In Class response

I believe that in literature race, class, and gender are important to discuss because it can change the meaning or purpose of the piece all together. If someone is writing about racism and they write it from the point of view of the white man harassing the African American then the piece has a completely different meaning then if it was written from the point of view of the African American. Its also good to talk about class when discussing a piece with many different classes and how they interact to and around each other.
You can do anything with a strong mind. Imagination is a strong part of reading. You can see what's going on in your mind, wonder what's going to happen, and even determine what is actually going on between the lines. This is why you should always go into reading a piece with an open mind and a blank slate.
We can, however, intertwine literature with examples from popular culture to show us the true meaning behind the piece. It can also bring humor into the piece by breaking the fourth wall from a fantasy world into our own.

I believe both Peggy McIntosh and bell hook are both bringing light on racism and sexism. Perhaps we should stop looking at the differences between people and analyzing these differences and the world could be one sooner. Yes it is good to have culture and to have these differences but when they are shoved in our faces they just make us want to make them bad. I love exploring other cultures and other ways of life. I like seeing things from others perspectives and how others think. I believe if we could all do this then the world would be a better place. Arguments could be more solvable, hate could vanish, and people would be able to understand one another without much effort.