Charles W. Chesnutt wanted to describe the master-slave relationship. He wrote about the tragedy of the slaves and their horrible circumstances. That is why he created the character of Uncle Julius. The main theme of these stories is separation of lovers. The first part of the "Conjure Woman" represents the interaction between a north white male and a traditional black slave. Julius, the ex-plantation slave tells us the stories saying that he heard when he was a child. He and his sick wife Annie are the two main narrators of the stories. One of these stories is called "Po' Sandy". It is a great love story. In this story, we find that love and conjuring magic are two ways to distract the lovers away from the horrible situations they live in.
The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain is a spectacular story which takes place about twenty years after Jesus ascended into Heaven. It tells of how a young man named Basil was adopted by a rich merchant. But, when the rich merchant died, Basil’s cousin stole Basil’s inheritance; and made him a slave. After a few years he was to be rescued, married, and to gain back his inheritance.
Therefore, the use of these characters confuses the reader even more. Whose concepts of the tales are more believing, John, Annie or Julius? The concept of slavery is unclear and this leaves the reader grasping for the meaning behind the conjure tales. Chesnutt's message behind the tales should have been clearly defined. If his purpose according to some critics is to "elevate whites," then what is he really trying to do in these conjure tales? The concept of using Julius to break stereotypes of black Americans is a little farfetched. This goal is not accomplished in neither of the conjure tales. The stereotypes are upheld in these tales. Chesnutt doesn't seem to "elevate" the whites; instead he is reaffirming their beliefs toward blacks. This doesn't help the black community if Chesnutt is trying to change condition of blacks through his writings.
The book Revealing the Invisible was written by Sherry Marx, a formal teacher, who went in-depth to explore the racist beliefs of white female teacher education students. The book began with Marx talking about pre service teachers that focused on English-language learning school children (ELLs). During this course she discovered just how low the expectations her students had for ELLs students. Throughout her interviews she will explore more beliefs of white females and their thoughts about race, racism, whiteness, and the children they tutored.
The Devil in the Shape of a Woman by Carol Karlsen is a novel about the witch trials responsible for many female executions in colonial America. During these trials, many women were burned, hung, or exiled. The men of the time held comparable confidences to their fathers, spouses, and children. They were bound and determined to do away with ladies that emerged or were distinctive. The men got careful about ladies being as savvy as men and held gatherings just went to by only men on subjects that only they believed they would understand. The most apparent reason that the ladies were abused was because of the men being trepidacious of the ladies getting indulgent of their puissance. The men took this as a risk that the ladies were attempting toheir surmount, or that they were to assume control over the Puritan, male driven culture.
The poem Women by Alice Walker was written to praise the women that had fought to make schools stop the segregation of students and make it a more productive environment for them, the poem's theme was focused on honoring and praising women for their hard work and it took a tone of empowerment which could be seen in metaphors and repetition throughout the poem. The metaphors seen in the poem helped portray the women as determined and hardworking, for the children's education, an example of this can be found from the lines 14 to 20 (Headragged Generals across mined fields, booby-trapped Kitchens to discover books, desks.) this metaphor contributed to the authors tone because it gives those who read it the same sense of courage and power as
How would you feel as an individual if you were illegal and had to hide from the government? Having to stay out of sight and being labeled as outlawed is a situation in “Among the Hidden” by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and the main character, Luke, has to experience this. “ Among the Hidden” is about how Luke, being a third child, has to hide, so he does not get taken away by the Population Police. First and foremost, the Government created a law that bans having a third child to solve the overpopulation issue. After Luke’s mother has to leave Luke alone to go to work, Luke eventually becomes lonely and depressed. One day, Luke then spots a light in the house behind his house. Luke goes to investigates the house, and discovers a girl named Jen.
