02-28-2019
As Mike Rose’s time in Voc. Ed. he learned that people surrounding them are all different in many ways. Attending this school has surrounded him with many different people backgrounds and I believe that helped shaped who he is. He came to the understanding that surrounding yourself with people who. are unlike you in one way to identify who you are. As Rose was attending Voc. Ed. he became close with Ken Harvey. In class one day Harvey said, “I just wanna be average”. My understanding of Rose’s answering to Harvey’s statement is that people but into their mind what “average” is. Rose’s definition of average is different than Harvey’s as he states “who wants to be average?”(Page 28) As you sit in a classroom or in the matter of fact anywhere, the person next to you definition of average is different than yours. As Rose becomes close to Harvey, he obtains his reflection on his identity and coverings. Harvey may be a person who inside he does not like his identity and tries to cover it. He makes the statement “I just wanna be average” because he looks at how other people may grow up and who they are and he wants to be just like them. My understanding of this that people look around and see how other people are and form an opinion of average. They then feel as if they are less than those people and they begin to try and cover who they really are. Ta-Nehisi Coates is an African American who would view this situation in a different view. If Rose were viewed Harvey’s statement as if Harvey was black Rose’s answer would not be the same. Rose would think that Harvey wanted to be white because he wanted to be average and those who were black were mistreated and wanted to be the other race.
