Monday, December 15, 2014
Nikki
Relationships are the hallmark of chapter three. Heatlthy or not, we see the relationships individuals partake in have a profound impact on the decisions they make. What seems to be equally important is the ways in which the characters view themseleves because this perspective also reflects the quality of the interactions with others. Identify and evaluate one of the relationships you deem significant in chapter 3. Describe what you found interesting about the relationship and explain how the character is shaped, if at all, by the relationship in which they are engaged. If the relationship has an impact on them, explain how. If not, explain why.
Or you can choose to discuss another point that you found important in this chapter. You decide.
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ReplyDeleteIn Chapter three of Lisa Williamson's "No Disrespect", there was a relationship between men and women. Each of the characters, expressed how they felt towards the other genders. In the beginning of the chapter, Brian said "... you give these bi**hes too much credit... These girls are 'hoes... They have no respect for themselves..." (Souljah, 119). I found the relationship with brian and women different because he showed no sense of remorse for what he said. Although this was the beginning of the chapter, what he was saying actually relates to the actions of the other characters in the book. This relationship with Brian and women impacts the way he acts towards them. He said "... You have to stick and move" (Souljah, 119) meaning that you should only use they for sex and move on and dont get attached to them.
ReplyDeleteI like how you refered to the text and i agree with ykur last statement of women being used only for sex. This is similar to our present time period and what Nikki do not realize is that she is being used by other men, however she isnt with Todd and Brian. Based on my perspective i think she is lost between love and pleasure.
DeleteOne of the most unhealthy relationships in chapter 3 of Williamson's text was Nikki and Todd's. I found it amazing for Nikki to say she would fight any man that tried to come in between she and Brian's relationship, yet she cheated on him with multiple men that did not even compare to him (129). I think that she was in a state of double consciousness because she was torn between her life in college and the life she left behind at home. Although she craved attention, I think Nikki was only with Todd because she was scared for life as well as Brian's if she decided to leave him. I'm not saying that if she cheated on Brian with a man that was as good as him that her actions would be justified, but a man like Todd is toxic for intellectual being as a woman.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you but i realize that she loved the type of relationship her and brian had. She states she do not want their relationship to end but she has sex with numerous men i only think this is for the actual pleasure rather than doing it purposely. Both men gave her a specific quality she desired most which she could not gain from any other man so this was a reason to why she did the things she did. She is not a bright female and if i was Brian's or Todd's position i would stay away from her.
DeleteI think that Nikki was torn between the two lives she lived. She probably wanted to change but she was still in love with the life she had before she left for college. I would like to classify her relationship with various men as an addiction that she was not ready to leave alone. Nikki is very bright, she's just what Williamson would describe as "America's creation".
DeleteI agree with you Sarye that she had a state of double consciousness. She may had had a sense of attraction to what Brian and her had while there was something about what her and Todd shared. So therefore she had them believe they were her only lovers while she had affairs with several more guys behind their backs.
DeleteSarye I agree with you completely. However I believe that everyone thinks differently! I think Nikki wanted to consider Brian feelings but in the end she still need up only thinking about herself and what she wanted. All the women that Nikki had behind Brian back and even included him provided her with something that the other one couldn't.
DeleteThe most significant relationship in this chapter is the one between Lisa and Nikki. It is also a very strange one. Nikki is a sort of sexual Robin Hood, whose weapon of choice is her body, who steals from rich men, and whose charity of choice are less fortunate women. However in my opinion she is less of a hero, and more of a straight up manipulative prostitute. The fact that these two got together is beyond me, Lisa even says “I realized more and more that my friendship with Nikki was peculiar. I knew that she represented some of the traits that I hated most” (145). Later on she says that she lives vicariously through Nikki’s sexual adventures. This vicarious living is one of the reasons why I think this relationship is sort of wrong. It is as if Lisa is sitting on the sidelines as Nikki gets jumped, passively observing how her face absorbs the punches. Nikki is getting no counseling in regards to her being raped when she was young. In fact, at one point Lisa helps Nikki in her deviancy, posing as Barry’s girlfriend when he unexpectedly visits Nikki’s house while Brian was present (147). It seems to me the person who benefits the most from this relationship, actually learning something, is Lisa. In an attempt to be seductive and “powerful” like Nikki, Lisa attempts to bed a boy that she meets at one of her organizations get-togethers. She was successful in seducing him, but she finds that she is unable to actually have sex with him because she says “…I wasn't ready to sleep with him. I wanted love first, not sex“(157). In this she learns about herself and her limitations. Other than Lisa learning about herself, and this Nikki character, Nikki only really gains a companion who she can talk about personal things with.
