The concept of "the other" significantly influences how individuals perceive themselves and their place in society, particularly within the framework of Marxist theory, which accentuates the significance of class stratification. By examining characters in James McBride's The Color of Water and William Shakespeare's Hamlet, we can clearly discern the impact of encounters with those perceived as different on their self-perception. Both The Color of Water and Hamlet offer compelling illustrations of how class dynamics intersect with gender roles and societal expectations, providing valuable perspectives on the intricate process of identity development amid economic inequality. Particularly the impact of "the other" on individuals' self-perception is profound, influencing their behaviors and social identities. Within the …show more content…
Adamant on dating a black man, she articulates, "Who cared if he was black?" He was the first man other than my grandfather who ever showed me any kindness in my life," (McBride, p. 111 ). Ruth's rejection of societal expectations underscores the intricate interplay between gender and class in shaping her identity. Similarly, in Hamlet, Ophelia grapples with the constraints imposed by patriarchal structures and class privilege. In a moment of emotional distress, she sings, "They bore him barefaced on the bier, Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny, And in his grave rained many a tear" (Shakespeare, 4.5.188). This encapsulates the intersectional oppression she experiences as a woman of common birth, highlighting the entanglement of class and gender in her self-conception. The portrayal of gender dynamics within the context of class divisions in both texts illuminates the multifaceted nature of identity formation, emphasizing how societal expectations intersect and influence individuals' perceptions of
something represents its darkness and how evil it is, and the whiteness represents the purity and goodness of something. William Shakespeare plays with the status quo of literature in his play Othello by giving Iago, a white man who should represent purity, an evil, black heart and by giving Othello, a black man, a noble, white heart when he should represent evil. Shakespeare “founds his play on the rupture between outward signifiers and inward signifiers, between the Moor’s evil-seeming black face
a willow tree. The willow tree branch then snapped, plummeting Ophelia into the brook below. Once Ophelia was in the water, she began singing, seemingly unaware that the weight of her clothing was pulling her down towards the bottom of the brook. Eventually, Ophelia was weighed down by her saturated clothing, and she drowned. As she begins to drown, Ophelia does not fight the water, instead, she begins to sing. This makes it obvious that Ophelia is not in the right state of mind for she either is
Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King is a Canadian novel featuring Native Americans in the midst of their traditions in accordance with the rulers of the modern world in the book, the Whites. Several characters are seen to engulf in a battle with discrimination in an attempt to stay united as a community and find continued happiness in their Native identities. In Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King, the author states that discrimination negatively affects happiness, which leads to the
Motifs in The Tragedy of Macbeth The Tragedy of Macbeth , by William Shakespeare, shows the slow deterioration of Macbeth who was once a brave, loyal soldier to an ambitious man with no sense of reality, In this tragic play, the most commonly used motifs are hallucinations, blood, violence, nature and unnatural, fair and foul. These motifs are used to represent the characters emotions, personalities, and appearances throughout the entire play of The Tragedy of Macbeth. Hallucinations are used in
William Shakespeare's play The Tempest utilizes extensive imagery which goes beyond merely creating atmosphere and background or emphasizing the major themes of the play. The supernatural plays a considerable role in the play, thus so does the use of imagery, which is more extensive and somewhat different from many other of Shakespeare's works. The imagery is used as a mediator of supernatural powers, to emphasize the natural scene of action, and establish the enchanted island which becomes
book did not contain characters such as Ahab, Starbuck, or even Moby Dick, but the summer of 1850 changed Melville’s writing and his masterpiece. He became friends with author Nathaniel Hawthorne and was greatly influenced by him. He also read Shakespeare and Milton’s Paradise Lost (Murray 41). These influences lead to the novel Melville completed and published in 1851. Although shunned by critics after its release, Moby-Dick enjoyed a critical renaissance in the 1920s and as assumed its rightful
gives an immediate and practical purpose to knowledge; the merchants organize their own materialistic Republic; “the Round Heads impose on the Republic their own strict rules. In this world there is no place for painting; the imaginary world of Shakespeare is enough to satisfy and relax its entire soul.
The Big Sea: An Autobiography by Langston Hughes. New York: Hill and Wang, 1940. Baldwin, J. Sermons and blues (Review: Selected Poems of Langston Hughes by Langston Hughes). Mar 29, 1959: 1-2. Colum, M. M. The new books of poetry (Review: Shakespeare in Harlem by Langston Hughes). New York Times, Mar 22, 1942: 1-5. Jabari Asim, “The Politics and Poetry of Langston Hughes,” Washington Post, Monday, June 7, 2004. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21849-2004Jun7.html (accessed July
R.W. Emerson’s Self-Reliance The essay has three major divisions: the importance of self-reliance (paragraphs 1-17), self-reliance and the individual (paragraphs 18-32), and self-reliance and society (paragraphs 33-50). As a whole, it promotes self-reliance as an ideal, even a virtue, and contrasts it with various modes of dependence or conformity. “Self-Reliance” Paragraphs 1-17. The Importance of Self-Reliance. Emerson begins his major work on individualism by asserting the importance of thinking