Mary Cassatt was most widely known for her impressionist pieces that depicted mother (or nanny) and child. She was faced with many struggles throughout her life and received much criticism, even after her death in 1926. She found it difficult to receive appropriate recognition for her pieces during her early career. Many were unaccepted by the Salon. Cassatt lived for many years in France after her successful career, which ended abruptly when she went blind. Her talent placed her pieces in many famous museums throughout the world and landed her name among the famous artists of her time. As well as paving the way for powerful women, like herself. She lived during a time of suffragettes searching for equality.
Something rarely mentioned when discussing The Awakening by Kate Chopin is the possibility of the main character, Edna Pontellier, having a mental illness. Her unconventional awakening and suicide is often attributed to Edna not being able to withstand the pressures of society. However, there is a deeper reason for her motives. Edna Pontellier struggled depression and other mental illnesses, which ultimately resulted in her awakening and suicide.
The illumination of the brutal treatment of the slaves, both physically and mentally, are also apparent in the works of Stowe and Jacobs. Stowe, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, uses the stories of Eliza, Harry, Uncle Tom and Cassy to show how slavery, with both cruel and kind masters, affects different members of the slave community. In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs focuses her work on the how the institution is “terrible for men; but is far more terrible for women” (B:933), adding sexual abuse to the atrocities of slavery. Douglass’ Madison gives the reader a masculine perspective on the
In Deborah Tannen’s “Marked Woman, Unmarked Men” she illustrates how she believes the way women carry themselves are more looked upon then the way a man does. When it comes to women they had to take what they look like into consideration and each decision that the woman has made, carried a meaning. Men have to make decisions as well, however their decisions are not as notable as woman. I support Tannen’s argument about women being marked. Woman are marked by what they wear to who they marry. Nonetheless, I do believe both genders are marked in some kind of way. Men are marked, just not to the extent as woman are. And when they are marked it is not as open and discussed. When Tannen did include men into her argument she made her observation
Charles Chesnutt was an African American author who was born on June 20, 1850. Chesnutt was well known for his short stories about the issues of social and racial identity in post- reconstruction south. Chesnutt’s well-known example of his collection of short stories “The Wife of his Youth: And other Stories of the Color Line” examines issues of discrimination that permeate within the African American community. His most anthologized short story “The Wife of his Youth” explores the issue racial passing. The character Mr. Ryder attempts to assimilate into the white majority in a post- reconstruction American society. Mr. Ryder’s hopes to assimilate becomes an obsession. His opportunity for assimilation arrives through a widow name of Mrs. Molly Dixon,
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...
Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “The Solitude of Self” thoroughly explains a plethora of reasons as to why women should have the same rights as men. In a condensed form, her main point is that every person, no matter who you are, has some battles in life that they have to fight individually. These battles create an argument as to women need equal rights especially basic education so they can be prepared for these battles they will inevitably face. She also makes the case that if women had basic education they could be better mothers and help teach their kids. Stanton even ties in the human soul into her argument. Her final line, “Who, I ask you, can take, dare take on himself the rights, the duties, the responsibilities of another human soul,” (9)
In her essay, Woman in the Nineteenth Century, Margaret Fuller discusses the state of marriage in America during the 1800‘s. She is a victim of her own knowledge, and is literally considered ugly because of her wisdom. She feels that if certain stereotypes can be broken down, women can have the respect of men intellectually, physically, and emotionally. She explains why some of the inequalities exist in marriages around her. Fuller feels that once women are accepted as equals, men and women will be able achieve a true love not yet known to the people of the world.
John Webster’s revenge tragedy The White Devil explores themes of passion, vengeance, misogyny, and murder all while under the literary confines of an ultimately ambiguous title. The disputes that come with the words ‘white’ and ‘devil’ are seemingly antithetical. The word ‘white’ comes with implications of light colours, purity, God, etc. Whereas the word ‘devil’ comes with darker, almost black, connotations and is ultimately the exact opposite of the adjective describing it. Webster’s title communicates a belief that, in this play, outward appearances can frequently be deceitful and reality is kept as clandestine, hiding just below its exterior. His characters may seem pure, innocent, and “white” but only below their external, primary persona