Intention

The intention of the excerpt from Will Jawando’s memoir My Seven Black Fathers: A Young Activist’s Memoir of Race, Family, and the Mentors who Made Him Whole is both to inform and to persuade. 

At first it may seem that the writer shares memories from his past to entertain the readers. However, closer analysis reveals that the writer’s purpose is to inform the readers about some harsh realities about the US. 

Part of Jawando’s intention is to raise awareness of how people live in disadvantaged environments. Jawando draws attention to the potential of people like Kalfani, his talent and skill, as well as his engaging personality. This creates the expectation that Kalfani will make it far in life. However, Kalfani does not fulfill his potential because he loses his life to violence at a young age. Furth...