Imani All Mine tells the story of Tasha, a fourteen-year-old mother of a baby girl named Imani. In the novel, the readers are introduced to Tasha’s struggle of poverty, racism, and danger in her daily life and neighborhood. Tasha’s experiences in the book unraveling rapidly. However, despite every obstacle Tasha goes through, she uses faith as her triumph to aid her to suprasses it all. In the eleventh chapter of the novel, Tasha decides to go to church. Throughout the storyline, it is apparent that Tasha and her mother do not necessarily have a strong belief in God, nor a strong relationship with their religion. However, in the excerpt of passage chosen, this is the first and only time within the book where a biblical reference is present. The story of Imani All Mine is unraveled and presented through the words of the preacher in this except. It depicts Tasha’s life and inherit faith in not only her daughter, but herself, but also the faith that Tasha continues to strengthen by …show more content…
her relationships with her daughter, mother, and close friendships and enmity to those who hurt her. Tasha’s patience to “wait” for what the lord has in store for her in the future helped Tasha remain strong. Faith is an important aspect in the novel.
For instance, the name Tasha gives her daughter, Imani, is a sign of her determination and fundamental trust despite the odds against her: Imani means faith. Throughout the novel, we see Tasha’s daughter, Imani, being one of the determining factors on her faith. Because she has a small daughter, she make certain decisions in her life to ensure that her daughter is well cared for, despite having the support from her mother. For example, Tasha says “Mama says Im grown now because I got Imani. She say Imani all mine. I know she all mine, and I like it just like that [...] I don’t care what nobody say, who they say they might see in her. It’s only me in her” (1). It is revealed in the story that a guy at a bowling alley raped Tasha at the age of fourteen. Tasha eventually gets pregnant by the rapist and gives birth to Imani. Despite Tasha misfortune, Tasha decides to stay in school and continue to live her life with a child she never asked
for. The excerpt taken from chapter eleven simplifies Tasha’s life in a few words. It is not the life she asks for. Tasha did not ask to be low income, she did not ask to have an absent father, she did not ask to be raped, she did not ask to get pregnant, nor did she ask for all the other things that happened in her life. Despite that, Tasha still loves. She waits for something better to come in her life. Within the novel, the love that Tasha holds for her daughter Imani is clear. There are multiple points throughout the novel where Tasha keeps faith in order to continue to live her life. However,
...imism of attending school. This depicts how if she was angry, she would be blinded of the aftermath of being pessimistic such as, not seeing the advantages of pursuing education for the first time, nonetheless, she will only keep recounting the same question of why did her father abandoned her, and will eventually harm someone, as in the case with Arwa, a child in the orphanage. Jameela finally channelled her anger into violence with Arwa, as in pushing her to the ground because she was a tad bit clingy; she wanted to know the outcome of Jameela’s surgery of her cleft lip. The result of committing this is that Jameela experienced remorse and depression. A theme portrayed in the novel, Wanting Mor, is making strong bonds, as in peace with one another, not hatred and anger.
In the article “The Name Is Mine” by Anna Quindlen, she explains her story about her name, why she chose to keep it, and why it has such meaning to her. As a result of keeping her maiden name, there were many positive and negative aspects that went along with it.
Orleanna, struggles with the hardships of daily life; toting and disinfecting the family's water, scrambling to make ends meet and trying to protect her family from the myriad terrors of the bush. Orleanna uses irony to describe the early days of her marriage. As she describes them, the days when there was still room for laughter in her husband's evangelical calling, before her pregnancies embarrassed him, before he returned from World War II a different man, a man who planned ''to save more souls than had perished on the road from Bataan.'' Her husband, Nathan Price, had escaped those miseries simply by luck, and knowing it curled his heart ''like a piece of hard shoe leather.'' As her husband continually preaches the good Lord’s word, she is faced with what seems to her to be the more important burdens of life, survival and keeping her family safe and sane. She doesn’t appear to have nearly so strong of a religious background as her husband would have hoped for her, however, throughout the novel it is made quite clear that she is in fact a better person than her husband could have ever hoped to be. Her daughter, Leah, captures her mothers religion very well when she says, “my father wears his faith like the bronze breastplate of God's foot soldiers, while our mother's is more like a good cloth coat with a secondhand fit.'' This quote is very true, as her father is the evangelical missionary leader who parades his religion around, as he craves for the reputation of being a ...
