In the poem “White Lies” by Natasha Tretheway the narrator opens the poem with vivid imagery about a bi-racial little girl who is trying to find her true identity between herself and others around her. She tells little lies about being fully white because she feels ashamed and embarrassed of her race and class and is a having a hard time accepting reality. The poem dramatizes the conflict between fitting in and reality. The narrator illustrates this by using a lot imagery, correlations and connotation to display a picture of lies. The narrator’s syntax, tone, irony and figurative language help to organize her conflict and address her mother’s disapproval.
In stanza one the narrator introduces the poem with a visual imagery of six colors to show that the little girl skin tone is light enough to pass for white “Light-bright, Near
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White, High yellow, Red boned” (3-4). This imagery helps the reader understand that she lied about her real identity. The usage of light colors brings a visual of someone who is very light. The colors represent a stereotype of an individual because of the division of color and background. In stanza one, line 5 “In a black place” and “not in that pink and green shanty- fied shot gun section along the track” (9-11) shows that she lives in a black place, and dislike the fact that she came from a poor community, she rather say she live in upper class community instead of a lower class community. We can interpret in this poem that living along tracks displays a picture of a black neighborhood because back then black folks were known as living near railroad tracks. The imagery, tone, and mood in the first stanza made it clear that she was uncomfortable and cold about not being proud of whom she really was. She presented herself in a way where she did not like her race and heritage The correlation and connotation of each stanza made it easy to understand that she just wanted to fit in with the rest. “That we lived in uptown” (8), “not in that pink and green shanty-fied shot gun section along the tracks” (0) This contrast and irony can let us know that she could easily lied and tell white folks she lived in a fancy home. Basically this allows the reader to know how indifferent she feels. The second stanza states that “I could act like my homemade dresses came straight out the window of Maison Blanche” This section of the poem is very relevant because her syntax and choice of words let a person know she is ashamed of who she is and is embarrassed to say that her cheap dresses came from her black mother. She prefers to lie about her standard of living just to fit in with the whites and reject everything she has because of her insecurities and self-esteem. The use of Imagery throughout the poem is very vivid because it gives a visual of things that helps us understand the irony of it.
For example, the colors of her skin tone and the use of pink and green shanty fied. Another imagery in this stanza is, “white folks” (7) and “homemade dress” (12). The tone and mood is very dual and disrespectful because she’s betraying her background and identity. She thinks it is okay to lie about her true colors and tell the white folks she is one of them. In “white lies” Natasha Tretheway illustrates the way she feels about fitting in.
“I could even
Keep quiet, quiet as kept
Like the time a white girl said (squeezing my hand)
And now we have three of us in this class” (0).
This statement shows she is ashamed of her race and color and easily denies her identity.
The figurative language that she uses in this poem is assonance and alliteration. In line 10 “shanty-fied shotgun is an example of alliteration (two words with the same constant sound). “ In the first stanza where it talks about her skin tone, “light bright…white” (3-4) is an example of assonance because there’s a rhyme scheme in those
words. Later in the poem the narrator changes her tone and connotation to a more fracture one. “She laid her hands on me then washed out my mouth with ivory soap” (21-23) Her mother dislike how her daughter lies about her race just to make others believes she is fully white “Ivory soap”(23) represent washing away the lies she has told. “This is to purify. She said, and cleanse your lying tongue” (23-25). Purify is a syntax word that means cleaning all her lies away and washing away all her nonsense. This transition from lying to cleaning all her lies made it clear that her mother did not approve what her child was doing because she felt her daughter was ashamed of her skin tone. In today’s world, society does not view color as it was view years ago, many of us unify and treat each other the same no matter of color, race sex, gender etc., because at the end of the day we are still the same. Jack Linshi Aug. 7, 2014 10 Million Americans Switched Their Race or Ethnicity for the Census, TIMES “Almost 10 million Americans changed how they identify their race or ethnicity when asked by the Census Bureau over the course of a decade, according to a new study, adding further uncertainty to data officials already consider to be unreliable” This article shows that many Americans perhaps want to change their race or identity but it is hard to do it because no matter how hard you want to change it, you will always have your parents features and backgrounds. In conclusion, Natasha Tretheway has modified herself as a person who wants to leave her identity behind and lie about her race. She illustrated her view point by using a lot imagery and connotation that helps the audience know that she is ashamed and embarrassed of her mother’s background and race. Throughout the poem, her vivid imagery helped the audience analyzed the poem quite well by understanding her meaning and theme. Today, we don’t see a lot of biracial kids go around and telling others they are another race because many parents have thought their kids better than that, unlike in Natasha Tretheway poem where she show a lot of embarrassment and shame.
