Woman and Country Lovers

Racism: Country Lovers and What’s it like to be a Black Girl”
ENG125: Introduction to Literature (ABG1316D)

Racism: “Country Lovers” and “What’s it like to be a Black Girl”

Literature is often known as short stories that tells a story using character’s inner narrative thoughts with thematic focus. Poems are formed with arrangement of words with musicality using stanzas and rhyming lines. Short stories and poems often have similar forms, style and content with different delivery style that contrast. These writings tend to focus on issues of racism, inner struggles, prejudice and the wait for freedom. In “Country Lovers” and “What it’s like to be a black Girl” both women dealt with racism and discrimination in their life.

Content

The Short Story, “Country Lovers” and poem “What it’s like to be a Black Girl” is about black females and the experience from society. The short story, “Country Lovers” was written by Nadine Gardiner in 1975 (Clugston 2010). The story is about a black female named Thebedi and white boy named Paulus, who grew up together in South Africa on a small farm and lived in a discriminative environment. From childhood, both grew up on a farm, where interracial was harsh for the lovers. Paulus was very afraid of the community knowing about his relationship with Thebedi. Paulus goes off to college to return to the village where Thebedi had given birth to his son. The story proceeds to Paulus killing their newborn because he was afraid of the society finding out their love quarrel. In “What it’s like to be a Black Girl” The poem shows the readers the viewpoint of a young black woman transitioning into womanhood. Patricia, the author, highlights the changes of a black woman through adulthood and how she perceives herself in society. The young woman struggles with the image of acceptance by transforming her hair into a different color to form a white image (Smith). The poem focuses on how black females were ashamed of their race during that time period. Form
“Country Lovers” and “What its’ Like to be a Black Girl” created a struggle that illustrates similar and contrast forms. Throughout the short story and poem both females faced hardship and struggle with transitioning into a woman of color. During the period of change and growth; both characters wanted the best for their lives but couldn’t accept their culture. Each story deals with the anger and depression, similar as, “Country Lovers.” Both writers dealt with heartbreak, confusion, and prejudices with their characters. The similarity with both literature forms closely throughout the theme. In,“ Country Lovers” it talks about black children are making along with the bodily changes common to all, an easy transition to adult forms of address, beginning to call their old playmates missus and bassie little master (Clugston, 2010). The change of becoming a woman relates to the black female in “What’s it’s like to be a black woman” where the black character in this poem feared womanhood as well. She considered her image to not be acceptable in her society. Facing Adulthood, during that time period was harsh on black women. Author: Smith wrote, “Like your edges are wild, like there’s something, everything wrong (Smith) Both, characters from the poem and short story were ashamed of their race leaving a sorrowful end, with both women facing a tragedy. Thebedi loses her son to Paulus murdering him and the Black girl in poem changes her body image with awkwardness of her new body, just as, Gordiner’s poem that focuses on the forms of humankind transitioning moments. Contrast
Style
The tone is when both characters face unspoken discrimination in their stories. The content, form and style focuses on two black women who faced similar hardship but in a different setting. Each theme displays the hatred, acceptance, and struggle in their lives as black women. The styles are similar as writers, which comes from a different prospective but same place of injustice. The racial dilemma was experienced in both literature; but ended differently as the women contained to fit into society. For example, the first time discrimination was pointed out indirectly was in the line, “The farm children play together when they are small, but once the white children go away to school they soon don 't play together any more” (Gardiner 1975).

This topic is often hard to discuss but still exist in the human race. The story, “Country Lovers” and “What it’s like to be Black Girl” both represent discrimination from society of racism and ones acceptance of self.

References:
Clugston, R. W. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Clugston, R.W. (2010). Poems for Reflection. In Your Journey into Literature (chapter 12 Section 2).
Clugston, R.W. (2010).Country Lovers. In Your Journey into Literature (chapter 3).
What It 's Like to Be a Black Girl" by Patricia Smith

References: Clugston, R. W. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Clugston, R.W. (2010). Poems for Reflection. In Your Journey into Literature (chapter 12 Section 2). Clugston, R.W. (2010).Country Lovers. In Your Journey into Literature (chapter 3). What It 's Like to Be a Black Girl" by Patricia Smith