To What Extent Does Mildred Taylor Portray T.J. as a Victim of the Times? The novel 'Roll of Thunder' is based around racism and discrimination, during the 1930's. Mildred Taylor has chosen to set her novel in a time where black people were discriminated against. The context in which the story is set is a conscious choice of the writer to emphasise the extent of racism. T.J. is used by Mildred Taylor to represent the injustices the Black community were subjected to in these times. Although T.J. is not portrayed as a victim throughout the novel, he is certainly seen as a victim during the concluding chapters of the book. The narrative is by a young girl of ten years, Cassie. Cassie is a very opinionated, strong willed character who tends to judge people at face value, without taking other factors into consideration. This could be seen as a hindrance in such a novel, a novel that is being used to exploit racism and could benefit from a more open-viewed narrator. In this book however, the character is purposefully made to be single-minded by Mildred Taylor because it encourages the reader to think in more depth about the story. The author uses this narrow perspective of T.J. to encourage the reader to realise that he is a victim of the times. This realisation is encouraged not through Cassie's opinion but because she cannot see this fact until nearing the end of the story. Cassie's view of T.J. is blunt, 'I didn't like T.J. very much,' and during the beginning of the book the reader is persuaded that T.J. is not a nice person as there is no evidence otherwise. As the book proceeds however, the reader can show more insight into details that Cassie overlooks. This is as the writer intends, it helps to include the reader more in the book and is a similar idea to dramatic irony used on the stage. Mildred Taylor has used Cassie's simplistic views of T.J. to persuade the reader to think more deeply. She has used this simple point of view to show that the effect of racism is not always obvious and as the reader comes to realise that T.J. is a victim, Taylor's central theme is portrayed. To help the reader understand that T.J. is a victim of the times, Mildred Taylor uses other characters to show a more balanced opinion of him. Stacey is often used in this way; he is one of the few characters that show sympathy towards T.J. Stacey demonstrates a certain level of understanding about T.J.'s position and why he is how he is.
Slavery is a term that can create a whirlwind of emotions for everyone. During the hardships faced by the African Americans, hundreds of accounts were documented. Harriet Jacobs, Charles Ball and Kate Drumgoold each shared their perspectives of being caught up in the world of slavery. There were reoccurring themes throughout the books as well as varying angles that each author either left out or never experienced. Taking two women’s views as well as a man’s, we can begin to delve deeper into what their everyday lives would have been like. Charles Ball’s Fifty Years in Chains and Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl were both published in the early 1860’s while Kate Drumgoold’s A Slave Girl’s Story came almost forty years later
“There’s a black boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible for it’s dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch.”(276). This quote came from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and it wraps around the idea that Sherriff Tate did the only right and responsible thing he could’ve done. He is able to save Boo Radley from being crowded by the whole town, he made sure that Jem and Scout were not blamed for anything that went on that night and he definitely saved the whole town from becoming a chaotic mess over another possible homicide.
Mildred Pierce, by James M. Cain, begins in pre-Depression California, and ends during World War II times, also in California. The main character, Mildred Pierce, is a very attractive housewife of 29, raising two daughters, Ray and Veda. Although Mildred loves both her daughters, Veda is a particular obsession with Mildred. She constantly slaves away throughout the novel to do whatever she can to make Veda happy, despite the constant abuse and deception Veda inflicts upon Mildred. After a divorce from her first husband, Bert, in the opening pages of the novel, Mildred is forced to sacrifice her pride and become a waitress in order to support her family. If Veda were ever to find out, she would be appalled; a constantly recurring theme throughout this story is Veda’s pride and arrogance, and her condemnation of jobs she deems to be menial. Mildred’s main goal is to nurture Veda’s musical talents, and manages to pay for expensive music lessons from her meager salaries as a waitress and pie baker. However, Mildred’s luck is soon to change, as she takes up with an attorney and former partner of Bert, Wally. Mildred is able to use Wally’s business and real estate savvy to build a restaurant out of a deserted model home, and from there create a thriving chain of three food businesses. After becoming bored with Wally, however, Mildred craves a relationship with another man, a prestigious local man named Monty. Veda highly approves of her mother’s choice, as this makes her feel as if she too were more prestigious and affluent, despite having misgivings about her mother still being so low as to have an average, pedestrian job. All seems to be going well; even through Veda’s constant demands and tantrums, she still gets everything she wants, and Mildred and Monty are happy. Monty, however, falls on hard times with the coming of the Great Depression, and he constantly mooches off of Mildred’s affluence, making it a struggle for Mildred to cater to Veda’s every whim. Mildred soon dumps Monty to focus on making Veda a musical prodigy; this fails, however, when Veda is told that her piano is not up to par from a local famous music teacher. After Veda recovers from this shock, she explores the opportunities offered by an acting career, and begins to spin more webs of deception and selfishness. After Veda forces money out of a local rich family, lying and claiming their son got her pregnant, Mildred and Veda have a major argument, and Veda disowns her mother.
