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The portrayal of women in literature
The portrayal of women in literature
The portrayal of women in literature
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At the beginning of the year, a question which was brought up in class: “What is freedom and how would you define it?” I remember that I wrote down something along the lines of freedom is the ability to make choices for yourself. For the past few weeks, listening to, reading, and discussing “For Colored Girls” made me realize that what I knew as freedom as a well off male was completely different than the protagonists’ perception of freedom. In the text “For Colored Girls”, Ntozake Shange tackles the struggles of African American women through a choreopoem that follows the life stories of seven African American women dressed in different colors. The format of a choreopoem gives Shange a unique way to weave in the stories and general issues …show more content…
of the black women. However, the format isn’t the only factor that sets Shange’s work above other texts we have read in class. The point of view, diction and syntax, and the lack of authorial interference from Shange gives “For Colored Girls” more authenticity and power in describing the issues of black women and women in general than other texts that we’ve read. In this essay. My motive in this essay is to address what is freedom to the women that Shange creates and what constitutes a woman’s triumph based on the book, while also showing how does Ntozake succeed in doing so. Through her use of fragments, authentic voice, and deep imagery/metaphors, Shange is able to highlight black women’s struggles of overcoming growing up, finding voice and identity, and breaking free from the oppression of the patriarchy. Society has always been dominated by the patriarchy and in “For Colored Girls” it is no different. Each lady, through the dancing and singing, steps up and tells their tales of living in the patriarchy. The common theme within their heartfelt accounts of their experiences with men betrayal: “bein betrayed by men who know us | & expect | like the stranger | we always thot waz comin | that we will submit | we must have known | women relinquish all personal rights | in the presence of a man | who apparently cd be considered a rapist.” (19-20) The women are taught by society that rape only occurs with strangers. However, the women’s stories of their rape only includes people that were close to them and people who they thought they could trust. And when the rapist is close to them, they can’t accuse their rapist without having backlash directed to them or people wouldn’t believe them. The rape is not the end of the issues for these women. The lady in blue recounts after her rape, she goes to a place to have her baby aborted because she “cdnt have people | lookin at me | pregnant | i cdnt have my friends see this | dyin danglin tween my legs | & i didn’t say a thing/not a sigh | or a fast scream | o get | those eyes offa me | get them steel rods outta me | this hurts| this hurts me | & nobody came | cuz nobody knew | once i waz pregnant & ashamed of myself” (22) The unique description and metaphor about abortion through the perspective of a women shows its authenticity. Instead of writing a normal and ordinary description of an abortion, Shange uses the point of view of the woman to describe an abortion using fragments. The scene encapsulates more emotion and makes it easier for readers to connect, which is how Shange gives the story and her characters a more authentic and autonomous voice. “For Colored Girls” also conveys an issue of growing up as black female. As we can see in the title, many of the women feel as though they are girls. They feel the pressure from society to grow up quick, as it is perceived to them as an escape from their problems and a way of gaining freedom and agency. It isn’t just a want for black women: it’s a necessity. As it is the same in “One Holy Night”, the initiation to becoming a woman for these ladies is to have sex. “& i waz the only virgin | so i hadda make like my hips waz inta some business that way everybody thot whoever was gettin it | was a older man cdnt run the streets wit youngsters | martin slipped his leg round my thigh |... WE WAZ GROWN WE WAZ FINALLY GROWN”.(9) The women have the belief that if they are grown up, they could get more respect, and more control over their lives. However, this isn’t true as the women find out. The lady in the orange said “ever since i realized there waz someone callt | a colored girl an evil woman a bitch or a nag | i been tryin not to be that & laeve bitterness in somebody else’s cup”. (42) Whether they are younger or older, black women are treated poorly. The lady in the orange realizes that the coming of age doesn’t change that society views black women as bitches or nags. As this reality sets in, the lady in the orange tries to convince herself “colored girls had no right to sorrow/ & i lived | & loved that way & kept sorrow on the curb / allegedly for you / but i know i did it for myself | i cdnt stand it | i cdnt stand bein sorry & colored at the same time | it’s redundant in the modern world”. (43) Since growing up doesn’t command the difference they wanted, the women try to change themselves even more. As a result, the lady in