ReplyDeleteDale after reading this you persuaded me that the most interesting relationship was between Nikki and Lisa. I liked when you said Nikki is a sort of sexual Robin Hood.I strange connection that worked in this instances. You brought up good points to support your argument. I liked your blog post.
DeleteI agree Dale. It seems like Lisa began living vicariously through Nikki. Initially, she was hooked on to Nikki's advice and later decided to try it for herself. They had a sort of yin and yang relationships. There were certain things that Lisa lacked and Nikki carried, and vice versa. For example, Nikki lived in "girl world" and worked hard on her appearance and relied heavily on the support of other men. Lisa was more in touch with her intellectual side and fell in love with the strength of one's mind rather than their physical appearance. However, I still believe Nikki and Lisa balanced each other out and Nikki may have appreciated the relationship more than Lisa. She stated that she'd always respected Lisa, and may have even wanted to be her (164).
DeleteI agree with you Dale, I also love how you compared Nikki to a sexual Robin Hood. The women in Lisa's life have been impacting her greatly whether it be negative or positively. Like Sarye stated Lisa began living vicariously through Nikki. She began to try some of the things that Nikki advised her to do. She listened to her because Nikki had some of the qualities that she lacked. Lisa realizes that she can't have sex with just any boy in order to belong or feel as if she is wanted because there has to be love there.
DeleteAfter reading chapter 3 relationship became the center of attraction. Nikki who engaged in multiple relationships does it because she want love and security. As a child she was molested and as a result it caused her to act out. The most important relationship I believe she had was with Brian. I believer her having a good man to always fall back on, one who treats her right, and is loyal to her. However he never quite fulfilled all her needs. But he was the idealist of a great man and it impacted her (Nikki) because she had the love and security at home no matter what happens with all the boys she engaged with. This kind of power made her controlling. This relationship did not have a impact on Nikki however because not once did it seem like he was worried about how Brain was feeling. In my opinion she had no respect or morals for herself. After loosing all respect along time ago, a part of me can actually understand why she acts the way she does. I believe that its not just the females that been through a lot throughout their lives that choose to be womanizers. It is also the followers. The females like Lisa Williamson that want exactly what the fancy and pretty girls have. Those girl have a mind for themselves and a drive to be success but choose to act just like their friends because the "fast lane" seem fair and wonderful. But honestly it all comes back to them. Souljah tried really hard just to be like her friend, but what it lead to was a complete failure that only caused confusion. And to the womanizers "Nikki" I think she the deserve exactly what she got in the ending NOTHING !
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 3, Sister Souljah introduced a friend who taught her many lessons about relationships and sex. Her friend name was Nikki. Nikki had many relationships through out the chapter. Some of these relationships were healthy and some unhealthy.The most significant relationships I believe was the one between Nikki and Brian. I found this relationships the most interesting because Nikki claims she loves him with all her heart but cheats on him."Me and Brain been together for a year and half now. He's my heart. I love him. Any women who tries to steal him is looking for a fight"(Souljah 129) It funny how if you love someone,how is it possible to be active with more than one partner. Nikki had men who had different purposes in her life. Todd was her money man, Brain was her main boyfriend, Barry was somebody who takes her out. This relationship shaped Brain a lot. I say this because Brain give the opportunity to have a good girl because he was blinded by the front Nikki put up. In addition, when he found out who she truly as a person he taught of himself as a fool. This relationship never had a impact on Nikki. Losing Brain was no problem because it would be a next man that would come and take his place.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the points you have made, but I may disagree with what you said about Nikki relationship with multiple men. One may understand a girl is scared when it come to love. In Nikki case, she didn't find love because she was molested and raped by the age of twelve. Many girls may have secret, but one may hide the hurt because they are destroyed in the inside. Nikki happens to be the person to have sex to take out her anger toward things. She quotes "Sex is good. It can be used for power, for escape, or for nothing at all" (Souljah 164). She probably have played Brain, but you have to understand why she became this way. She is hurt and damaged; the only thing to comfort her is sex and to not have a care in the world for anybody.
