a little girl my Mama always told me, “You should always love yourself before you try love somebody else." I never really understood what she meant and always brushed it off when she told me. My mother and I never had the best relationship so I really didn’t think I needed to listen to her. I wish I would have respected my mother’s word and took her advice at the time. I wish I would of asked questions and not let my young teenage attitude control my behavior. I finally understood what she was talking about the first time I got my heart broken. It was my junior year of high school and it seemed like it was one bad thing after another. We were together for almost a year and a half and I thought everything was great. We were both stars on the basketball team and everybody thought we were the dream couple to be. He was there for me when I was in the hospital for a weeks and doctors didn't know what was wrong with me and brushed it off when they saw I was getting better. My mom and I around that time did not have the best relationships. He was there for me when my mom and I had our big blowups. He treated me the way I wanted a boyfriend to and I was really happy. I thought we were going to be together forever; until things got bad on his side of the family. He was the class clown always wanting to be the center of attention but once that happened he was always mad and never wanted to be around people. The way he performed on the court was different and the way he treated me was different. The way he talked to me, the way he hugged me, the way you say my name had all changed. He had changed. He was the love of my life at least I thought and when our relationship ended I thought my world had come to an end. I let this break up change me. Before I was always happy I loved to make people laugh and there was never a dull moment with me but after our break up it seemed like everything about me faded away. My family and friends could see the changes but I just couldn't see it. My heartbreak had blinded me, it had blinded me from seeing how he was mistreating me, it had blinded me from seeing the things he was doing and it had blinded me from seeing things that I was doing to myself. One day after I was fed up with trying to fix the relationship and tired of the pain and tired of the crying I tried to take my life and ended up in the hospital for two days. It was a shock to my whole family. That was the lowest I had ever felt. It was a very scary time. My emotions were all over the place and I just could not find peace. Sitting on the uncomfortable hospital bed in a plain white room I just stared at the ceiling. The room was empty and had just enough space for the bed and a chair. It wasn’t pleasant and was very boring looking at four white walls. I was on watch for 24 hours. They didn’t let me wear anything but a white gown and some bright yellow socks I guess it was for my safety but wasn’t it a little too late for that. Everything was blurry. I was confused. I didn’t understand why I did it but I did. I could hear my mom and dad outside the door but I couldn’t make out what they were actually saying. I wondered what was on their mind. I felt bad I that I put them through this. We all were confused and didn’t know what to do next. My family was allowed to come sit with me after the first 24. My dad sat in the chair and my mom stood beside him. There was an awkward silence in the room. No one wanted to be this first to speak plus I don’t think anyone had anything to say. We stared at each other and I could see the pain a caused them. Their oldest child and only daughter sitting in a hospital bed because of her own doing. I had to apologize but I didn’t know how. So I sat there, another hour went by and I knew it was time to take action and break that silence. I straight out said “I’m sorry!” They looked at me, blank expressions on their face and tears forming in their eyes. They came closer to me and gave me a hug. I guess that was there way of accepting it. That hug was all I needed. It showed me they cared and that I was not by myself. Even though what I did was a bad thing I needed it to show me what I did have and what I needed. If I would've known what I know now I promise you I would've never been in that predicament. I finally understood when my mother was talking about. When I got through my head that she wasn't just trying to talk my head off with stupid little things about how she lived in the old days: she was trying to transform me into a proud woman. She was trying to get me to understand that no one can ever put you in a bad place if you didn't want to be there . She was trying to tell me that if I love myself it will make me see how I am supposed to be treated. It will make me see that I will not put up with just anything. My heartbreak was a lesson that just needed to be taught. I am so happy that I have that woman in my life because she has been there for me through everything. She showed me that I do not need anybody to be happy I could be happy by myself. I have learned so much from this woman and I'm grateful to have her. I don’t know what I would do without her. Even since then me and my mother’s relationship has gotten stronger.That experience made me a better person. It helped me mature and showed me right from  

Final Draft of Rhetorical Analysis

Simone Williams

Brad Reisinger

English 101.02

February 29, 2016

 

The Issue

"Keep Ya Head Up" is a 1993 hit single on the album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., by Tupac Shakur, features R&B singer Dave Hollister. The song was dedicated to Latasha Harkins, a 15 year old women, who was shot and killed by a shop owner in LA. Her death was supposedly the cause of the LA riot in 1992 (WordPress). "Keep Ya Head Up" is a call for better treatment of women by fellow men, and a call to women, children, and poor people of color to 'keep ya head up' through inevitable tough times that arise in a system and society that make it 'hard to be legit and still pay the rent' (Wiki). Tupac Shakur’s “Keep Ya Head Up” delivers a positive message to one of the most oppressed groups in the US: poor, black women (WordPress).

The Moment in Time

            Gender inequality started in the early 1900s and still is going around today. The thinking that the power is all in the men. Tupac created and dedicated this song to a fifteen year old girl, Latasha Harkins (Word Press). I feel he created this song at a time when people really needed it. I compare this to how Beyoncé sang “Formation” at the super bowl or how Kendrick Lamar rapped a song about slavery and his appearance at the awards. It was a need and is needed to be addressed in a public way because people are looking passed it like nothing is wrong. They all stood up and did something that they think is right.

