Passing And Everyday Use Analysis

Losing Your Culture Culture, a building block of society, and the individual spirit throughout the world. Individuals Culture and Heritage were as a whole on the frontlines for many African Americans during the twentieth century for it was an under appreciated topic due to racism. In the stories Passing and Everyday Use, the main theme revolved around the loss of culture due to their color of skin. One of the Characters from Everyday Use such as Dee and Irene or Clare from Passing, felt unappreciated and that they were lesser individuals all based upon the color of there skin due to all the rights and mistreatments that hampered the African American Population. The two stories can be used closely to explain the topic of race and inequality,
Maggie and her mother have an unbreakable bond a relationship that has the highest most profound unconditional love. Their culture and lifestyle are the simple lives, while every little detail everything about them shows characteristics of where they came from and what they put there time into. Irene is not as comfortable with her own self as Maggie and her mother are. She passes quite frequently so she can take advantage of the fact that she has lighter skin then most, but who can blame her for wanting the idealistic life when everyone wants it. At first, Irene and her husband seem caring and loving towards one another that embrace the black heritage. But as Clare comes around them, there oh so perfect relationship seems to be lacking a foundation and both of their flaws and weaknesses begin to show through. They fight and bicker more then the usual married couple, which is very contradictory of Maggie and her mother. While Irene even admits to not completely loving her husband with all of her heart. Her husband wants to leave everything in their lives behind even there heritage, Harlem. Just to move to Brazil with hope that they can escape the prejudice. During that time of discrimination it was easier to just move to another country in order to live an ideal life. Ultimately, Brian himself would be fitting in with Dee and Clare in the fact that
They lived similar lives as the characters within their stories. For example, Larsen establishes the sad part of her life with in the characters Clare and Irene. Larsen grew up in a white household where she went under appreciated much like the character Clare who was abused by her aunts. Also, Larsen was light-skinned and her early marriage fell apart because of a poor decision made by her husband, which equalizes with Irene’s situation where she has potentially married an unfaithful man. Additionally, Walker grew up very secluded after her eye accident where she was shot with a BB gun (Kane 1). This moment in her life is very much comparable to Maggie in the fact that she received burns from the house fire and became secluded. They both became afraid of going out and living life. Walker’s style is a definition of the African American heritage because of her simple clothing, hospitable personality, and her long- dreaded hair. Larsen and Walker are the reason for why Passing and Everyday Use are genuine stories about race. Their lives were full of culture and discrimination and translated into excellent stories that describe the mood of an African American’s life in the twentieth century, although