Kortmeyer 1

Aspen Kortmeyer

Professor Ditch

English 115

December 9​, 2020

Project Text Essay

March Book One​ by John Lewis and the article “The Alchemy of Suffering” by

Matthieu Ricard share personal stories about the authors’ experiences with happiness and

suffering. John Lewis was a strong-willed and courageous man of color who was willing to

sacrifice his safety and well-being to fight for justice and equality during the Civil Rights

Movement. In the graphic novel ​March Book One​, John Lewis transforms his suffering into

nonviolent, peaceful protests.​ Lewis had untiring perseverance and relentless energy.

Matthieu Ricard, a scholar and Buddhist monk, believed that one could not truly feel

happiness without first experiencing suffering and that we must choose to rise from our

despair.

In the beginning of the novel, Lewis stated, “Going to school was a luxury my family

couldn't afford” (Lewis 50). This quote shows that Lewis knew the importance and value of

an education, but he also knew his family found it unnecessary and they needed him at home

working on their farm. His family was also concerned about his safety and they felt that

attending school could bring him trouble. Despite all of his struggles, Lewis being the

strong-willed boy he was, he snuck out of his safe place to get onto the school bus so that he

could get an education. ​School appears to be one of the first places Lewis endured suffering

through segregation, I believe that even at this young age, Lewis was a young activist.​ ​He did

not worry about the suffering he would be bringing himself by running off to school and this

impacted his activism so early on because he was protecting his values and did not allow

anything to discourage him. ​John Lewis’ had a special relationship with his uncle Otis.
 Kortmeyer 2

Together they drove through the south and witnessed the suffering that segregation caused for

people of color. They had to carefully plan bathroom breaks on their trip because there were

places that did not offer “colored” bathrooms (Lewis 38). Although Lewis encountered a lot

of fear while on the road trip, he did not allow this to hold him back. ​The suffering that he

witnessed gave him a lot of motivation to create change. This really shows that Lewis has

empathy for others and that he has the ability to turn other people suffering into motivation

within himself.

As Lewis got older he grew a better understanding of what was happening around him

and he began to realize that fighting for equality from a place of peace was the best option.

Violence, racism, and social injustice against people of color was happening on a daily basis.

There was suffering throughout the United States and very few people had the courage to

stand up for what was right.​ In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and move to the

back of a bus in Alabama, which led the police to arrest her (Lewis 58). In the article “The

Alchemy of Suffering”, Ricard states “It’s not the magnitude of the task that matters, it's the

magnitude of our courage” (Ricard 38).​ ​ Rosa Parks’ bravery and courageousness inspired

her community to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was the largest protest of its

time; 50,000 people participated in the boycott and it lasted an entire year (Lewis 59).​ This is

a strong example of suffering being transformed into power. As Ricard believed, a person

cannot feel happiness without first experiencing suffering (Ricard 34-42). ​In 1956, bus

segregation was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court and Rosa Parks became a

national symbol of strength​. Rosa Parks' bravery​ sparked inspiration in Lewis and he began to

believe that he could inspire people in the same way as she did. He became a leader in

engaging others in peaceful protest, sit-ins, and rallies ​ in order to respond to their suffering.

People who were being oppressed wanted peace and equality and there is evidence that shows

that ​“​violence leads to more violence​”​ (Mazumder 924). ​It is obvious that Lewis has always
 Kortmeyer 3

been a brave, empathic boy throughout his entire life. As he has gotten older he has realized

the power he holds and that he can create change for everyone who is in distress.

