In the domain of education, I examined two essays: “What Does a Woman Need to Know” by Adrienne Rich and “Keeping Close to Home” by Bell Hooks. Both authors aim to convince the reader of their respective viewpoints on education. Although education is a lifelong process for all individuals, its significance is often overlooked or misunderstood.
In Bell Hooks’ essay titled “Keeping Close to Home,” the main argument revolves around the idea that important lessons can be learned from one’s past. Hooks, a Southern girl from a working-class background, emphasizes the significance of personal experiences in shaping an individual’s education. Despite not having seen everything the world of education has to offer, she takes a significant step in her life by leaving her hometown in Kentucky and enrolling in Stanford University.
During her time at Stanford, she gained a deep understanding of the disparities in class and the challenges faced by underprivileged black individuals in attending a university primarily composed of students from privileged backgrounds. Despite this awareness, she emphasizes in her essay that she did not want to disregard or change her own class background or loyalty (Hooks 95). Instead, she relied on her background as a support system when facing difficulties.
The central idea is expressed when the author states, “Maintaining connections with family and community across class boundaries demands more than just summary recall of where one’s roots are, where one comes from. It requires knowing, naming, and being ever-mindful of those aspects of one’s past that have enabled and do enable one’s self-development in the present, that sustain and support, that enrich.” This concept is related to the author’s observations that individuals, especially black people, face difficulties when adapting to new environments, particularly in education. It implies that one cannot simply leave for college without carrying the knowledge acquired while growing up. The author personally experienced this when she attended Stanford, which led her to realize the true importance of her home life.
Adrienne Rich delivers a commencement speech emphasizing the transformative impact of attending an all women’s college. Rich’s main message is to empower female students to seize control over their educational journeys by seeking out the knowledge they require and ensuring that they acquire it. During her speech, Rich encourages the graduating class from an all women’s school to recognize the invaluable education they have received, which surpasses that of any other college.
She believes that women are still facing discrimination today. She argues that in mixed colleges, women are not truly included because these institutions were created by and reflect a masculine perspective. Some may question her belief and ask what sets women’s colleges apart from mixed-gender colleges.
In her speech, the speaker frequently mentions the term “Power” as she focuses on transforming the power that men possess over women. Her message is that all privilege for women is relative, acknowledging that some women may not have been born with the privileges of class or skin color. However, she emphasizes that all women have the privilege of education, even if it has largely deprived them of self-knowledge. The main idea conveyed in this speech is to persuade women to recognize and strive for their potential to achieve goals, urging them not to take their gender for granted.
Both essays share a common theme of persuading readers to realize that education depends on the individual’s efforts and choices. The authors urge readers to understand the importance of personal learning experiences, such as the significance of maintaining family connections or advocating for oneself as a woman, to achieve success in education and life.
