Comparing Mattie And When In Rome By Mari Evans South

Mari Evans Southern black poem “When in Rome,” written in the 1920s portrays the differences between two contrasting races. The poem has two speakers; one who is an owner, and the second is the maid herself. The owner is white whereas the slave is black. The owner has a chasten personality towards the black maid. The poem and the illustrations can relate back to the Jim Crow Era. The slave owner exemplifies, “take whatever you like to eat,” directly towards the slave. The owner tries to illustrate that she is more superior than Mattie (the maid). The maid, Mattie feels very provoked, yet still can’t raise a voice, but can only speak within her mind. “...there ain’t no meat,” illustrates Mattie’s search of real food; food that she and her