Point of View in Alice Walker's Everyday Use
Alice Walker is making a statement about the popularization of black
culture in "Everyday Use". The story involves characters from both sides of the
African American cultural spectrum, conveniently cast as sisters in
the story. Dee/Wangero represents the "new black," with her natural
hairdo and brightly colored clothing. Maggie remains traditional: the
unchanged, unaffected bystander. Nowhere in the dialogue do Walker's
characters directly mention their feelings about the Americanization
of African tradition. But Walker somehow gets the reader to believe
this popularization itself can actually turn into a form of exploitation.
By telling the story from the mother's point of view, Walker's representation
of Wangero is seeped in irony, and therefore Wangero's love of her African
heritage becomes an exploitation of it.
Because the mother is so closely related to the characters in the
story, her perception of them is biased. Walker uses this point of
view to her advantage, because while the reader is familiar with
Wangero's somewhat stereotypical "blacksploitive" personality, this
aspect of her personality remains completely foreign to her mother,
the narrator, who describes it with an innocent wonder. In the
beginning of the story the mother speaks of Wangero's actions in the
past. Even then she displayed an arrogance that isolated her mother
and younger sister, but the mother was too busy being proud of her
daughter's achievements to notice. She says, "At sixteen [Dee] had a
style of her own, and she knew what style was. She used to read to
us, without pity. [We sat] trapped and ignorant underneath her voice."
The mothe...
... middle of paper ...
...ng her mother more ashamed of her dark skin, her culture. The
mother describes her ideal skin shade as the color of an uncooked
barley pancake, a food that is perhaps tan at best. Once again, the
mother continues on about the dream without realizing the weight of
what she is saying. It is the reader's -- and Walker's --
responsibility to understand the real theme imbedded in the story.
In the same way that the reader dislikes Wangero in "Everyday Use,"
so Alice Walker seems to dislike the type of black American who uses
his or her cultural identity as a status symbol. It is not a hatred
that Walker displays in her story, but rather a playful poking-fun-of,
which wouldn't have been possible had "Everyday Use" not been told
from the perspective of the mother. This is exactly how the point of
view affected the theme of "Everyday Use".
Figueredo, Maria L. "The Legend of La Llorona: Excavating and (Re) Interpreting the Archetype of the Creative/Fertile Feminine Force", Latin American Narratives and Cultural Identity, 2004 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York. pp232-243.
“Over the past century, Canadian attitudes towards the use of force and the exercise of military power in support of national aims have fundamentally shifted”. This is a quote written by Major Todd Strickland in his article, titled, “From the Boers to the Taliban: How Canadians Attitudes towards War Have Changed”. This article reviews Canada’s history within the wars and also Canadian’s thoughts on war. The Afghan war began in 2001 and is still ongoing today. The war began due to the terrorist attacks that took place in the United States on September 11th, 2001, also known as 9/11. The purpose of this war was to invade Afghanistan and to disassemble an organization, known as the al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Another objective was to dismantle the Taliban government. The Taliban government was simply to blame for the deaths of so many Americans on 9/11. The leader, brains and financial support behind this organization was one by the name of Osama bin Laden. Because his country did not surrender him, the United States made the decision to declare war on Afghanistan and fight for those who lost their lives in 9/11. Canada became involved in the Afghan War very quickly after the attacks of 9/11. Because the Afghanistan war is a war that is constantly covered by the media, it makes the information overwhelming. To narrow the topic down, this paper will focus mainly on the Canadian’s involvement in the Afghanistan war. Violent political wars have been reoccurring for as long as anyone can remember, and the intensity of this violence continues to rise. The magnitude of political violence involved, the main interpretations on the causes of political violence, and the prospects for conflict resolution are all topics that will be covered...
