Analysis Of Trueblood

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Recommended: Analysis of The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

The third key principle of race, ethnicity and post-colonial analysis centers on a group’s culture being erased in order to adapt to the “new” dominant culture (Hall 269-271). The group being affected may try to hold on to established traditions but may face a divide in their ranks. The older generations are more likely to cling on to established cultural traditions but the new generations will try to adapt to the new ones society presents to them. Ellison gives examples of the divide in the African American community. “He was brought up along with the members of a country quartet to sing what the officials called “their primitive spirituals” when we assembled in the chapel on Sunday evenings” (Ellison 47). The older generation, that Trueblood …show more content…

It is important that the culture is thoroughly researched so that it can be portrayed accurately. The historical context in which the culture is being described can affect the way the audience relates to the topic (Hall 272-273). The narrator tells the audience how his feelings towards his grandparents changed after he realized the truth about the world he lived in. The mistreatment of Africans and African Americans because of their skin color is shown throughout the novel. Even though some of the acts against them in the novel were horrendous, they were wronged far worse in the past. “I am not ashamed of my grandparents for having been slaves. I am only ashamed at myself for having at one time been ashamed. About eighty-five years ago they were told that they were free, united with others of our country in everything pertaining to the common good, and, in everything social, separate from the fingers of the hand. And they believed it. They exulted it. They stayed in their place, worked hard, and brought up my father to do the same” (Ellison 15). This novel takes places in the 1930’s and so the time period that narrator could be speaking about is the end of the civil war. The civil war ended slavery and made all African Americans free. Eighty-five years ago they were led to believe that they were just as free and would be treated as the whites had. They were told that they were equal with the whites when it came “the common good” and “everything social.” The dominant culture lied to them because it knew that if it made the African Americans feel welcome and feel part of the group, that it could manipulate them into acting how it wanted them to. African Americans wanted to show that they were equal to their white counter parts so they did exactly as they were told and made sure that they never fell out of line. It was

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