Have you ever thought someone was flawed because they’re part of a certain religion, gender, or personal aspect, such as hair color, and they turned out to be the opposite? When this occurs, it is called local color or stereotyping. In The outcasts of Poker Flat, Harte uses local color to educate his readers what can result when we judge others by their cover and manifests that the outward appearance of someone’s circumstances are not always what they seem. Local color is the main theme of Harte’s work. “In fact- and it is a fact characteristic of Bret Harte,- the only satire pure and simple, in his works is that which he directs against hypocrisy.” (Merwin, 4) He shows that society, as well as its citizens, can overcome their trials in life …show more content…
no matter the background or the individuals involved. Oakhurst is a stereotypical gambler. “Mr. Oakhurst received his sentence with philosophic calmness, none the less coolly that he was aware of the hesitation of his judges. He was too much of a gambler not to accept Fate.” (Harte, 1) He knew that those in control had the advantage because, “With him life was at best an uncertain game, and he recognized the usual percentage in favor of the dealer.” (Harte, 1) Harte shows Mr. Oakhurst as afraid by his “...calm, handsome face...” that “...betrayed small concern in these indications.” (Harte, 1) Although Mr. Oakhurst acts as if he’s tough, strong, and powerful, he is, in reality, weak and impotent. Harte also shows Mr. Oakhurst as paranoid through his thoughts. ““I reckon they’re after somebody,” he reflected; “likely it’s me.”” (Harte, 1) Mr. Oakhurst is right, coming from the fact that he received a death sentence. Duchess is a perfect example, as shown by the way Harte uses the definition of Duchess to stereotype her as “...a young woman familiarly known as “The Duchess”” (Harte, 1) She acted like a snob who was selfish, greedy, and ‘all-that’.
Harte showed Duchess’s emotional side of her. Her “...pent-up feelings found vent in a few hysterical tears...” (Harte, 2) shows the Duchess as emotional, a drama queen, spontaneous and impulsive. This was before she changed, though. “The Duchess, previously a selfish and solitary character, does all she can to comfort and console the fearful Piney.” (Moss and Wilson, 4) Duchess's character reveals that people can switch their habits no matter what the circumstances …show more content…
are. ‘Mother Shipton’ means haggish and she “...had won the title...” (Harte, 1) This is shown by her character throughout the novel. For example, Mother Shipton was hard and distant. “Mother Shipton’s sacrifice of her own life so that Piney might live, the peak of the sentimental side of the story, is the perfect example of the heart-of-gold element in Harte’s work.” (Moss and Wilson, 4) In the end, her heart had changed and she ended up with more love for others than herself. Harte tried to imply that “...their pent-up feelings found...some bad language from Mother Shipton...” (Harte, 2) It was not literally in the story but it shows what she had done, as well as deepening her character to expose to you another side of her. When introducing Piney, Harte gives you a short flashback to her past. “She that used to wait on the table at the Temperance House?” (Harte, 3) This is just a fraction of Piney’s full character. Piney is kind of childish. “Piney Woods, the character who is often interpreted as a symbol for the purity of love, is described as “a stout, comely damsel.” (Barksdale, 5) Although she acts younger than she really is, she becomes more mature throughout the story. An example of her being childish is that she eloped. “They had been engaged a long time, but old Jake Woods had objected, and so they had run away and were going to Poker Flat to be married...” (Harte, 3) This shows that she was still childish, even though she was already a teenager. The Innocent was a gambler but was told by Oakhurst, a fatherly figure, that he was not that good.