the blue concludes that black women “deal wit emotion too much so why dont we go on ahead & be white then/& make everythin dry & abstract wit no rhythm & no reelin for sheer sensual pleasure / yes let’s go on & be white…” (44) Here, the lady in blue feels that being a black woman comes with too much baggage emotionally. She ponders about being white because white folks seem to be more in control of their emotions. The women in this story struggle to grasp what they should do to portray themselves to society that black women are important, and it causes a lack of confidence in themselves and their identity. Through these struggles, Shange successfully illustrates what is needed for the women to triumph: To truly be free and triumph, you need a good support system and a good environment around you. One of the final lines in the book, "i found god in myself / & i loved her / I loved her fiercely"(63), shows that you have to find strength within yourself, but the laying on of hands shows that it’s alright to rely on others who you know have your back. The women in “For Colored Girls” wanted somebody they could rely on and they always thought it was the men in their lives they could trust. However, when they were betrayed by their men, they had nothing left to fall back on. Their voice and autonomy were gone, even as they separated from their men. What Shange constitutes as triumph is for women to have a lack of dependency on men and more dependency on each other. The main distinction between Shange’s work and the other work we have looked at in class is the authenticity it has.
From the diction and syntax to the metaphors and imagery to the voice and point of view, everything written in “For Colored Girls” is distinctly different from traditional literature. Shange has her signature phonetic spellings - enuf for enough, wd for would, cd for could, waz for was - which places value on the language that people like the ladies in the book use. Shange writes more like how black women would talk in real life, with improper grammar and lots of fragments: “when i discovered archie shepp / doncha know i wore out the magic of juju / heroically resistin being possessed / oooooooooooh the sounds / sneakin in under age to slug’s / to stare ata real ‘artiste’ / & every word outta imamu’s mouth was gospel / & if jesus cdnt play a horn like shepp / waznt no need for colored folks to bear no cross at all”(12-13). The rules which Shange writes with is completely different than traditional, white literature, and the ideas and issues which Shange writes about is completely different from white literature. In the quote above, the lady in the blue is recalling dancing to traditional African music played by African American artists. The realistic diction and free flowing syntax allows the ladies to express a genuine and more compelling voice. Shange is also not shy to use metaphors and imagery as well: “Tubes tables white washed windows | grime from age wiped over once | legs spread | anxious | eyes crawling up on me | eyes rollin in my thighs | metal horses gnawin my womb”. (22) This vivid description of an abortion adds more to the genuineness of the issues that black women face. Instead of having a bland narrator describe something like an abortion regularly, Shange gives the lady in the blue the freedom to describe the abortion with passion and emotion, using a detailed metaphor. The point of view of Shange’s characters are strong enough that
she doesn’t need to interfere and support them. In Sandra Cisneros’ “One Holy Night”, Cisneros often had to step in and describe certain scenes because the protagonist was not able to hold her own voice. This differs in “For Colored Girls” as Shange never intervenes and lets the characters do all of the talking and describing. The ladies in different colors have strong, distinct, and detailed perspectives that don’t need to propped up by the author. This lack of intervention allows for a more uniform story that feels close to being a true story. Altogether, the language used strengthens the authenticity of Shange’s characters through and the lack of intervention, along with the unconventional structure gives the voices of the women freedom and autonomy. In conclusion, “For Colored Girls” is successful take on the struggles that black women face in breaking free from traditional gender expectations and male control. Shange expresses in “For Colored Girls” that in order to break free, black women must find strength in themselves and love themselves. The protagonists in the choreopoem have distinct voices and the writing of their dialogue is in fragments and doesn’t have punctuation. In this way, the book escapes traditional literature and its rules set by white people. The language and the point of view promotes autonomy and are authentic in how they portray black women. What freedom and triumph is defined as in “For Colored Girls” is finding strength in one’s self, but that does not mean complete autonomy. This message of triumph can and should be implemented today. As we just saw recently, women organized and successfully put on a march promoting women's that was greater than the crowd at the presidential inauguration. Women can rely on each other for support and other issues, instead of letting the patriarchy dictate what is right and what is wrong for them.