issues that the author deal with in the book are a prediction of the future; it can
In Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, the author subjects the reader to a dystopian slave narrative based on a true story of a woman’s struggle for self-identity, self-preservation and freedom. This non-fictional personal account chronicles the journey of Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897) life of servitude and degradation in the state of North Carolina to the shackle-free promise land of liberty in the North. The reoccurring theme throughout that I strive to exploit is how the women’s sphere, known as the Cult of True Womanhood (Domesticity), is a corrupt concept that is full of white bias and privilege that has been compromised by the harsh oppression of slavery’s racial barrier. Women and the female race are falling for man’s
'Democracy,' she said. 'Does anybody have a definition?' ... 'Equal rights for all, special privileges for none' (Lee 248).
so is a complicated issue, but what is rather clear is that the setting of the novel is ideal for such a
1960’s between the year when segregation was beginning . A town called Maycomb a quiet town where there was segregation all around, inequality, discrimination . There was cruel people in the town but however no one would fight for what they believe. Maycomb a town full of people that would just follow in what society would said . Until a huge news that rattled everyone in the whole town. News that traveled in Maycomb and other towns. When finding out that a white was defending a colored . In To Kill a MockingBird Atticus was wise to defend Tom Robinson because Atticus put his personal values dictate that he see the good in people before judging them with unfounded ideas. When Atticus defended Tom Robinson Atticus has shown his kids between
Courage is the desire to succeed and to do what is righteous, no matter what the humiliation or consequences are. People do courageous acts all the time because without courage, no one can accomplish anything in life. Courage is one of the most significant themes in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Harper Lee uses characters’ actions to show that courage doesn’t mean that people live without fear, rather it is about showing bravery to which people stand up to.
In addition, the novel generates the idea of true realism and crosses the barrier of racial
“I will continue to treat people with kindness even when they try to trample over me… I will be triumphant in the end” (Elle 1). There are some, and honestly, very few, people who are constantly kind and understanding to those who are disrespectful and deceiving throughout almost or even all circumstances. Mockingbirds, metaphorically, can represent such people. For those birds are cheerful; and have a sole purpose of bringing joy. To “trample” on these birds and people alike to them is cruel and destroys the purpose and worth of value. Such characters are portrayed throughout the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird written by Harper Lee, depicted as a historical fiction, and narrated by the main protagonist, Scout. Scout illustrates
In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus gives out great advice to the kids, but the one that stands out to me the most is when he is defending Tom Robinson. He is teaching the kids to stand up to what they believe in no matter how many people are against them they have to at least try. Also, he says not to judge people by their looks or at all. It gets to Jem the most to not judge people because towards the end of the book he asked the most questions about it and started to understand it more. Jem talking to Scout in their bedroom, “...If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I’m beginning to understand something….” (Lee 304). This applies to life because it is not okay to judge a
Harriet Beecher Stowe once said, “Women are the real architects of society.” In the story ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, We see the impact these wonderful and powerful, women have on Scout but not just Scout but also society in general.
Women throughout history have been discriminated against, even in America. In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, we see how one girl struggled with growing up as people tried to repress her right to express herself in the ways any child would.. One of the most defining events of her childhood was the Tom Robinson trial, where she was able to see the blatant discrimination against the African American population and the more subtle oppression of women. Misogyny and inequality between men and women is not specific to race, nationality or age.
A possible theme for the novel would be to keep moving forward. Bad things are bound to