In the 19th Century, women had different roles and treated differently compared to today’s women in American society. In the past, men expected women to carry out the duties of a homemaker, which consisted of cleaning and cooking. In earlier years, men did not allow women to have opinions or carry on a job outside of the household. As today’s societies, women leave the house to carry on jobs that allow them to speak their minds and carry on roles that men carried out in earlier years. In the 19th Century, men stereotyped women to be insignificant, not think with their minds about issues outside of the kitchen or home. In the play Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell, the writer portrays how women in earlier years have no rights and men treat women like dirt. Trifles is based on real life events of a murder that Susan Glaspell covered during her work as a newspaper reporter in Des Moines and the play is based off of Susan Glaspell’s earlier writing, “A Jury of Her Peers”. The play is about a wife of a farmer that appears to be cold and filled with silence. After many years of the husband treating the wife terrible, the farmer’s wife snaps and murders her husband. In addition, the play portrays how men and women may stick together in same sex roles in certain situations. The men in the play are busy looking for evidence of proof to show Mrs. Wright murdered her husband. As for the women in the play, they stick together by hiding evidence to prove Mrs. Wright murdered her husband. Although men felt they were smarter than women in the earlier days, the play describes how women are expected of too much in their roles, which could cause a woman to emotionally snap, but leads to women banding together to prove that women can be...
A work of literature often subtlety alludes to a situation in society that the author finds particularly significant. Susan Glaspell incorporates social commentary into her play Trifles. By doing so, she highlights the gender stratification that exists even in the most basic interactions and presents a way to use this social barrier to an acceptable end. Despite being written almost a century before present day, Glaspell’s findings and resulting solution are still valid in a modern context. Trifles demonstrates the roles of men and women in their everyday behaviour and interaction. The women use their ascribed positions to accomplish what the men cannot and have the ability to deliberately choose not to help the men with their newfound knowledge.
Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, was written in 1916, reflects the author’s concern with stereotypical concepts of gender and sex roles of that time period. As the title of the play implies, the concerns of women are often considered to be nothing more than unimportant issues that have little or no value to the true work of society, which is being performed by men. The men who are in charge of investigating the crime are unable to solve the mystery through their supposed superior knowledge. Instead, two women are able decipher evidence that the men overlook because all of the clues are entrenched in household items that are familiar mainly to women during this era. Glaspell expertly uses gender characterization, setting, a great deal of symbolism and both dramatic and verbal irony, to expose social divisions created by strict gender roles, specifically, that women were limited to the household and that their contributions went disregarded and underappreciated.
...lack of education and skills their income is still very low (Cort Kirkwood, 2012). It is out of necessity that they look for additional help, I know some illegal people that use food stamps benefits, but they are ashamed to use them. In their culture this is view as something bad so they only apply when really necessary. Unlike other born citizens that I know of the abuse of government assistance programs by reporting false information and not working as illegals do. As you can see illegals are not a burden to citizens like they claim illegals are, instead they help citizens.
Smith, Gordon. “Canada in Afghanistan: Is it working?” Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute, 2007.
Although the play Trifles and the short story “Jury of her peers” are very similar there are some differences throughout the play and story from the characters, title, and the description. Susan Glaspell wrote both the story and play. Susan Glaspell wrote Trifles, her first play, was performed and published in 1916; the following year Glaspell wrote “A Jury for Her Peers” as a short story version of the same story in order to reach a wider audience. Both texts are early feminist masterpieces, and with this edition readers can read both versions of this classic story which challenges male prejudice.
The play Trifles and the short story “A Jury of Her Peers” were written by Susan Glaspell. Glaspell was a feminist writer who used her writing talent to illustrate the widespread inequality between the men and women of the time. She wrote the play in 1916 and a year later adapted it into the short story “A Jury of Her Peers”. Glaspell’s inspiration for these pieces was an actual event in which a woman murdered her husband that she had covered when she was a reporter. The themes Susan Glaspell is most concerned with are female oppression, patriarchal dominance, and revenge. At that time in history, society was very much patriarchal. It was a time when women were expected to be quiet and obey and trust their husbands completely. The play and
Latin America is rich with stories and legends. Many are said to have been originated from the time of the Conquistadors or the indigenous era. One story or legend that has surpass all other folklore and the times, in all parts of Latin America, is that of “the weeping woman” or best known as “La Llorona”. Her sad story is said to have originated in a small town in Mexico. It was said that in this small humble town, there lived an enchanting young girl. She was by far the most beautiful young girl in all the nearby villages. Just as her beauty was recognized through out all Mexico so to was her name. The older Maria got, her beauty seem to increase and sparkle like priceless rubies and gems. But unfortunately her heart was black and full of pride. No man was suitable and they were beneath her beauty to even be glanced by her eyes. Until one day there rode into town a dashing young stallion of a man riding on his half wild horse. Some say that he claimed to say “He thought it wasn't manly to ride a horse if it wasn't half wild”. http://www.literacynet.org/lp/hperspectives/llorona.html. This young man was not just handsome but wealthy and played the guitar while singing with his majestic voice. In one glance, Maria knew that this was the man she would marry. She didn’t make it easy for him to woo her. This young man would serenade beautiful melodies out side her window and present her with gifts from afar. Maria would ignore every thing the young man did to get her attention. Finally this young man conquered her love and it wasn’t long before they both got engaged and married. Years went by and Maria bore him two kids. This ...