The implications of Pearl’s name are clear from the beginning. The image of a literal pearl invokes thoughts of purity, virginity, and innocence. The character
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” From the moment one is born, one begins to form their identity through moments and experiences that occur throughout the years. In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie’s identity of independence arises through her past marriages through the words and actions of her husbands.
Further along in the novel, the reader is able to understand the importance and symbolic meaning for Tasha naming her daughter, Imani. Tasha is a child raising a child and has never had proper mothering herself. Tasha needs faith that she can be a better mother than her own has been to her. In Imani All Mine, we see a reoccurrence of events, which reflect the idea of the low self-esteem, and self worth that Tasha has for herself. Tasha blatantly states, “I ain’t think I was going to look like them girls in there, all skinny and all, but I did think I might feel like them” (Imani All Mine 8). She is constantly referring to the negative self-image that she has of herself by comparing her body to other girls in her school and on the cover of her Seventeen magazines. However, Tasha is able to see herself in a positive light when she notices the resemblance between her beautiful baby girl and her own countenance. “Mama say I’m grown now because I got Imani. She say Imani all...
In the first paragraph, it is described as “Faith, as the wife was aptly named, [who] thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap while she called to Goodman Brown” (310). As one can see, Faith is described as a pretty woman, who is possibly young because young girls usually wear ribbons. Children are known for their innocence and purity, so perhaps these ribbons represent this idea. The author repeatedly mentions her ribbons throughout the story, pointing towards a significant meaning. In the middle of Young Goodman Brown’s expedition in the forest, he explains that “But something fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of the tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon. ‘My Faith is gone...There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given.’” (315) Goodman Brown discusses the devil and exclaims how nothing is just in this world. The ribbon fluttering down from the sky suggests that Faith has lost her purity and has turned to sin. This seems a little paranoid, as Goodman Brown assumes that his wife resorted to transgression. In fact, this paranoia is more exposed when he is talking to himself and saying things like “Faith! Faith…Look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one.”
In comparison to other slaves that are discussed over time, Olaudah Equiano truly does lead an ‘interesting’ life. While his time as a slave was very poor there are certainly other slaves that he mentions that received far more damaging treatment than he did. In turn this inspires him to fight for the abolishment of slavery. By pointing out both negative and positive events that occurred, the treatment he received from all of his masters, the impact that religion had on his life and how abolishing slavery could benefit the future of everyone as a whole; Equiano develops a compelling argument that does help aid the battle against slavery. For Olaudah Equiano’s life journey expressed an array of cruelties that came with living the life of an
That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet” (Shakespeare). Aname holds so much uniqueness and so many connotations whether positive or negative. Your name is one of the big factors that makes a person an individual as well as very self confident. Unfortunately as i’ve said before women were stripped of their names which played a huge part in losing a part of who they were. A quote that displays personality is when offred gets in the car that Saturday morning in September and she says “My name isn’t Offred, I have another name, which nobody ever uses now because it is forbidden. I tell myself it doesn’t matter, your name is like your telephone number, useful only to others; but what I tell myself is wrong, it does matter” (Atwood, 84). This shows a different personality because of the role that she has in society her name was changed to represent property to Fred. This displays a different personality because she doesn't like her name and struggles with Emotional Labor, she has to subside her emotions and feelings of wanting to be addressed and use her real name but has to be obedient and follow the rules of society but referring back to Shakespeare and the quote, when Offred is called anything other than what her real name she knows that it’s not the “Real” her rather it is the person who society enforced a role upon and molded her to be society expects her to
...only known as a funeral flower. This again foreshadows the young bride’s death before her allowance of corruption. The mark on her forehead is a symbol of her mistake, a mistake she is never allowed to forget, this can be linked to the view that women are never allowed to forget a mistake made by them. Angela Carter again shows the position of women in society; once a mistake is made you are an outcast in society. This can also be linked to the biblical reference of Cane, ‘him who became an outcast’.