DeleteQuason i agree that with you Nikki's actions , but Quason do you think that Nikki did everything for herself. Nikki family played apart in her actions. If Nikki didn't have money she sister wouldn't have clothes ? She wouldn't be able to go to the college she wanted. Their are many reasons why she did what she did.
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ReplyDeletein this chapter there is this theme of promiscuity, Nikki uses her ASSets to get ahead. she not only uses the men for there money put for the pleasure of sex period.c i feel like her most Emotion based relationship is with Brian but he doesn't supply her with every need that a women wants so she looks other places since Brian only provides her with security and comfort. I feel as though her relationships were based off demand and supply and it's been like that since she was raped. I belive that she started to think that since men could use her to get what that want she might as well do the same ! After all were all squirrels in this world trying to get a nut and she's using what she got to get ahead.
I respect you for what you said, because she is using what she has to get ahead. I believe she is a intelligent young girl that do amazing things in life, but she is this pain that will never go away. Since she was hurt by men, she she has the intentions of hurting them back. I never really though of that idea, but now speaking of it; she probably did have sex with multiple men to get revenge. This pain and suffering haunts her and she reacts in a horrible way.
DeleteI agree that she was emotionally with Brian but tried to find the physical things outside of their relationship. But i disagree that she has the reason to do these things because of her past. She was misguided through life as you can see but, she should know it was wrong to treat someone as good as Brian like that. She hurt him for so long indirectly and finally when it came upfront, she was abused by Todd.
DeleteI agree with what you are saying here. Nikki past experiences might have caused her to adapt a mentality of using her body to get what she wants. The world is ruled by both money and sex. Many desire both money and sex some have sex for money while others pay to have sex. Nikki uses her sensual qualities to get ahead and obtain what she wants. She doesnt settle for what Brian is giving her she wants more. And Nikki does just that seek for more. I like how you use the metaphor of squirrels searching for nuts to describe Nikki situation. Interesting way of perceiving this chapter.
Deletefelt simply towards Nikki simply because she was molested at a young age, which effected her now are a young women. A female will never find love and sercurity if she is having sexual relations with ever man she encounters. This is similar to many females in our era now most are so desperate for love and effection, as a result they tend to have sex with numerous men and when they don't meet the love they desire so well they will continue doing so. Most men only want sex so she will never be able to get the love she desires. But when it comes to a dollar Nikki is easily determine to make money in which she uses her body as a source to make money. This chapter was actually interesting.
ReplyDeleteDaquan i agree that her molestation effected her. The woman in our society do want to find love and affection but who doesn't. Who wouldn't want to be adored and loved. Alot of Woman don't have family who support them nor do they have people they can depend on. In this world Woman have a harder life then men. Paid less and respected less but everyone has an opinion on what a woman should be.
DeleteIn chapter 3; No Disrespect is able to show the profound relationship between Lisa and Kyle. It is able to show the story of Nikki and how it shaped Lisa in a huge way. The chapter was shaped in a way; as a reader you see all the flaws in the relationship, but then it shows why it occurred. She moved very fast in order to get over Nathan, and I believe she should not be judge. Lisa is trying to get over the past, however sh shouldn't become a next Nikki, because I believe Nikki is damaged so she is occupying her self to remain normal."No man is attracted to an upright young girl who takes the world so damn seriously, she said. After spending most of the summers alone, I finally decided to take Nikki's advice. It seemed that no men valued a women like me. My attempts to be strong and straight were not only not appreciated, they went unnoticed" (Souljah 149). This quote stood out to me because as a young lady you shouldn't down grade yourself for anybody. I may understand getting over your lover is extremely hard, but a girl should never change her personality, and try something stupid when the hurt still existence. The more she wanted Kyle, the more she became less intelligent, and lack of responsibilities for herself. As a result of Lisa actions that she took upon herself she ended up hurt and still had no boyfriend she could love. She was embarrassed and ashamed. My question is;Why do you believe black young treat themselves with less dignity in this society ?