“After the game was finished, Mr. Oakhurst drew the youthful speculator behind the door and thus addressed him: “Tommy, you’re a good little man, but you can’t gamble worth a cent. Don’t try it over again.” He then handed him his money back, pushed him gently from the room,” (Harte, 3) He listened to others if he wanted to, but when it went against his own judgment, he decided not to. The Innocent wanted to search for his fortune, and “There was a remembrance of this in his boyish and enthusiastic greeting of Mr. Oakhurst. He had started, he said, to go to Poker Flat to seek his fortune.” (Harte, 3) Piney was his fortune. By seeking, he meant running away with her so they could be together. He did not go on his own. “Alone?” No, not exactly alone; in fact (a giggle), he had run away with Piney Woods.” (Harte, 3) He and Piney had eloped and gone to Poker Flat to be
married. How you view someone doesn’t mean it’s true. “His lesson of sentiment is that rough men may have a great deal of virtue and kindness, and that much good feeling may be found even in the breasts of wicked men.” (Nadal,2) Harte used local color to teach others the dangers of stereotyping. Throughout The Outcasts of Poker Flat, Harte uses stereotypes and local color to teach readers that people, no matter their background, can rise to certain occasions and become heroes or heroines.
All blondes are dumb. Gingers have no soul. All Jews are greedy. All Asians are bad drivers. Imagine living in a world where people are put into a category simply because of their appearance, race, or religion. It limits a person’s chance of expressing individuality through categorization. Desmond Cole’s article, “The Skin I’m In” introduces the struggles faced by black people through racial stereotypes in Canada— a country known for its diversity. Cole reveals the experiences of black people who are stereotyped as dangerous; as a result, they are victimized with prejudice, discrimination, and injustice by society.
Elizabeth Ammon’s “The Myth of Imperial Whiteness” and Kenneth Bernard’s “Imagery and Symbolism in Ethan Frome” both have two vastly different perspectives on the same work of literature. Ammons goes into extensive detail to support the concept of racism that exists in Ethan Frome. Through the rich usage of symbolism, dynamic and static characters as well as imagery, Bormand offers his analysis on the characterization of Ethan Frome as well. Through the comparison of each critical work’s beginning, or introduction and conclusion, the variations in style and approach are quickly perceived.
Previously, the narrator has intimated, “She had all her life long been accustomed to harbor thoughts and emotions which never voiced themselves. They had never taken the form of struggles. They belonged to her and were her own.” Her thoughts and emotions engulf her, but she does not “struggle” with them. They “belonged to her and were her own.” She does not have to share them with anyone; conversely, she must share her life and her money with her husband and children and with the many social organizations and functions her role demands.
Claude M. Steele is the author of “ Whistling Vivaldi”, which mainly represents that the meaning of identity contingencies and stereotype threat, and how can these effect people’s ideas and behaviors. By writing this article, Steele tries to make people know exist of identity contingencies. Gina Crosley-Corcoran, who is a white woman suffered the poverty in her childhood. Through describing her miserable experiences in parallel construction to motivate readers sympathize her, moreover approving that she can as a powerful evidence for affirming the impact of identity contingencies. Crosley-Corcoran admits the white privilege really exist in some way in her article “ Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person”, and white privilege
In a more recent politically and culturally diverse world, many contemporary authors take it upon themselves to create novels exploring our diversity. In Paul Beatty’s The White Boy Shuffle, Beatty decides to critique our society’s strict and confining gender stereotypes and standards. Using irony and symbolism, Beatty crafts interesting characters, scenes, and dialogue to suggest that no one person is one-dimensional, and when society attempts to confine our multi-dimensional selves, many times we suffer from negative consequences. Through characters like Gunnar and Scoby, Beatty challenges the stereotypical masculinity expected of black males and what responses may occur as society attempts to box them in.
For instance, Staples faces many stereotypes. He is a journalist who is consistently judged due to his appearance. In paragraph 1, “As I swung onto the avenue behind her, there seemed to be a discreet, uninflammatory distance between us.” Staples creates an image by describing himself as a monster but his description is based on how the outside world see him. He considers his presence a cause for altering others emotion. According to Stereotypes by Rachel E, “In the United States, some of the longest-held and potentially most detrimental stereotypes are those about African Americans.” This relates to Staples crucial journey to greatness. Staples was perceived as a mugger, a murderer, and a rapist because of his outside image and how others viewed
In the article “In Living Color Race and American Culture” Michael Omi expresses his attention on racism and how stereotypes have affected the way we
Charles W. Chesnutt, a well-educated mulatto man, lived his life on ‘the color line.’ Chesnutt’s skin was very light and was sometimes mistaken for a white man. Chesnutt chose to identify himself as a black man, but in his works, his characters move back and forth across the color line and struggle with the world they exist in. The Wife of His Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line was published one year before The House Behind the Cedars and included the short story, “A Matter of Principle,” where Chesnutt clearly begins to explore what options are available to a mulatto man and his family, which will later evolve in Cedars. Chesnutt incorporates his philosophy of literary naturalism to show John Walden, Rena, and Mr. Clayton in relation to their surroundings and as governed by their instincts, passions, heredity and environment.
