Compare And Contrast Sadie And Maude And A Street In Bronzeville

“Sadie and Maud” from “A Street in Bronzeville” by Gwendolyn Brooks was written in 1945, which was a time where strict standards were enforced by parents on their youth, so the child’s life is essentially planned out before the child has any input of his or her own. While Maud goes to college and follows the rules set by society, Sadie stays home and has two children before being married, which is frowned upon by society. In this poem, Brooks plainly wants the readers to select what they want to do and says that it’s perfectly fine to go against society’s standards as long as it brings happiness. Sadie and Maud choose opposite paths in their lives, each defining success differently, in a time where society viewed the education of women in

a different light than today.
Sadie and Maud are similar in only a few aspects, for example they most likely grew up together in the same neighborhood, and are presumably sisters.

The poem reads, “Maud and Ma and Papa / Nearly died of shame.” It can be inferred Maud and Sadie are related or at least close friends because Maud is close enough to Sadie to be mentioned with her parents. Both of the girls satisfy their own opinion of success. For Maud, success is to follow all of the rules set by society, making those around her happy. Sadie on the other hand, desires to be happy, and does what it takes to fulfill her desires even if it means she disappoints those around her. So in the end, both of them got what they wanted, whether it be praise from others or true

happiness.
Sadie and Maud hold a few differences as well. The poem reads, “Maud went to college. / Sadie stayed at home.” Right from the beginning of the poem, Brooks informs the readers that Sadie and Maud lead two completely different lives. This poem is written in a time where only about 12 percent of the African-Americans complete high school, meaning attending college is a big deal and is undoubtedly what parents want for their children. Maud goes off to college which surely makes her parents proud. Sadie on the other hand does what she wants, not worrying about what others think of her. Namely, she has two children before marrying and defies the cultural norm of the time. The poem reads, “Sadie bore two babies / Under her maiden name. / Maud and Ma and Papa / Nearly died of shame.” Sadie disappoints her family but at the same time does what makes her happy. Brooks writes, “She didn’t leave a tangle in / Her comb found every strand. / Sadie was one of the livingest chits / In all the land.” Sadie relishes all the joys of life and loves every minute of it. In the meantime, Maud is not quite as adventurous and attends college, but in the end, she is “a thin brown mouse … living all alone.” Although Maud seemingly does everything correctly, she ends up nowhere all alone.
This poem touches on many aspects of life in the 20th century, including, education, society, and African-American women along with women in general.

In the poem, Gwendolyn Brooks makes it very clear that education is a very important part of a child’s life, and that it is frowned upon when a child chooses to not attend school. Opportunities for women in the 1940s were limited, therefore parents inevitably wanted their children to attend college and accomplish something they, the parent never had the opportunity to do as a child. Even though an education is very important for many things, such as finding a job, it certainly isn’t a major key in one’s true happiness, as demonstrated by Sadie. Brooks also comments on society’s unattainable standards. Maud does everything right during her life, according to the standards, but ends up lonely and unhappy. Sadie on the other hand lives her life by disregarding those standards, and ends up with two loving children. Women seem to be pressured into following pointless social guidelines which if obeyed, lead to acceptance by others and nothing else. For African-American women in particular, following these guidelines might be the result of the urge to fit into society. Therefore, the women can either pick to be accepted by society and be unhappy or what Brooks advocates, which is to not follow those standards and be happy

instead.
Regardless of race or gender, it is apparent that the best way enjoy one’s life in a meaningful manner is to do what brings joy. Even if it means breaking all the cultural norms, and being despised by the community, if it equates to happiness, then it is worth it. People should not believe society’s false misconceptions and are better off spending time finding whatever makes life worth living. Sadie and Maud choose opposite paths in their lives, each defining success differently, in a time where society viewed the education of women in a different light than today. Gwendolyn Brooks raises awareness to the audience that the opinions held by others should be disregarded, and should definitely not govern one’s actions and lifestyle..