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 3 "Nikki" Williamson talks about her friend. I feel as through Nikki has been broken behind repair and she was molested by her fathers friend at the age of 12 which developed her into her desire to always be in-control of the men she dealt with. Nikki uses sex as a leverage to get what she wants. Nikki actions shaped Lisa's individuality and her desire to fix herself back up after the heartbreak of Nathans betrayal. Nikki inspired her to become more about her body. Nikki family also played a role in her sexual escapades , her parents cheated on each other and her brother did drugs. I feel as through Nikki did certain things to take care of her family also because she enjoys the passion of sex.
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ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 3, a relationship to be considered as unhealthy is Nikki and Brian’s relationship. Also, Todd and Nikki’s relationship was unhealthy. While Brian and Todd had the impression for the longest that Nikki was faithful and only giving her attention to them, but they were sadly mistaken. Nikki had multiple affairs with several men that Brian nor did Todd have any idea about. The multiple relations that Nikki had, impacted her in a way that she became careless and got caught eventually. Nikki didn’t view herself in any way that she should be ashamed about. However, her past was the reason she had her problem with staying to one guy and it affected her later in her years. I found it interesting that the fact that she had been raped at 12 made her loose rather than scared of men. She treated men such as Brian with disrespect, but not directly. Her actions caused Brian to lose his best friend because he was naïve and believed Nikki was faithful to him. She was no good for any one man and had no good intentions. After reading this chapter, I realize that relationships can impact someone’s personality as well as their actions.
ReplyDeleteI agree Chanel. If Brian wasn't blinded by love he may have been able to see through Nikki. If Nikki wasn't scarred by her experiences as a child, she would not have the urge to hurt him. She felt like she needed to balance out her new life and her old life to make herself feel good. There is a possibility that Brian may have made Nikki change her ways over time, similar to the relationship that Nikki's mother and father shared. But it was too late.
DeleteIn chapter three many relationships evolved and altered peoples personalities. Nikki was introduced in this chapter she was "... light-skinned and from Texas, about five-foot-nine... Her body was thick but not fat. She had big athletic legs... and a small waistline" (Williamson, 121). Nikki was a woman who always got what she wanted and did everything possible to achieve what she wanted. Even if she had to use her body to fulfill that desire. Nikki was a close friend of Williamson they met on campus and Lisa lived with her in her apartment. Lisa experiences the day in the life of Nikki and wants to receive the same attention Nikki does from men. In the attempt of trying to be Nikki Lisa found herself portraying someone else. In the event that all of this happened Lisa realized that if she wanted attention going about it the "Nikki way" was not the right way. I found it interesting the confident Lisa sought to find her security through the eyes of a male that she needed to feel beautiful in the eyes of others than just herself. Lisa characteristics changed being around Nikki and her "whorish ways." I believe Nikki and Brian's relationship was the most unhealthiest in the fact that Brian was being faithful and Nikki was out and about while she was in a relationship with him. They loved each other but Nikki still went out side their relationship without telling Brian nothing.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3"Nikki", I believe that the relationship that developed between her a Nikki was a life learning relationship. That relationship helped Lisa understand who she was a person and what she like and dislike as a young woman. She knew that the lifestyle Nikki was living was something different. Different in a way that actually helped Lisa become a stronger woman. Lisa realized that in life you do not have to live the fast life or be like everyone else, because you are your own person. You should live life how you want and based off of who you are a an individual. In chapter 3, I also realized the environment that you grow up in can drastically effect who you are in the long run. The people she met already has effected her mindset and has a large influence on the women she is becoming.I believe that Lisa's lust for love will lead her to met people that will make her question who "Lisa" is overall.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying here Correl. I believe that the most valuable lesson that Lisa Williamson learn was to be herself. She realizes that she didn't have to be like Nikki just to be friends with her. They were both two individuals that looked at life in different ways. One question I do have for you is what do you mean by the environment that you grow up if can drastically affect who you become in the long run? I was a little unclear