Lewis turned his fear and suffering into will-power, and he was not going to allow

racial segregation to keep him from reaching his goals and creating change for all the people

affected by the racism in America. Over time, Lewis was ready to move forward with a new

philosophy “the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence” (Lewis 73). This

quote leads us to Lewis and his supporters taking a different approach by disarming their

attackers by humanizing themselves and making eye contact, loving them instead of hating

them, even under an intense amount of stress and harassment (Lewis 82). They chose

peaceful protest as a way to accomplish their goals. ​It is clear that Lewis understands that you

cannot fight fire with fire, and the aggression that innocent people are experiencing will only

become worse if there is more aggression flooding in. Although everyone was practicing

non-violence, violence was still being used against people of color: “They’ve bombed the

Loobys’ house” (Lewis 116). Lewis did not want to deepin the suffering for himself, his

family and every other person who was already experiencing oppression, instead he wanted

everyone to turn their rage into motivation to work towards equality.​ ​“H​ate can be like a

magnet that attracts iron filings​”​ (Ricard 37).​ Everyone who was in support of peacefully

fighting for equality was ​being taught how to​ peacefully​ stand tall and to be strong so they

could participate in sit-ins at restaurants who believed in serving only white people. ​This was

only the beginning of the “fight” for equality. It was extremely powerful that all of these

people who have been experiencing great agony their entire lives were transforming their

suffering into peace and power. Their silence is louder than a hundred words and after ​many

successful sit-ins, hundreds of volunteers wanted to participate to create the change that

Lewis was working towards. Towards the end of the novel it became obvious that Lewis had

transformed his fear and suffering into courage, his dreams were coming true and people of
 Kortmeyer 4

color were coming together to gain equality with no violence. ​Lewis said “We wanted to

change America, to make it something different, something better” (Lewis 103). This quote

shows that he was so determined to create this change, he implanted this mindset into all of

the people who were on his side fighting with him, they all sang: “We shall overcome

someday..” (Lewis 103). Lewis creating this strong mindset among the people who were

brave enough to fight for equality really plays into Ricards belief that our experience will be

determined by our mindset. ​Although Lewis avoided violence and fought with love rather

than hate he was still experiencing brutality, for example: ​“​Lewis, was beaten by a state

trooper with a billy club as authorities broke up a civil rights voting march in Selma,

Alabama in March of 1965 and he sustained a fractured skull​”​ (Wallstreet Journal).

In conclusion, John Lewis was a major influence and leader in the Civil Rights

Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. Lewis came from very humble beginnings and was a

strong man who dedicated his life to ending the suffering caused by racial discrimination.​ He

never allowed his suffering to define or limit him; instead ​he turned the suffering he endured

into power in order to create a much needed change across the United States of America.

Matthieu Ricard believed that the way we experience suffering depends on our mindset and

John Lewis applied this philosophy in his daily life. He was strong in his beliefs and he never

gave up on his dreams of equality. Lewis' mindset was full of determination, but although

there was sadness and hardship in Lewis’s journey, he did not allow it to stand in the way of

his success. ​His activism was created by the way he transformed his suffering and understood

that it would be an extremely difficult fight. Throughout the novel we watched Lewis

improve the life of everyone who was experiencing the harsh reality of racism, he motivated

and inspired other people to join in and convert the suffering they were experiencing into

momentum towards change just like he did.

 Kortmeyer 5

Works Cited

Lewis, John; Aydin, Andrew. ​March: Book One. ​Illustrated by Nate Powell, IDW Publishing,

2013.

Mazumder, Soumyajit. “The Persistent Effect of U.S. Civil Rights Protests on Political

Attitudes.” ​American Journal of Political Science​, 4 Nov. 2018, pp. 922–935.

https://www-jstor-org.libproxy.csun.edu/stable/26598792?seq=1#metadata_info_t

ab_contents​. Accessed 8 November 2020.

“Remembering Civil-Rights Leader and Lawmaker John Lewis; A Champion of Civil Rights,

John Lewis's Activism Brought Him from the Bloodied Streets of Selma, Ala., to the

Marble Halls of Congress.” ​The Wall Street Journal. Eastern Edition,​ 17 July 2020,

https://search-proquest-com.libproxy.csun.edu/docview/2424572267?pq-origsite=sum

mon​. Accessed 8 November 2020.

Ricard, Matthieu. “The Alchemy of Suffering.” ​Pursuing Happiness,​ Matthew Parfitt, Dawn

Skorczewski, 2016, pp. 34-42. Accessed October 2020.