Brownies By Zz Packer Analysis

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In the story, “Brownies” by Z.Z. Packer the two main characters create different and clear ideas that shape the story. Notably, the character, Arnetta is very effective and manipulative, much the opposite of the frequently disregarded and ignored, flat character Laurel. These two characters are oppositional of one another but carry the central theme of racism and human cruelty in the story. Resulting in Laurel understanding that retribution has no boundaries and that one person alone cannot change this. In the story, this group of brownies came from the south suburbs of Atlanta where whites are “…real and existing, but rarely seen...” (p.518). Hence, this group’s impression of whites consisted of what they have seen on TV or shopping malls. As a result, the girls have a narrow view that all whites were wealthy snobs with superiority like “Superman” and people that “shampoo-commercial hair” (p.518). In their eyes “This alone was the reason for envy and hatred” (p 518). So when Arnetta felt “…foreign… (p.529), as a white woman stared at her in a shopping mall you sense where the revenge came from. …show more content…

Given that they stood out Arnetta started the manipulation by calling the white girls “Wet Chihuahuas” (p.516) and then upping it to racial name calling to “Caucasian Chihuahuas” (p.517). Therefore, it was no surprise that by the second day of camp Arnetta already had the brownie troop ready to inflict harm on the white girls troop. Knowing that Daphne would not question her, Arnetta claimed she overheard one of the white girls call Daphne “…a nigger…” (p.519). When Arnett speaks to the rest of the troop, it changes to them “…calling us niggers.” to encourage the other girls in the troop to “…teach them a lesson”

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