The Speaker

            Tupac is delivering the message in the song “Keep Ya Head Up”. He wrote this song because he saw something that people were ignoring. In his song he made a point and gave facts to back up his point. His points were personal which got him involved with the song and it was things that not just a certain people go through. The situations he addressed relates to everyone which made this song personal for a lot of people. When you hear a song that you can relate to it makes you think. I makes you wonder why things are that way and how you can change them. I feel that this song did that for a lot of people.it made them really listen to the words of the song and think about the situations involved in the song. That is how he brought awareness to the situation he was trying to address and it was a good idea. At this time he was very popular and people listened to his music.

The Occasion

He wrote and dedicated this song to Latasha Harkins and poor black women. Writing “Keep Ya head Up” Tupac created awareness for the mistreating and inequality given to women.  This song can be relevant to all women black, white, Asian, tall, short. In the song he talks about rape, having kids, crying, welfare and many other things. I say that to say black people are not the only people that go through or participate in any of those situations. Tupac was very popular around this time and his songs got through to and motivated a lot of people. He rapped a message and put a tone to it that he know millions of people will listen to and understand. It was brilliant because at that time in the music industry it was cool to have a sick beat but the lyrics that you spoke in the songs made it something worth listening to. In his song he said “And since we all came from a woman, Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?” he was speaking to the boys and men of his time. Asking them why they do those things to women when a woman gave you life and a woman made you who you are and really without her you would be nothing so why wouldn’t you show some respect for them. Tupac was not harsh with his words and came off in a positive way while still making important point about the things men do to women to make things hard for them. Society as a whole was the audience, the song was created and put out for everyone to hear so it involves them to. Tupac talked of money to pay rent and welfare and said it was hard, I feel that’s has something to do with society because minimum wage doesn’t support a family to where the family is stable. You can only respect him for the words he rapped because it was the truth. He was just speaking up and trying to change a few things about women were going through at that time. His message at that time is what people needed and his message is still relevant to today’s situation.

The Reasoning

Tupac makes this song to directly ask people why we treat women with such disrespect. This may have been dedicated to 15 year old, Latasha, however this song has a much bigger meaning regarded women of this society. “Keep Ya Head Up” is trying to get people’s attention on how treating women like they are dogs is not good. It makes me think about Martin Luther King Jr and how his belief that African Americans should be treated equally to the other race being the white man. The only difference is it’s not whites and blacks, its men and women. A women is not standing up and bring the gender inequality to our attention, it’s a man speaks out about it to make a change because he knows that this is not right. In Tupac's song "Keep Ya Head Up", the intended audience is men, he is rapping to them asking them why they treat women with such disrespect.” And since we all came from a woman Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman I wonder why we take from our women Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?”, is a lyric from the song "Keep Ya Head Up" and he is directing this to men. Tupac is saying women have done so much for yall as men but yall turn around and don’t show thanks but treat women like they are beneath them. Target audience could also be society, everyone. Tupac directed this song toward men but it was put out for everyone to hear. Everyone listening is now aware of what women go through. This song was created to bring awareness to the society. Tupac wrote this song because he knew something wasn’t right about the way women were treated at that time. “Keep Ya Head Up” may have been written in 1993 but this issue is still relevant in 2016. Women are still expected to be the house wife, the one who takes care of the house and the kinds. People have still not accepted the idea of a working women. It is time for a change in a positive direction toward what women do and the equality of their life.

Conclusion

Women inequality has been an ongoing issue for a really long time. It is time that women get treat fairly and with the respect they deserve. I used “Keep Ya Head Up” by Tupac as my ad to analyze because his song was on the right track and he understood that is wasn’t right for women to be mistreated the way they are by men and by society. Tupac was very popular at the time and his words motivated and inspired people to do big things. This song brought awareness to the situation. This song was not just a catchy tone it was a message for the people to wake up and see the situations around them is not what it should be. Things have improved from 1993 but they are not where they should be. Men should not be paid more or treated better just because they are men. They should have to work for the respect and the salaries just as much as women do. Things in life should not come easier to you just because of your gender. If both a man and a women get the same education, got the same grades and excelled throughout life, one should not be paid more or accepted just because of their gender. Both people are the same and should be evaluated and given an equal chance for the same opportunity. The saying women can do everything a man can is not the create saying any more. Women will surprise you with the things they can do.  Women are not your house wives anymore they are you modern working women with a form of independence and that is not going to change. It is time to accept it, absorb it and change.

Work Cited

"last.fm." CBS Interactive. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <- http://www.last.fm/music/2Pac/_/

 Keep+Ya+Head+Up/+wiki>.

"Let's Get Ethical." Wordpress. N.p., 4 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.

            <https://bizgovsoc9.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/tupacs-keep-ya-head-up/>.