primary and secondary sources to help you choose a historical perspective (social, political, or economic) to apply to your topic. Then consider the evidence you have found in those sources and if that evidence supports your research questions or suggests you need to go in another direction. Finally, you will choose one research question to focus on and revise it. Revising may involve rewriting your research question completely. Or you may need to narrow your focus or improve the clarity of the question.
my historical event is the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. my research question is “If this event is considered a part of our nations history, why was it not taught in schools”?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: Uncovering the Untold: The Significance of Teaching the Tulsa Race Riot in Schools
Thesis Statement: The historical significance of the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 demands a place in our nation’s curriculum, and the lack of its inclusion highlights a systemic failure in acknowledging and addressing racial injustices within our education system.
In exploring the historical perspective of the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, it is crucial to consider the primary and secondary sources that shed light on the social, political, and economic aspects of this event. Primary sources such as newspaper articles, eyewitness accounts, and official documents from that period provide firsthand information about the social tensions, political climate, and economic disparities that led to the devastating race riot. Secondary sources, including scholarly articles, historical analyses, and sociopolitical commentaries, offer a deeper understanding of the event’s broader implications on race relations and its impact on the local community and the nation as a whole.
Upon delving into these sources, it becomes evident that the evidence overwhelmingly supports the assertion that the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 has not been adequately addressed in school curricula. The lack of education about this critical event in our nation’s history perpetuates a significant gap in understanding the racial violence and systemic racism that has marred our past.
Therefore, the research question “If this event is considered a part of our nation’s history, why was it not taught in schools?” indeed raises important concerns about the oversight and erasure of this pivotal moment. However, to refine this question, it is essential to focus on the underlying reasons for the omission of the Tulsa Race Riot from educational materials and its implications for students’ understanding of historical injustices and their ongoing impact on society.
Revised Research Question: What are the systemic factors contributing to the exclusion of the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 from school curricula, and how does this omission hinder students’ comprehension of historical racial injustices and their enduring repercussions on contemporary society?
This revised research question allows for a more comprehensive exploration of the institutional barriers and educational deficiencies that have led to the neglect of teaching such a significant historical event. It also underscores the critical need to address these omissions to foster a more inclusive and accurate portrayal of our nation’s history within educational frameworks.
In conclusion, by examining the historical perspective of the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 and revising the research question to delve deeper into the systemic factors contributing to its exclusion from school curricula, we can advocate for a more comprehensive and truthful representation of our nation’s history. It is imperative to acknowledge and confront the uncomfortable truths of our past to pave the way for a more equitable and just future.
