Black women`s struggles for voice, acceptance, equality and fulfilment has become an interesting field for discussion for numerous African American writers. The main objective for them was to present their day-to-day life in the context of the legacy left behind and history which should never be forgotten. In the following chapters of this thesis, the analysis of three chosen books will be presented. There is no coincidence in this choice because of the fact that the authors share their legacy and heritage. Apart from that, Alice Walker admits openly that she has chosen Zora Hurston as her precursor in whose footsteps she wants to follow (Sadoff, 1985). When she was asked which book she would take on a desert island with herself, she without…
Novelist Edwidge Danticat contends Nanny “has craved small comforts, like sitting idly on a porch, and wants her granddaughter to have them, along with money and status, no matter what the emotional cost” (xvi). From early in her childhood, Janie strives to obey and submit to the will of her elders, regardless of her inner desire to find “her authentic self and real love” (Danticat ix). However, Nanny’s concern is that Janie will relegate herself to a life of promiscuity like her mother or, worse yet, to a life of poverty and bare subsistence unless Janie finds financial freedom through the sanctity of marriage. Nanny’s constant worry becomes the primary motive to orchestrate Janie’s marriage to Logan Killicks, an elderly but independent and financially stable farmer who offers enough provisions to spare Janie from treatment as “de mule uh de world” (Their Eyes 14). The marital arrangement is Nanny’s highest desire to protect Janie’s virtue, as well as provide a respectable alternative to the demeaning social conditions of an impoverished life. Like Nanny, Logan is the epitome of Washington’s ideal of the post- slavery African American, for Logan has “the onliest organ in town, amongst colored folks … [got] a house bought and paid for and…
In this article, Troy describes how the use of chronotopes in Harriet Jacobs’s narrative was used in order to reveal how African American writings in the nineteenth- century constructed race, time, and space. This articles then breaks down all the chronotopes that Jacobs used in her narrative. It also talks about each setting and the significant that each location stands for in the narrative.…
Many slaves longed to be free. Where as some weren’t able to cultivate that freedom. The story of Harriet Ann Jacobs differs greatly. A slave born in Edenton, North Carolina in 1831, Jacobs had the determination to do so even in the most troublesome situation. After losing her parents, after the death of her brother Jacob, Harriet and her youngest brother John were raised by their maternal grandmother. Unlike most slaves, Harriet learned to read, write, and under her mistress. Harriet hoped of being freed by her mistress until she passed and Harriet was willed to Dr. Flint. As long as she was a servant in his house, she was sexually harassed and physically abused. Fearing that he would actually rape, Jacobs began an affair with a prominent white lawyer, and bared him two children. However, these children weren’t allowed to belong to her, because she was enslaved. Shortly afterwards, Jacobs hid herself in the crawlspace of her grandmother’s house from 1835-1845. She watched her children play from a hole in the roof, while waiting for the perfect time to escape North. In 1842, she went to New York city by boat and was able to unite with her children. This book was written by Jacob’s about her life as a slave in an early example of feminism, originally rejected by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This narrative, “Incidents in the Life of a…
A young, maturing teen. An understanding, preudent adult. A stern, strong elder. As one goes through their life and matures, they change; thus, the way one views the world, how they go about things, and the things that they value change. Accordingly, Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks, a famous African American writer and poet, understandably goes through such alterations as she went through her life. As one would expect, this was reflected in her works of literature, and with each coming stage of her life, those reflections changed, much like the appearance of any person. For instance, take her view on the world; As a result of her growth, mentally and physically, her world and perspective widened, paving the way for her distinctive writing and poetry.…
Brooks published her first poem in a children’s magazine at the age of thirteen. By the time she was sixteen, she had compiled a portfolio of around 75 published poems. At seventeen, she started submitting her work to “Lights and Shadows”, the poetry column of the Chicago Defender, an African-American newspaper. Her poems, many published while she attended Wilson Junior College, ranged in style from traditional ballads and sonnets to poems using blues rhythms in free verse. Her characters were often drawn from the poor of the inner city. After failing to obtain a position with the Chicago Defender, Brooks took a series of secretarial jobs.…
Malala Yousafzai, an advocate for education for women in underdeveloped countries, once said, “The extremists are afraid of books and pens, the power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women.” (Claire). In the past, women had always been seen as the “weaker class”. A notion was present that women did not have the intellectual ability to learn and process information. Overtime, society has begun to generally accept that women are able to perform the same tasks as men, but this idea of acceptance did not occur overnight. It took many years, and massive feminist movements to unite society and display the great value of women. During the time period of various minority rights movements in the 1800’s, in “Enlightened Motherhood”, Frances…
