Comparison of "What It's Like to Be a Black Girl" and Country Lovers
Comparison of “What it’s like to be a black girl” and Country Lovers
African American Literature dates back to the 18th century. These writings tend to focus on issues of racism, inner struggles, slavery, prejudice, and the pursuit of freedom as well as equality. Two renowned contributors to this field of literature are Nadine Gordimer and Patricia Smith. Throughout this paper, details of the short story Country Lovers, by Nadine Gordimer and the poem, “What it’s Like to Be a Black Girl,” by Patricia Smith, will be compared and contrasted to each other in regards to form, style, and content.
Nadine Gordimer has eight novels and more than 200 short stories included in her repertoire. She clearly has a talent for creating a short story with just enough information to keep the content minimal, while keeping the reader engaged and satisfied. Within this story, she details the struggles of an African woman in a difficult era with heartbreak, confusion, and prejudices. Gordimer “concentrates on the many forms of suffering humankind instigates and endures within calamitous and transforming moments” (Seaman, 2010, pg. 1, para. 1). Country Lovers is a perfect example of Gordimer’s ability to tell a highly emotional story contained to just a couple of pages.
Country Lovers tells the story of a white skinned Afrikaner boy who befriends the daughter of the black skinned help on his parents’ farm. The two become close and feelings begin to develop. Nadine Gordimer writes, “The trouble was Paulus Eysendyck did not seem to realize that Thebedi was now simply one of the crowd of farm children down at the kraal, recognizable in his sister’s old clothes” (Clugston, 2010, pg. , para.). Paulus cared for Thebedi, in a way that was not accepted in society; “The schoolgirls he went swimming with at dams or pools on neighbouring farms wore bikinis but the sight of their dazzling bellies and thighs in the sunlight had never made him feel what he felt now when the girl came
African American Literature dates back to the 18th century. These writings tend to focus on issues of racism, inner struggles, slavery, prejudice, and the pursuit of freedom as well as equality. Two renowned contributors to this field of literature are Nadine Gordimer and Patricia Smith. Throughout this paper, details of the short story Country Lovers, by Nadine Gordimer and the poem, “What it’s Like to Be a Black Girl,” by Patricia Smith, will be compared and contrasted to each other in regards to form, style, and content.
Nadine Gordimer has eight novels and more than 200 short stories included in her repertoire. She clearly has a talent for creating a short story with just enough information to keep the content minimal, while keeping the reader engaged and satisfied. Within this story, she details the struggles of an African woman in a difficult era with heartbreak, confusion, and prejudices. Gordimer “concentrates on the many forms of suffering humankind instigates and endures within calamitous and transforming moments” (Seaman, 2010, pg. 1, para. 1). Country Lovers is a perfect example of Gordimer’s ability to tell a highly emotional story contained to just a couple of pages.
Country Lovers tells the story of a white skinned Afrikaner boy who befriends the daughter of the black skinned help on his parents’ farm. The two become close and feelings begin to develop. Nadine Gordimer writes, “The trouble was Paulus Eysendyck did not seem to realize that Thebedi was now simply one of the crowd of farm children down at the kraal, recognizable in his sister’s old clothes” (Clugston, 2010, pg. , para.). Paulus cared for Thebedi, in a way that was not accepted in society; “The schoolgirls he went swimming with at dams or pools on neighbouring farms wore bikinis but the sight of their dazzling bellies and thighs in the sunlight had never made him feel what he felt now when the girl came
References: CANBY, VINCENT. (1983, May 18). 7 STORIES BY NADINE GORDIMER :[Review][1]. [review of the 7 stories by Nadine Gordimer New York Times (Late Edition (east Coast)), p. C.26. Retrieved March 13, 2012, from ProQuest Central. Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books Pally, Marcia. Nation, 6/25/1983, Vol. 236 Issue 25, p809-810, 2p Subjects: MOTION pictures; SOCIETIES; SOUTH Africa; Motion Picture and Video Production; COUNTRY Lovers (Film); GORDIMER, Nadine, 1923- http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/results Martin Trump Research in African Literatures , Vol. 17, No. 3, Special Focus on Southern Africa (Autumn, 1986), pp. 341-369 Published by: Indiana University PressArticle Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3819220 NICK RENNISONNICK RENNISON. (2010, December 19). Short cuts and bruises. Sunday Times,47. Retrieved March 13, 2012, from ProQuest Central.