In all, Tademy does a great job in transporting her readers back to the 1800s in rural Louisiana. This book is a profound alternative to just another slave narrative. Instead of history it offers ‘herstory’. This story offers insight to the issues of slavery through a women’s perspective, something that not so many books offer. Not only does it give readers just one account or perspective of slavery but it gives readers a take on slavery through generation after generation. From the early days of slavery through the Civil War, a narrative of familial strength, pride, and culture are captured in these lines.
It is impossible for anyone to survive a horrible event in their life without a relationship to have to keep them alive. The connection and emotional bond between the person suffering and the other is sometimes all they need to survive. On the other hand, not having anyone to believe in can make death appear easier than life allowing the person to give up instead of fighting for survival. In The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, Aminata Diallo survives her course through slavery by remembering her family and the friends that she makes. Aminata is taught by her mother, Sira to deliver babies in the villages of her homeland. This skill proves to be very valuable to Aminata as it helps her deliver her friends babies and create a source of income. Aminata’s father taught Aminata to write small words in the dirt when she was small. Throughout the rest of the novel, Aminata carries this love for learning new things to the places that she travels and it inspires her to accept the opportunities given to her to learn how to write, read maps, and perform accounting duties. Early in the novel Aminata meets Chekura and they establish a strong relationship. Eventually they get married but they are separated numerous times after. Aminata continuously remembers and holds onto her times with Chekura amidst all of her troubles. CHILDREN. The only reason why Aminata Diallo does not die during her journey into and out of slavery is because she believes strongly in her parents, husband and children; therefore proving that people survive hardships only when they have relationships in which to believe.
In the novel, the author proposes that the African American female slave’s need to overcome three obstacles was what unavoidably separated her from the rest of society; she was black, female, and a slave, in a white male dominating society. The novel “locates black women at the intersection of racial and sexual ideologies and politics (12).” White begins by illustrating the Europeans’ two major stereotypes o...
In this story it clearly shows us what the courts really mean by freedom, equality, liberty, property and equal protection of the laws. The story traces the legal challenges that affected African Americans freedom. To justify slavery as the “the way things were” still begs to define what lied beneath slave owner’s abilities to look past the wounded eyes and beating hearts of the African Americans that were so brutally possessed.
To understand the desperation of wanting to obtain freedom at any cost, it is necessary to take a look into what the conditions and lives were like of slaves. It is no secret that African-American slaves received cruel and inhumane treatment. Although she wrote of the horrific afflictions experienced by slaves, Linda Brent said, “No pen can give adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery." The life of a slave was never a satisfactory one, but it all depended on the plantation that one lived on and the mast...
Summary: how it feels to be colored me In ‘How it feels to be colored me’ Neale Hurston opens up to her pride and identity as an African-American. Hurston uses a wide variety of imagery, diction using figurative language freely with metaphors. Her tone is bordering controversial using local lingo. Hurston begins the essay in her birth town: Eatonville, Florida; an exclusively Negro town where whites were a rarity, only occasionally passing by as a tourist.
I was in complete and utter shock when I began to read Disposable People. The heart-wrenching tale of Seba, a newly freed slave, shook my understanding of people in today’s society, as well as their interactions with each other. I sat in silence as I read Seba’s story. “There they [Seba’s French mistress and husband] stripped me naked, tied my hands behind my back, and began to whip me with a wire attached to a broomstick (Bales 2).” I tried to grasp the magnitude of the situation.
...hey find strength not in themselves, but in each other. They overlook the strength they have in themselves and only see it in another person similar to them. These women have experienced dilemmas that should have strengthened them ultimately. However, instead of being strengthened they begin to change showing that these women lack strong self-identifying characteristics. Instead of the narrative focusing on the women, it focuses on their problems—men. Each women starts to change their characteristics because of a man reacting in ways they normally would not. As a collection of poems centered on the women of color, there was not enough focus on the women, which seems to be what Shange expresses. Shange conveys the point that the black women are seen as stereotypes, and although they do not want to be seen as so, they act in ways that involuntarily put them as a group.
