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What Is The Purpose Of Henry L Gates Essay

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The purpose of Henry L Gates essay Is to inform people of his disability. It was not something he was born with, but something he developed from an accident he had as a teen. With his essay Gates seems to want to bring awareness to the disorder called slipped epiphysis. Reassuring young children, and young adults they are not alone. The technology of hip and joint has advanced quickly, today It can potentially help them live normal lives. The first turning point was when Gates “incurred a hairline fracture.” At the time he did not realize the seriousness of It. When Gates was In school one day the joint of his hip sheered apart, from that point moving forward his life changed completely. He became bed bound, and endured extreme pain. Eventually his leg will become shorter which enabled him to wear special shoes to help balance him out. …show more content…

Although It takes decades for him to achieve that feeling, the pain he once endured physically and mentally was finally over, due to his hip replacement. He became a confident man being able to now wear regular shoes he once only dreamed of. The incident involving the doctor showed, no matter how intelligent or driven Gates was, he will encounter people along the way who will try to intimidate him. Giving him the impression that becoming successful will be impossible. Since he was a young black boy growing up In the 1960’s there was racism at an all time high. Unfortunately racist people will come across as condescending and try to shoot down his dreams. Not only did he become disabled due to his accident, but now being looked down on for wanting to become successful was a double challenge for him. The doctor calling him an “over achiever” was an insult. It was a passive aggressive way for him to say he Is smart and almost has the potential to become

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