My name is Eric Chan and in the class "Violence in Art and Culture" we are currently reading about, and discussing, the Harlem Riot of 1935.

I believe that the Harlem Riot of 1935 occurred as a result of increased racial tensions caused by the The Great Depression as well as the ending of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance produced a generation of black people that were educated, socially conscious, and outspoken.  This new generation was quick to speak out against the The Great Depression  as well as the unique problems their community suffered as a result of institutionalized racism.  This of course, was met by suspicion and hostility from the white communities as well as the authorities, leading two increased racial tension between the different groups. This tension would culminate during the Harlem Riot of 1935 when a young black Puerto Rican boy was caught committing a crime and supposedly beaten to death. Violence would ensue, as the widespread property damage occurred even after the false rumors were dispelled. 

My name is Eric Chan and in the class "Violence in Art and Culture" we are currently reading May Day, a short story by Scott F. Fitzgerald written about the May Day Riots of 1919. 

The discussion in class regarding Key and Rose, the "triumphant" soldiers returning home, struck a personal note in that in mirrored many of the thoughts I had at the conclusion of my military service. Like Key and Rose, at the conclusion of my service I was uneasy and unsure of what to do, having become used to the structure and regimented lifestyle of the military. Much like Key and Rose, after the initial fanfare of returning home I was faced with a bleak reality check. Also accurate was the great deal of pride false bravado many veterans feel upon leaving the service, making it difficult to seek help in adjusting to civilian life. 

Fitzgerald also expresses the opinion that those that serve in the military are "inferior" and that under different circumstances they would have ended up in jail. I disagree with this broad generalization. While serving I met a a large variety of people from all walks of life who joined a different reasons. What I did observe however was that a large number of those I met joined for economic reasons as the military guarantees at the very least, a steady paycheck. 

This week I left a comments on Enis's blog and Angel's blog.

I really enjoyed Angel's ideas about the motivations of the Brotherhood of Destruction, particularly the ideas that they had nothing to lose, and that oppression had driven them mad with rage leading to the widespread and indiscriminate violence.

I  also enjoyed Enis's ideas about the oligarchy being sociopaths because it touches on some of themes of social Darwinism we discussed in class. It led to my question of whether the sociopathic tendencies displayed by both the oligarchy and the Brotherhood were due to their race/ethnicity/not being blond haired and blue eyed, or were they learned behaviors. The oligarchy having been brought up to be cruel, and the Brotherhood being driven to cruelty due to oppression