It is very clear that the narrator is aggravated with the ignorance of some people as they assume she is supposed to sound different than she does because she is black. To emphasize her agitation throughout the poem, the narrator asks rhetorical questions such as; "Was I supposed to sound lazy, dropping syllables here, there, not finishing words but slurring the final letter so that each sentence joined the next, sliding past the listener? Were certain words off limits, too erudite, too scholarly for someone with a natural tan? And Does everyone in your family speak alike?"
Claude M. Steele is the author of “ Whistling Vivaldi”, which mainly represents that the meaning of identity contingencies and stereotype threat, and how can these effect people’s ideas and behaviors. By writing this article, Steele tries to make people know exist of identity contingencies. Gina Crosley-Corcoran, who is a white woman suffered the poverty in her childhood. Through describing her miserable experiences in parallel construction to motivate readers sympathize her, moreover approving that she can as a powerful evidence for affirming the impact of identity contingencies. Crosley-Corcoran admits the white privilege really exist in some way in her article “ Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person”, and white privilege
In the play, “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark”, the two main characters, Vera Stark and Anna Mae play a significate role in the plays main theme of racial discrimination. The choice they made to decide to lie about their race came from the fact that racial discrimination was an issue and they knew they wouldn’t be looked at for a major role in a play. I found this to be very sad that they couldn’t be themselves and had to lie about who they truly are. This play also brings to light the issue that many people face in today’s society of conforming to society’s image of being the perfect American.
Danielle Evans’ second story “Snakes” from the collection of short stories, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self depict a biracial girl who has been pressured due to her grandmother’s urge to dominate her. The story pictures her suffering with remarkable plot twist in the end of the story. Evans utilize a profound approach on how to bring readers to closely examine racism implicitly, to make readers recognize the actions may lead to social discrimination and its consequences that are often encountered in our daily life.
Janie’s first discovery about herself comes when she is a child. She is around the age of six when she realizes that she is colored. Janie’s confusion about her race is based on the reasoning that all her peers and the kids she grows up with are white. Janie and her Nanny live in the backyard of the white people that her Nanny works for. When Janie does not recognize herself on the picture that is taken by a photographer, the others find it funny and laughs, leaving Janie feeling humiliated. This racial discovery is not “social prejudice or personal meanness but affection” (Cooke 140). Janie is often teased at school because she lives with the white people and dresses better than the other colored kids. Even though the kids that tease her were all colored, this begins Janie’s experience to racial discrimination.
In the novel, Passing, Nella Larsen presents two women, Clare and Irene who originate from the black community; however still yearn for an assured identity for themselves. Clare and Irene are childhood friends who even though being part black, are able to pass as white folk. Irene continues to be part of the black community and is considered a black woman, however this is on a superficial level. When it comes to her advantage, Irene occasionally passes as white. Clare on the other hand passes as a white woman; her lifestyle changed completely as to white standards and in. Although both women are in a dilemma regarding their true racial identity, they both wish to live as both black and white. Throughout the book, both women attempt to achieve an integrated identity, however fail do to so. Their failure in attempting to live a life both as black suggests and supports the idea that a person can only have one race as either black or white, not both.
words represent the gang’s lack of language skills. This symbolizes uneducated boys talking. She does it with such vivid verse and ethnic slang that it gives this poem a unique style.
When she first is confronted by the problem or race it hits her with a thump. Bob takes Alice to dinner where she states, “I don’t want feel like being refused” (55). Alice does what she can to avoid the face of racism. She lacks the integration within the different community, which gives her a one-path perspective. While going to the restaurant with Bob, he asks, “Scared because you haven’t got the white folks to cover you” (55)? She doesn’t have the protection of her friends or her parents to shy away from the truth of her being African American. She is hiding behind a mask because she’s passing as white. She’s accepting the assumption that she belongs to their culture. When she goes out, “with white folks the people think you’re white” (60). But, when she goes out with Bob there is nothing to hide behind. She’s confronted with the truth. Already feeling low about the restaurant, and getting pulled over by the cops, she uses her wealth to get out of the situation. She says, “I am a supervisor in the Los Angeles Welfare” (63). The power of her family shows that she be treated better by the cops and others in the
Despite the current scrutiny that her race faces she asserts to the reader that her race and color define her as a person and does not determine her identity. Despite the mindset that most of her peers keep about the inequality of race, she maintains an open mind and declares to the reader that she finds everyone equal. Thus proving herself as a person ahead of her own time.