Brooks did not only resonate with the scholarly, but with the ordinary as well, “She has taught audiences that poetry is not some formal activity closed to all but the most perceptive. Rather, it is an art form within the reach and understanding of everybody--including the lowliest among us” (“Brooks' Life and Career.”) . However, that praise was met with a load of criticism directed towards her elements of protest that were misunderstood for angry tones. Nevertheless, Brooks continued to receive positive recognition. In 1943 Brooks received an award from the Midwestern Writer’s Conference for her various works. Continuing to break barriers, Brooks was the first African American to be awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for her book “Annie Allen”. Prior to 1950, Brooks also was formally awarded the Eunice Tietjens Prize by Poetry magazine, received a Guggenheim Fellowship, and in 1962 was asked to read at the Library of Congress by John F. Kennedy. (“Brooks' Life and Career.”) Brooks led a life of raising attention to the overlooked, breaking social constructs that were set in place for her, and creating outstanding works that touched the hearts of…
Brooks’ poetry, so rich in personal detail and authenticity, often does not have to justify the moral side of issues like other poems usually do. Her work, for me, seems less confessional and more like realistic humanity, a difficult feat to accomplish when so much of the material speaks of inner turmoil, lost loves, and wistful sadness. Honest in tone and filled with common and often disturbing themes, the poems were ones I was able to connect with. “The Mother” and “The Sundays of Satin Legs Smith” are two poems that speak to me in terms of universal longing and pain. I have never had an abortion, but I know several people who have. In fact, last year I had an 11th-grade student who was pregnant, and I told her that I would gladly adopt the baby. She said she would consider it, but she ended up having the abortion. For a couple weeks after she got back, I kept wondering what that child would have been like; but then, I had to force myself to put it out of my mind. “The Mother” brought back all the joys of having a child and all the disappointments of not having a second one.…
Brooks’ pieces portray a universal themes of hardship that any person can relate to. Kenny Jackson Williams suggests that even though Brooks, raised in Chicago, had other experiences outside of the city, she still has a strong connection with Chicago because of the bond she developed with her family during hard times. Most people have experiences hardships in their lives. Williams thinks that, "Gwendolyn Brooks writes from an intimate knowledge reinforced by her own life." People can relate to the hardships she had in her life because everyone experiences hardships. According to Contemporary Authors Online , Brooks had been writing about black people from a young age (“Gwendolyn Brooks.”) According to Janet Mullane, Brooks' writing changed…
The play Rachel, by Angelina Grimké, reveals the harsh realities of life for an African American family living in the United States during the early part of the 20th century. Focused on the central character Rachel Loving, the play reflects each character’s reaction to racial prejudice against African Americans. The themes of motherhood and the innocence of youth are vital pieces of the issues Grimké wished to portray in her work. The development of Rachel herself revolves around her changing perception of what the role of motherhood might be. This insight stems from her understanding of the importance of child-like innocence towards the terrible truths of the world in which we are surrounded by. Through the use of poignant dialogue and stage directions Angelina Grimké highlights the ways in which certain populations are unable to attain their childhood dreams through Rachel Loving’s disillusionment with entering adulthood and leaving behind the ambivalence of youth.…
The book began in a child’s point of view, perfectly told, of growing up in rural Mississippi in the 1940s. She described the landscape, the people, and her own emotions with perfect clarity. While showing racism from the perspective of a child, she included her parents’ divorce following the constant moving of her family due to the fact that her mother struggled to feed the family on her own.…
Abstract: The writings of African American women reveal their individual struggles against canonization, imperialism, and sexism. Interestingly, experiences dictated by women contrast sharply with those written by men. The women and their respective works selected for this study have all made significant contributions to the field of literature and as diverse as they are, speak to the heart of the struggles faced by women around the world. Each woman’s unique past is pivotal to understanding its impact on their writing.…
Bradley, D. (1984, January 08). Novelist Alice Walker Telling the Black Woman’s Story. The New York Times on the Web. Retrieved August 05, 2012, from http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/10/04/specials/walker-story.html…
Life has not been easy, nor has it been a crystal stair case, however through strength and courage to muster through and keep on pushing on. The African American culture has pushed on throughout the years and has still been climbing the stairs on life, dealing with the tacks or racial discrimination and bare floors of poverty and socio-economic status. Hughes’ relays such a profound message in Mother to Son (1922), of persistence and strength to power on, regardless of how hard life can…