DeleteAfter reading chapter three of Lisa Williamson's No Disrespect I learn about Lisa's relationship with Nikki. Although Nikki have sex promiscuously and Lisa is not that type of women, they have a relationship where they can talk about personal things. "I would dress up, act less intelligent, and take less notice of my surroundings" (Williamson 149). These are the things Nikki would do in order to get a man. She started to care less about herself and focus more on what she wants and needs. She became interested in sex and money. When Lisa listens to her advice she realizes that she is not the type of person to have sex with love being absent. She learns that she can't be like the other women she encounters in her life.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter three of Williamson's text there were many unhealthy relationships that occur. In my opinion the most unhealthy relationship that occur was Nikki and Brian relationship. I believe that this relationship was very unhealthy for Brian in particular. Many people say that love can make you do a lot of crazy things. Brian really loved Nikki and she just continued to hurt him over and over and he was clueless. He loved her so much that every time he heard something about her he would ask and then believe whatever lie she told him. I believe that this relationship was unhealthy for Brian the most because he really did love Nikki and was very faithful to her and she had many different guys just to get whatever she wanted. This relationship was horrible for him because it ended up making him lose his bestfriend and look stupid in the end. Some may say that men are dogs but Nikki showed that women can be dogs also, and even though she said she lived Brian and that was her boo she still violated him and made him look so very stupid in the end.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with everything you said, and I would like to ask, do you think that if Nikki revealed to Brian her dark past, that he would be alright with her sleeping around? It seems her promiscuity, her manipulative business, is a sort of therapy. Now instead of the men taking advantage of her, she is using them, using her body to rip them from their family and forcing them to pay her for something they can get for free. In this way the men become clients instead of lovers.
DeleteWell I believe that Brian is a guy every girl dreams for on campus. His dedication and loyalty for Nikki doesn't need to be shared. Dale would you be alright if you was in Brian's position? But how can he get hurt when he is unaware of his girlfriend secrets but eventually he did. I also agree with you Tati as you state that "Some may say that men are dogs but Nikki showed that women can be dogs also".
DeleteIn Lisa Williamson’s “No Disrespect”, the chapter Nikki was very intriguing. I found it fascinating about the many relationships that Nikki had with multiple men while stabling a relationship with one man. Nikki and Lisa became close acquaintances as they exchanged conversation and Nikki lend Lisa some clothes. Lisa did envy Nikki because she wanted someone like Brian who would show love to her. When Nikki and Lisa were going out, Lisa saw the way Todd was holding Nikki and saw that he was in love with her. When they went to get Latasha, the conversation between her and Nikki was interesting to Lisa. Lisa found out how Nikki used men to get money. When they arrived at the club, Lisa saw the way Nikki used her body to persuade men. Nikki was with the owner of the club Donovan. Lisa “in the end decided that she didn’t respect Nikki’s way of life”(Souljah 145). Nikki was just using these men. She was practically a gold digger. She did not love none of those men. However, Lisa uses some Nikki’s techniques to get with a boy named Kyle. She dressed in tight clothing, used her body, it was like she was a different person. When she was with Kyle in Baltimore, she had to reconsider her actions because she was not ready to go deep with Kyle as she thought she would. When Kyle had an accident and could not remember who she was, she “felt like a whore”(Souljah 161). She later found out the reason of why Nikki has been acting that way with men. “Perhaps it was these secrets that caused her to want sex all the time --- Instead of becoming terrified of men she became fascinated with them”(Souljah 164).
ReplyDeleteI agree with the relationships that you found to be very interesting. I also found that there was much beyond the simple fact of her wanting more. She used her body as a weapon to seduce and use. However I’m disappointed that from Lisa’s experience she would have known better to rise above the influence of Nikki.
DeleteWithin Lisa Williamson’s text No Disrespect, I questioned the numerous relationships the third chapter of the text “Nikki” have to offer. However the two minor characters relationship that was a bit miscellaneous was Nikki’s mother and father. As stated within the text “Now Ma, did your dirt in your day. So ease up off Daddy”. “That was the past. The past don’t matter. I’m talking about what’s happening right now, today”. “But you didn’t stop for Daddy. You stopped for your own reasons. As you grew older, you got tired of running. You lost desire, and changed. Daddy’s a man. Do you really expect him to lose his desire because you did?" (Souljah 134). This quote refers to the negative influence her mom believes that Nikki’s father is disrespecting her. Though how can you degrade yourself and not expect others not to degrade you. I believe that these conditions influenced Nikki in being the person she is today. Nikki could relate to their relationship as a selfish sight in which I believe was a trait she inherited from her parents.
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