From an early age, Birdie is immersed in black culture and identifies as black. Various people refer to her as white, or try to invalidate her blackness and, while she does become very insecure at points, she never thinks of herself as white. This can be seen like times when she goes to Nkrumah, Ali throws a spitball at her and says “’what you doin at this school? You white?’” (43), and when a white girl is murdered, after an exchange with her mother reveals “It struck me as odd that my mother hadn’t warned Cole not to go to the park, just me. ‘There are perverts, crazies, dirty old me, and they want little girls like you.’” (67). But in addition to these events, she also recounts many incidents where black individuals, including her father, shame biracial couples or mixed race people. “My father laughed a little and said, nudging Cole, gesturing toward the [interracial] couple: ‘what’s wrong with that picture?’ ... She didn’t seem to remember the right answer – or perhaps she didn’t care – but I did and, throwing my hand in the air like Arnold Horshack, piped in from the backseat, ‘diluting the race!’” (73). Her father, her strongest connection to blackness, accepts her as a black person but rejects her in many ways as a mixed person, which is harmful as she comes to terms with a mixed
Those two events may seem like nothing but it shows how even at the early age of 8, children are taught to spot the differences in race instead of judging people by their character. Directing after this Twyla mentions how her and Roberta “looked like salt and pepper standing there and that’s what the other kids called us sometimes” (202). On the first page of this short story we already have 3 example of race dictating how the characters think and act. With the third one which mentions salt which is white and pepper which is black we understand that one girl is white and one girl is black. The brilliance of this story is that we never get a clear cut answer on which girl is which. Toni Morrison gives us clues and hints but never comes out and says it. This leaves it up to us to figure it out for ourselves. The next example of how race influences our characters is very telling. When Twyla’s mother and Roberta’s mother meeting we see not only race influencing the characters but, how the parents can pass it down to the next generation. This takes places when the mothers come to the orphanage for chapel and Twyla describes to the reader Roberta’s mother being “bigger than any man
Murphy expresses how justifying bad deeds for good is cruel by first stirring the reader’s emotions on the topic of bullying with pathos. In “White Lies,” Murphy shares a childhood memory that takes the readers into a pitiful classroom setting with Arpi, a Lebanese girl, and the arrival of Connie, the new girl. Murphy describes how Arpi was teased about how she spoke and her name “a Lebanese girl who pronounced ask as ax...had a name that sounded too close to Alpo, a brand of dog food...” (382). For Connie, being albino made her different and alone from everyone else around her “Connie was albino, exceptionally white even by the ultra-Caucasian standards... Connie by comparison, was alone in her difference” (382). Murphy tries to get the readers to relate and pity the girls, who were bullied for being different. The author also stirs the readers to dislike the bullies and their fifth grade teacher. Murphy shares a few of the hurtful comments Connie faced such as “Casper, chalk face, Q-Tip... What’d ya do take a bath in bleach? Who’s your boyfriend-Frosty the Snowman?” (382). Reading the cruel words can immediately help one to remember a personal memory of a hurtful comment said to them and conclude a negative opinion of the bullies. The same goes for the fifth grade teac...
The color white is associated with purity, and innocence. In the novel Nick describes the room in Tom’s house where Daisy and Jordan are introduced. He describes the room as “bright” and the windows as “gleaming white against the grass”. The dresses Jordan and Daisy are wearing are also white. In the first chapter, Daisy and Jordan’s “girlhood” is described as “beautiful and white”. Childhood represents innocence and because the color white is associated with it, white becomes a representation of innocence as well. The affect the color white makes is the impression of a pure, clea...
The first literary device that can be found throughout the poem is couplet, which is when two lines in a stanza rhyme successfully. For instance, lines 1-2 state, “At midnight, in the month of June / I stand beneath the mystic moon.” This is evidence that couplet is being used as both June and moon rhyme, which can suggest that these details are important, thus leading the reader to become aware of the speaker’s thoughts and actions. Another example of this device can be found in lines 16-17, “All Beauty sleeps!—and lo! where lies / (Her casement open to the skies).” These lines not only successfully rhyme, but they also describe a woman who
picked on but in the other she is proud of being black and she is