Kambili begins her life with her world “as measured and silent as our Sunday 's”(31) as she follows the strict guidelines set forth by her father. The grueling schedule of church and prayer on Sundays leaves no room for anything but structure and a cold impersonality to her religion. This authority allows her no room to make mistakes therefore no room to learn. This suffocating feeling forces her to escape the confines of her father’s grasp in order to feel her heart “revving like an engine” (104) which allows her to break through her restraints and find love with her Aunty Ifeoma and cousins. Her heart finds a way to have a voice of it’s own within her Aunty’s home and she finds that a boisterous life to be one that nurtures her growth. The stark contrast between the deafening silence of her father’s home and the joyful chatter of her Aunty’s home is one that makes Kambili crave a life outside of her father’s grasp. Although her methods of deceit are not advisable they show the strength of character in a person who is truly following their heart towards growth and happiness. As Kambili begins to defy her father’s strict rules, she begins to learn what it is like to experience the freedom of making one’s own choices. She like many humans becomes addicted to the joy that comes with choosing her own path while discovering what she considers to be right and wrong. Although the path her father is set before her is clear, there is magic within the
For example, I am impatient and sometimes I do not listen to people when they are speaking to me. Flaws are a part of life and make people who they are, not just the good traits. If names defined people’s personalities then no one would ever change or form their own identities. I fit into the name Amanda fairly well, but I also live up to the name Millicent because I also pertain the quality strong, which is a trait the name Amanda does not have. The meaning of a name grows through people’s own personal experiences, which either allows them to live up to their name or live up to a different name. Even if I wasn’t named Amanda from birth it doesn’t effect who I am today. Naming is a special time in a parent’s life and naming a child a name because of it’s meaning creates character and significance to that child, but the meaning of the name will not always correspond with someone’s personality or shape the child’s identity. The meaning of a name can help define someone to an extent, but does not entirely define the person
The matter of Dee's name provides a good example of this confusion. Evidently, Dee has chosen her new name ("Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo") to express solidarity with her African ancestors and to reject the oppression implied by the taking on of American names by black slaves. To her mother, the name "Dee" is symbolic of family unity, and is significant because it belongs to a particular beloved individual.
Kambili begins her life with her world “as measured and silent as our Sunday 's”(31) as she follows the strict guidelines set forth by her father. The grueling schedule of church and prayer on Sundays leaves no room for anything but structure and a cold impersonality to her religion. This authority allows her no room to make mistakes therefore no room to learn. This suffocating feeling forces her to escape the confines of her father’s grasp in order to feel her heart “revving like an engine” (104) which allows her to break through her restraints and find love with her Aunty Ifeoma and cousins. Her heart finds a way to have a voice of it’s own within her Aunty’s home and she finds that a boisterous life to be one that nurtures her growth. The stark contrast between the deafening silence of her father’s home and the joyful chatter of her Aunty’s home is one that makes Kambili crave a life outside of her father’s grasp. Although her methods of deceit are not advisable they show the strength of character in a person who is truly following their heart towards growth and happiness. As Kambili begins to defy her father’s strict rules, she begins to learn what it is like to experience the freedom of making one’s own choices. She like many humans becomes addicted to the joy that comes with choosing her own path while discovering what she considers to be
Pearl's exuberant personality caused Puritans to believe she was a child of witchcraft and a mischievous little elf. But basically she represented everything that was the exact opposite of Puritan belief. Pearl's taunting and malice disposition sometimes even caused Hester to make outbursts like "Thou art not my child! Thou art no Pearl of mine!" Some would believe the "A" stood for anti-puritan for her wild soul could never be confined by the rules of the conservative Puritan Society.