Erin Gruwell began her teaching career at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California where the school is integrated but it’s not working. Mrs. Gruwell is teaching a class fill with at-risk teenagers that are not interested in learning. But she makes not give up, instead she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning for their future as she assigned materials that can relate to their lives. This film has observed many social issues and connected to one of the sociological perspective, conflict theory. Freedom Writers have been constructed in a way that it promotes an idea of how the community where the student lives, represented as a racially acceptable society. The film upholds strong stereotypes of
Although I find it incredibly hypocritical to try to fit Ntozake Shange into Gardner's creativity model, for all intensive purposes for the class I will first point out how she does meet his model. Next, in accordance with Black feminists, I will examine why she does not fit into Gardner's creativity model and frankly, why it does not matter that she is not shaped into the model. Further, I will confront the issue that marginal people are rejected society's cannon (i.e. the white male cannon), and how Gardner, in the position of a writer he could have broken down some of these barriers.
The idea of freedom can be seen throughout Collection 2 in our textbook. Freedom can be seen in the short story “The Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela when it talks about the freedom of speech. Addition to that, an article “A People’s History Of The 1963 March On Washington” by Charles Euchner shows freedom in its article when it talks about the segregation occurring to colored men. Lastly, freedom is shown in the graphic novel “Persepolis 2: The Story Of A Return” by Marjane Satrapi as it shows high restriction.
The past sixty years have been full of monumentally huge changes for society in the United States. From the civil rights movement and the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to the election of the first black President and the legalization of same-sex marriage, equality has been the subject on hand. While it may be a big pill to swallow for some, those that have been discriminated against for quite some time finally have the freedom to be themselves, knowing that they are protected under the law. Those minorities that celebrate this equality have a lot to teach the bigots of the country in such a wonderful day and age – pride. Zora Neale Hurston shows how important it is to have pride in yourself, your differences, and where you come from, in her four-sectioned essay, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me.”
The early 1900s was a very challenging time for Negroes especially young women who developed issues in regards to their identities. Their concerns stemmed from their skin colors. Either they were fair skinned due mixed heritage or just dark skinned. Young African American women experienced issues with racial identity which caused them to be in a constant struggle that prohibits them from loving themselves and the skin they are in. The purpose of this paper is to examine those issues in the context of selected creative literature. I will be discussing the various aspects of them and to aid in my analysis, I will be utilizing the works of Nella Larsen from The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, Jessie Bennett Redmond Fauset, and Wallace Brown.
Northup, Solomon, Sue L. Eakin, and Joseph Logsdon. Twelve years a slave. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1968. Print.
In today’s advanced societies, many laws require men and women to be treated equally. However, in many aspects of life they are still in a subordinated position. Women often do not have equal wages as the men in the same areas; they are still referred to as the “more vulnerable” sex and are highly influenced by men. Choosing my Extended Essay topic I wanted to investigate novels that depict stories in which we can see how exposed women are to the will of men surrounding them. I believe that as being woman I can learn from the way these characters overcome their limitations and become independent, fully liberated from their barriers. When I first saw the movie “Precious” (based on Sapphire’s “Push”) I was shocked at how unprotected the heroine, Precious, is towards society. She is an African-American teenage girl who struggles with accepting herself and her past, but the cruel “unwritten laws” of her time constantly prevent her rise until she becomes the part of a community that will empower her to triumph over her barriers. “The Color Purple” is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker which tells the story of a black woman’s, Celie’s, striving for emancipation. (Whitted, 2004) These novels share a similar focus, the self-actualization of a multi-disadvantaged character who with the help of her surrounding will be able to triumph over her original status. In both “The Color Purple” and “Push”, the main characters are exposed to the desire of the men surrounding them, and are doubly vulnerable in society because not only are they women but they also belong to the African-American race, which embodies another barrier for them to emancipate in a world where the white race is still superior to, and more desired as theirs.