Mrs Cullinan Character Analysis

Nadim Youssef

IBSL2 White

What different perceptions do Maya and Mrs. Cullinan have for each other? How does language accentuate this? (Ch16)

Mrs. Cullinans as an unattractive person (Maya’s Point of view)

“Plump Woman”(105)

“Unatractive”(105)

“face looked like the mask of an impish elf”(105)

“lucky to get a husband” (106)

“under all those layers of fat” (106)

Maya’s appreciation of Mrs. Cullinan

“I was fascinated with the novelty, with the fluttering Mrs. CUllinan and her Alice-in Wonderland house”(106)

“Alice-in-Wonderland house” (106)

“Cheshire cat’s smile” (107)

“[Maya] tried very hard to make up for her bareness”

“I smiled at her”(106)

Maya’s point of view of Mrs. Cullinan

“inhuman” (105)

“My pity for Mrs. Cullinan” (107)

“Poor old Mrs. Cullinan” (107)

“Poor thing.

No organs and couldn’t even pronounce my name correctly” (107)

“I fumed into the kitchen. That horrible woman would never have the chance to call me Mary because if I was starving I’d never work for her”(107)

“White Folks were so strange”(108)

“It took me a week to learn the difference between a salad plate, a bread plate and a dessert plate.” (105)

“Alice-in-Wonderland house” (106)

“Cheshire cat’s smile” (107)

“too delicate-boned. It was hard to imagine bones at all under those layers of fat”(106)

“she was keeping herself embalmed”(106)

“My pity for Mrs. Cullinan preceded me the next morning”(107)

“[Maya] tried very hard to make up for her bareness”

“I smiled at her. Poor thing. No organs and couldn’t even pronounce my name correctly”(106)

“Whitefolks were so strange” (108)

Mrs. Cullinan point of view of Maya

“sweet little thing” (107)

“she can talk when she wants to but she’s usually as quiet as a mouse. Aren’t you

margaret?”(107)
“Well, that may be, but the name’s too long. I’d never bother myself. I’d call her Mary if I was you”(107)

Segregation
“I had a glass to drink from, and it sat with Miss Glory’s on a separate shelf” (106)
“I’d call her [Maya] Mary if I was you” (107)
“Whitefolks were so strange” (108)
“She’s Mary from now on” (109)
“her name’s Margaret!” (110)
“Mrs. Cullinan was right about one thing” (111)

Dehumanization of Blacks
“I’d never bother myself. I’d call her Mary if I was you” (107)
“I fumed into the kitchen. That horrible woman would never have the chance to call me Mary because if I was starving I’d never work for her”(107)
“She’s Mary from now on” (109)
“My mistress gave me ‘Glory,’ and it stuck” (109)
“Her name’s Margaret, goddamn it, he name’s Margaret” (110)
“clumsy nigger. Clumsy little black nigger” (110)