Never Give Up, Never Surrender Essay - 1510 Words

Once most men are broken they will stay damaged. It takes a rare figure to come out of the fire tempered to a stronger man. Socrates Fortlow is such a man, tempered by guilt, jail and a hard life to become a better human being. Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley shows some of the grit of humanity but some of the finest as well. The rooster, Billy, starts the novel and shows Socrates a last gasp can be your most important. As the book progresses, a job becomes a courtroom where Socrates fights for his right to work. Later when he must stop a pyromaniac, he forces himself to go against a lifetime of learned distrust and seek the police for help and justice. Socrates most telling and difficult challenge follows when he†¦show more content†¦Anton Crier Asst. Mgr. upsets Socrates but he will not be denied a chance, â€Å" ‘I came for an application.’ Socrates repeated ‘But I told you...’ ‘I know what you said. But first you look ed at my clothes and at my bald head. First yo’ eyes said that this is some kinda old hobo and what do he want here when it ain’t bottle redemption time.’ ‘I did not...’ ‘It don’t matter,’ Socrates said quickly. He knew better than to let a white man in uniform finish a sentence. ‘You got to give me a application. That’s the law too’ (Mosley, 65) His time in prison had learned him about aspects of the law, Socrates knew the law because he had been part of the system for so long. He continued his fight knowing that he was right and just in his actions and wants. Through perseverance and more than a little stubbornness Socrates gets his job and proves that he is more than capable of handling it. He stood his ground in front of discrimination and succeeded. This gives him the confidence to pursue more challenges both in his own life and in others. In the chapter entitled Firebug, Socrates must make an agonizing decision. After seeing Ponzelle Richmond leaving the vicinity of the latest blaze he follows him home and discovers evidence of him being the pyromaniac. The fact that people died in the latest blaze made up Socrates mind for him. He had to stop Ponzelle but going to the cops is a difficult decision forShow MoreRelatedThe World Of World War 21383 Words   |  6 PagesFor example, not a single soldier would ever surrender as POW. Due to rules by the military and the indoctrination of beliefs, soldiers would refuse to accept defeat. This had roots in the government as well, and the Emperor of Japan along with the rest of the government refused surrender even when defeat was apparent. The interpretation of Japanese social, military, and historical culture caused individual soldiers and the government to refuse surrender, thereby prolonging World War 2. At a US militaryRead MoreThe Threat Of The Atomic Bombs1467 Words   |  6 PagesTruman eventually chose to drop the atomic bombs on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. This choice to drop the atomic bombs was right because these bombings assisted in slowing the expansion of the Soviet Union, changed the Japanese never-give-up mentality, and prevented the loss of many American and Japanese lives. For a start, the use of the atomic bombs helped slow the expansion of the Soviet Union following World War II. In regards to this, the United States was able to use the threatRead MoreThe Atomic Bombs On Japanese Cities1454 Words   |  6 PagesTruman eventually chose to drop the atomic bombs on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. This choice to drop the atomic bombs was right because these bombings assisted in slowing the expansion of the Soviet Union, changed the Japanese never-give-up mentality, and prevented the loss of many American and Japanese lives. For a start, the use of the atomic bombs helped slow the expansion of the Soviet Union following World War II. In regards to this, the United States was able to use the threatRead MoreEssay On The Atomic Bomb910 Words   |  4 Pagesthat President Truman was ready to fight and show other nations how strong the United States was. Alperovitz suggested we should have relaxed our unconditional surrender by letting the Japanese Emperor stay in command. Some even believe that government over estimated the casualties that would be saved by using the bomb. These ideas make up a very compelling argument against using the atomic bomb, however, I think with these ideas there also comes a lot of what-ifs, speculation and uncertainty. I alsoRead MoreToday s Culture : Is It Still Exist? Today? S Culture?751 Words   |  4 PagesRest? Does it even exist in today’s culture? Consistently saturated in constant noise,it surrounds us everywhere, be it work, social media, school, goals. 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HasegawaRead MoreCan Weapons Of Mass Destruction Be Justified?1618 Words   |  7 Pagesgood chance of success and it is the last option then surely it can be justified because it follows the rules of the Just war theory. WMD’s can’t be justified WMD’s cannot be justified as they cause mass destruction and kill the innocent. It will never be just to kill so many people and harm the environment. There are massive side effects when nuclear weapons are used, both economic and environmental; these problems can cause long term effects. WMD’s are also very expensive to make and maintain,Read MoreThe Atomic Bomb On Hiroshima1743 Words   |  7 PagesJapan, not many soldiers are staying put. As approximately 183,750 people are located on top of each other, a bomb like the Little Boy does not seem fair to drop on so many innocent people. Another detail to add is the population of Hiroshima. The up to date population of the city pre-bomb was 245,000 (Hersey 4). 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It was said that every Japanese soldier, woman and children would fight from coast to coast (Fussell pg. 17). The Japanese code bushido meaning â€Å"the way of the warrior† meant that surrendering was absolutely dishonorable to the Emperor and the country and most soldiers would prefer to take their own lives rather than surrender to the enemy (Correll Enola Gay). The Japanese were prepared to