Before A Jury of Her Peers came Trifles, a play about the investigation of an unlikely suicide following a couple of women that withhold evidence that could convict their friend of murder. Trifles was published in the same year it was first performed on the eighth of August, 1916 and shortly after was turned into a short story on March 5, 1917. However, regardless of both stories sharing plot and direction they have enough differences to warrant varying opinions depending on which rendition they are. Coincidentally, both stories excel in certain fields the other does not. Furthermore, The differences between the play Trifles and the short story A Jury of Her Peers are subtle and forthright
I. Article Summary: Suzy Clarkson Holstein's article, “Silent Justice in a Different Key: Glaspell's 'Trifles'” evaluates the play Trifles and how the difference between the men in the play mirror how a woman's perspective is very different from a man's. Trifles is about two women, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, who show up at a house with their husbands and the county attorney to investigate a murder. The entire time the men are looking for evidence to implicate the accused wife, Minnie Wright, of killing her husband. Meanwhile, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale are there to gather up some items to bring Minnie Wright in jail. While doing so, the women uncover evidence that would prove the wife is culpable but decide to hide it from the men in the last moments of the play. Trifles is evaluated on how the women are able to come up with the evidence unlike the men because they didn't approach it like a crime scene but rather a home, “By contrast, the women arrive at a home. Although neither they or the men realize it, they too are conducting an investigation” (Holstein 283). Holstein also notes they are able to find evidence because they use their own life experiences to relate to the accused murderer, Minnie Wright as shown here; “But the women do not simply remember and sympathize with Minnie. They identify with her, quite literally” (285). Holstein finishes the article by noting the women decide to hide the evidence because of the solidarity they feel towards Minnie Wright; “From Mrs. Hale's perspective, people are linked together through fragile, sometimes imperceptible strands. The tiny trifles of life –a neighbor's visit, a bird's song, the sewing of a quilt –have profound reverberations” (287).
Canada has played a vital role in international relations for the majority of its 144 year history since the signing of Confederation in 1867. Canada first participated in World War I, then World War II in 1939-1945. Following World War II, Canada was also involved in the Korean War. Canada has been primarily a peacekeeping nation. There are many questions people ask when a high income country goes to help a lower income nation such as Afghanistan. What are Canada’s motives for helping out Afghanistan? Who will benefit from Canada going to war in Afghanistan? These are some of the questions many people have. While Canada has many domestic problems of its own such as homelessness, poverty and increasing national debt, why should Canada get involved with a problem that is across the globe? Are the costs of going to war out weight the political benefits? Modernity, modernization theory and gender stratification are some key concepts that are related to Canada going to war in Afghanistan.
“I am a large, big boned woman with rough, man-working hands” Mama describes of herself in the short story Everyday Use by Alice Walker. Mama, who additionally takes the role of narrator, is a lady who comes from a wealth of heritage and tough roots. She is never vain, never boastful and most certainly never selfish. She speaks only of her two daughters who she cares deeply for. She analyzes the way she has raised them and how much she has cared too much or too little for them, yet most of all how much they value their family. Mama never speaks of herself, other than one paragraph where she describes what she does. “My fat keeps me hot in zero weather. I can work outside all day, breaking ice to get water for washing” (Walker, 60). She does not need to tell readers who she is, for her descriptions of what she does and how her family interacts, denotes all the reader needs to know. Although Mama narrates this story rather bleakly, she gives readers a sense of love and sense of her inner strength to continue heritage through “Everyday Use”.
Point of view is described as the perspective from which a story is told (Literature, G25). In the story "Everyday Use" the point of view is that of first person narrator or major character. The story is told by the mother in the story. The theme of this story is that of a mother who is trying to cope with changing times and two daughters who are completely different. Having the story told from momma's point of view helps to reveal how momma feels about herself and how she defines her daughters Dee and Maggie.