What defines an individual’s racial characteristics? Does an individual have the right to discriminate against those that are “different” in a specific way? In Octavia Butler’s works, which are mostly based on themes that correlate to one another, she influences the genre and fiction in ways that bring light to the problems of societies history. Through Kindred and the Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler examines themes of community, racial identification, and racial oppression through the perspective of a black feminist. In each novel, values and historical perspective show the hardships that individuals unique to an alien world have to face. Through the use of fictional works, Butler is able to delve into historical themes and human conditions, and with majority of works under the category of science fiction, Butler is able to explore these themes through a variety of settings. This essay will discuss two of Butler’s popular works, Kindred and the Parable of Sower, and will interpret the themes of women, race, independence, and power throughout the two novels.
She smiled at everyone she talked to, like a kind woman should (My Last Duchess, lines 43-45). She also seems to be a very happy and joyous woman with no flaws (My Last Duchess, Lines 13-15). She was a beautiful soul who seemed to love everyone, which is why she was not as perfect as she seemed to be to the world. Her imperfection was that she was too nice, to the point of causing her husband to feel jealous of the others she talked to. She always accepted peoples gifts to her with the same graciousness that she had used when her husband asked her to marry him (My Last Duchess, lines 32-35).
“Who am I?” (Thomas 415). Many ask themselves this relevant question in times of self-doubt or ambivalence. Leona Thomas asks this question in her essay entitled, “Black and White.” As the child of a black father and a white mother, Thomas finds herself in a racial dilemma. Society punishes Thomas for being “mixed.” Through the use of the literary techniques of pathos, logos, and inductive reasoning, Thomas effectively persuades the reader that society should look beyond one’s mixture. She shows that racial orientation should not determine how a person is perceived by society, and that the people in society should stop being racist to one another.
Heilbroner, Robert L. “Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgments.” Emerging Voices: Readings in the American Experience. Ed. Sara M. Blake and Janet Madden Orlando: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1993. 436-442.
In the book, “Citizen - An American Lyric” by Claudia Rankine wrote about racial prejudice that the black body has been facing due to stereotyping. In the book, Rankine said the blacks are being judged by the color of their skin and not viewed as equal to their white counterpart. Rankine then backed up her claims by using descriptive imagery to create pictures in our mind as well as evoking feelings by citing various incidents to illustrate how black persons are still being discriminated against and wrongly perceived in the society we’re living in today. The purpose of Rankine’s use of her descriptive imagery is an attempt to capitalize on all of a reader 's senses and build them into something vivid and real in the reader 's mind that some
This paper will critically analyze and discuss chapter four of Dionne Brand’s novel, What We All Long For, regarding the key concepts present in the chapter –stereotypes, discomfort, whiteness and heteronormativity – in relation to the significance of the novel’s title, What We All Long For.
This paper will argue that to be a Black woman with natural hair, is deviant in the eyes of white culture. Natural hair is regarded as unkempt, unclean, and unprofessional (Thompson 2009). American society seeks to demonize the hair of Black women because natural hair disregards Eurocentric beauty standards (Robinson 2011). To rebel and wear one’s hair naturally comes with a price - especially in the workplace and school environment - because there are discriminatory dress-codes that prevent Black women from meeting institutional requirements (Klein 2013). Black women face discrimination for their natural hair due to the power imbalance of white men in work and educational structures.