Long Divison comments into an essay.

I asked AI for help to turn my comments from Now Comment into an essay, pointing out distinctive themes. I am impressed with the outcome. AI generated themes that I saw myself and even wrote some things how I would have. I believe AI is the future and can be a great resourceful tool for certain things. Even though AI was able to generate a whole essay for me, ideally I would go back and edit/revise it to make it truly my own, using my own “language.”

First generation

The book “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon is a powerful and thought-provoking story that uses satire and social/political commentary to explore racism and identity in modern America. Through the experiences of the main character, City, the novel sheds light on the oppressive and dehumanizing nature of racism and bigotry, and how it can be used as a tool of power and control. In this essay, I explore three key themes found in the book: the use of satire and social/political commentary, the global experience of racism, and the use of literary devices.

To start, Laymon uses satire and social/political commentary to highlight the racism and oppression faced by City and the other characters in the book. Ryan d.’s comment from April 19th points to this, saying, “Now why would they give him that word? I think it is pretty funny how he was able to spin it and actually put it in a sentence. But I definitely see racism in the context. It seems that they are purposefully giving him ‘black words’.” This quote highlights the racism City experiences when the other contestants are given words that are associated with black culture, while City is given words like “chitlin city.” This is an example of how Laymon uses satire to comment on the racism in our society and to show how racism can be used as a tool of power and control.

The second theme explored in the book is the global experience of racism. Ryan d.’s comment from April 14th discusses this, noting that “This reminds me of lots of schools’ policies which state that students should not bring or wear durags, hats or bring brushes on campus. These things are not permitted on campus because people (often outsiders) deem them to be associated with gangs etc. But in reality its apart of ‘black culture’.” This quote highlights the way racism is experienced globally, and how certain items associated with black culture can be seen as a threat and are not allowed in certain spaces. This is an example of how Laymon explores the global experience of racism, and how it can be used to oppress and control people of color.

Lastly, the book also uses literary devices to emphasize the themes of racism and identity. Ryan d.’s comment from March 28th notes this, saying, “This sentence was very descriptive and imaginative. He made sure that the readers were able to visualize the way LaVander smelled.” This quote highlights how Laymon uses literary devices to create a vivid and immersive experience for the reader, and to emphasize the themes of racism and identity.

Overall, the book “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon is a powerful and thought-provoking story that uses satire and social/political commentary to explore racism and identity in modern America. Through the use of literary devices, satire, and social/political commentary, Laymon is able to create an immersive experience for the reader and to show how racism can be used as a tool of power and control. As I continue reading the book, I look forward to learning more about the characters and their experiences, as well as how they are able to overcome the oppressive power of racism.

ryan d : Homophobia and bullying

Apr 13 

ryan d : cbREPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Apr 13 

ryan d : This quote stood out to me…REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Mar 29 

LaVander seems to be a big bully. He calls City all kinds of names including fat and homosexual. LaVander basically looks at Vity differently because he won’t say “kindly pause” etcREPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Mar 29 

ryan d : I wonder what happened during the “can you use that word in a sentence” that made City hate LaVander?

Did City hate LaVander before or after the 2013 contest? What could have possibly happened?REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Mar 28 

ryan d : I wonder what the significance of this quote.

Maybe it’s a hint at the second part of the book, and how there’s “another chapter.”REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Apr 19 

ryan d : “chitlin city” [Edited]

Now why would they give him that word? I think it is pretty funny how he was able to spin it and actually put it in a sentence. But I definitely see racism in the context. It seems that they are purposefully giving him “black words.”REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Apr 14 

ryan d : This reminds me of lots of schools’ policies which state that students should not bring or wear durags, hats or bring brushes on campus.

These things are not permitted on campus because people (often outsiders) deem them to be associated with gangs etc. But in reality its apart of “black culture.”REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Apr 19 

ryan d : SATIRE

WHAT IN THE-REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Apr 14 

ryan d : I wanted to depict the image of City sitting in Principle Reeves office.

This is my A.I generated an image of City. The description that I used to create the image was ” a young black teenage male, with low hair and full lips sitting in the principal’s office, wearing a white button up paired with a loose-fitting tie.

REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Apr 14 

ryan d : Satire and social-political commentary.

The book “Long Division” by Kiese Laymon incorporates satire and social/political commentary into the character dialogues, as well as through the experiences and interactions of the main character, City. An example of satire can be found in the first chapter, where LaVander called City “homosexual” for not saying “kindly pause.”This is definitely satire because in reality saying (a made-up) word/phrase does not make you a homosexual. An example of social/political commentary is the portrayal of City’s white teacher’s condescending and performative approach to teaching black history, using a textbook that simplifies and erases the complexities of African American experiences. Through this satirical portrayal, Laymon comments on the hypocrisy of superficial diversity initiatives and the erasure of black voices in education and history.REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Apr 19 

ryan d : global experience

They are basically using the city as a dummy. I get that they let him have his brush on stage, but why did they feel the need to give him the shirts?REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Mar 28 

ryan d : use of literary devices.

This sentence was very descriptive and imaginative. He made sure that the readers were able to visualize the way LaVander smelled.REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Mar 29 

ryan d : “hints of gender”REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Apr 18 

ryan d : satire?

This really jumped out to me, because it is believable and relatable. There have been plenty of times when black people were looked at funny or in shock when they entered a room, that other people are not “used to seeing us.REPLYVIEW IN CONTEXT

Mar 29 

ryan d : WHAT

I’m more concerned with City’s response. What does he mean by “it kind is.” How can being racist be “fun”?

Mar 29 

ryan d : huh?

At the beginning of the book, in the third paragraph, the main character City says “I’m not white, homeless, or homosexual.” But then says LaVander calls him a “white homeless fat homosexual,” because his house is a rich white ladys garage. What does the way his house look have to do with his appearance. Whats the point of LaVander calling him white,if he is infact not?

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