What is a silver sparrow? The term was invented by Tayari Jones, who was in search of a new title for her novel. The word “silver” refers to girls that are naturally beautiful and have no need for makeup. The term “silver girl” comes from a classic Simon and Garfunkel Song, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The lyrics are “Sail on silver girl,” which refers to Simon’s first wife who’s hair was beginning to become silver (Cohen 1). This unplanned third verse of the song gave Jones inspiration for her title. She had originally named her book “Silver Girl,” However, due to a book of the same name having been recently published, she had to rethink (Tayari Jones Question and Answer - Silver Sparrow). During a conversation, that had no relation to her book, Jones discussed the hymn, “his eye is on the sparrow.” A sparrow, a small finchlike bird, is the perfect physical representation of how the main protagonist feels. The lyrics of the hymn were inspired by the words of Jesus …show more content…
Euphemisms and connotations can be deceptive. Connotations, emotional or psychological associations words carry, can affect the interpretation of a word, and euphemisms, mild or indirect words, are sometimes substituted for words considered to be harsh or blunt. For example. Dana and her mother “surveil” Chaurisse and Laverne, whereas if her father knew, he would call it “spying” (5). Dana makes this distinction because the word spy is too harsh, and the term surveil let’s them ignore what they are doing. This euphemism makes it seem less provoking. In a way that surveil seems more official and spy seems sneaky. In a Kirkus review, it states that “Gwen and Dana habitually spy on James' legitimate wife Laverne and daughter Chaurisse, who live in blissful ignorance of James's bigamy,” (2). This review used the term spy, because spying is what they are doing, However, when Dana and her mother use, the much milder word, surveil, in their minds the act is now
The novel, Birdie by Tracey Lindberg, has a variety of characters with both attractive and unattractive characteristics. If I had to be friends with one character, I would probably choose Lola. First, she is a strong and independent woman. She is all by herself but she is able to run her own restaurant. At the beginning of the novel, when Bernice is looking for employment, she comes across a sign. It is described as, “... a Help Wanted sign in an immaculate-looking window with precise letters that read ‘Lola’s Little Slice of Heaven’ ” (Lindberg 8). The restaurant was owned by Lola. She is capable of running her own restaurant successfully. It is nice to have a friend who can support herself and doesn’t need to rely on anyone else, especially
Margaret (Peggy) O’Neal (who preffered to be called Margaret) was born in 1799 in Washington DC. She was the daughter of William O’Neal, who owned a thriving boarding house and tavern called the Franklin House in that same town. It was frequented by senators, congressmen, and all politicians. She was the oldest of six children, growing up in the midst of our nation’s emerging political scene. She was always a favorite of the visitors to the Franklin House. She was sent to one of the best schools in Washington DC, where she studied English and French grammar, needlework and music. She also had quite a talent for dance, and was sent to private lessons, becoming a very good dancer. At the age of twelve, she danced for the First Lady Dolley Madison. Visitors of the Franklin House also commented on her piano playing skills.
I am a human being, and so are you. You know that if two colored men came along and found two white women pinned under a car, they’d help them. How can you be so inhuman?” (97). This passage practically shows the meaning behind His Eye on the Sparrow.
In the novel Shiloh, historian and Civil War expert Shelby Foote delivers a spare, unflinching account of the battle of Shiloh, which was fought over the course of two days in April 1862. By mirroring the troops' movements through the woods of Tennessee with the activity of each soldier's mind, Foote offers the reader a broad perspective of the battle and a detailed view of the issues behind it. The battle becomes tangible as Foote interweaves the observations of Union and Confederate officers, simple foot soldiers, brave men, and cowards and describes the roar of the muskets and the haze of the gun smoke. The author's vivid storytelling creates a rich chronicle of a pivotal battle in American history.
The end of Number one also reinforces the impression of winter. The image of a sparrow, generally a brown or dark bird, that "sings of the Hanna Coal
Thaddeus Stevens was a congressman from Pennsylvania who was a member of the House of Representatives during of the time of the Civil War and Reconstruction. He was the leader of a radical wing of the Republican Party called the Radical Republicans. Stevens was one of the most powerful members of the House of Representatives who focused much of his political life on civil rights. He believed in equality for all men whether they were rich or poor, no matter what color their skin. Stevens was instrumental in drafting the 14th Amendment to the Constitution which was meant to protect the civil right of all Americans regardless of their race or gender. He was nicknamed the “Great Commoner” because he championed the plight of the everyday man. Stevens also advocated very harsh policies toward the southern states during the time of Reconstruction. Even though many of his ideas were controversial, he was regarded as a very important national figure during and immediately following the Civil War.
Power relationships are represented in different ways in various texts dependent on the historical era from which the text is produced. Jasper Jones is a coming-of-age novel written by Australian writer, Craig Silvey in 2009. It follows the life of Charlie Bucktin, a thirteen year old resident of Corrigan, a rural mining town in Western Australia as he matures into adulthood. In order to protect Jasper Jones, the town’s ‘troublemaker’, he helps Jasper to dispose the dead body of Laura Wishart, the missing daughter of the shire president and struggles to keep this dreadful secret. Power relationships in this novel have been reflected, reinforced and challenged in their own context and my personal context through various narrative conventions. Racial power has been reflected in the text through the context in which the text is set. Sexual power has been reinforced in the contemporary context. Furthermore, in both the text’s context and my context, the idea of political power has been challenged.
Althea Gibson As we look at our past, we are better able to see the positive advances that we have made. One of the greatest obsticles that we have overcome is the barrier of race. Over the last several decades African Americans have had a huge impact on many areas of society such as politics, educatoin and most definately athletics. On August 27, 1927, Althea Gibson was born.
The tile of the poem “Bird” is simple and leads the reader smoothly into the body of the poem, which is contained in a single stanza of twenty lines. Laux immediately begins to describe a red-breasted bird trying to break into her home. She writes, “She tests a low branch, violet blossoms/swaying beside her” and it is interesting to note that Laux refers to the bird as being female (Laux 212). This is the first clue that the bird is a symbol for someone, or a group of people (women). The use of a bird in poetry often signifies freedom, and Laux’s use of the female bird implies female freedom and independence. She follows with an interesting image of the bird’s “beak and breast/held back, claws raking at the pan” and this conjures a mental picture of a bird who is flying not head first into a window, but almost holding herself back even as she flies forward (Laux 212). This makes the bird seem stubborn, and follows with the theme of the independent female.
From the early 1740s to 1829, an African-American woman lived and unexpectedly became an important woman in history. Even though most people never heard of her, what she did change how people look at other African-Americans. She was born in the early 1740s to African parents, and she grew up as a slave with her sister Lizzie in Claverack, New York, which is about twenty miles south of Albany. Their owner was Pieter Hogeboom, who was the head of a wealthy Dutch-American family. In 1735, Hogeboom’s daughter Hannah married John Ashley, who was the son of one of the original proprietors permitted by the General Court of Massachusetts to organize settlements along the Housatonic River. When Hogeboom died in 1758, Lizzie and her were taken to the house of Hannah and her husband, she was about fourteen at the time. Her slave name was Bett, she was called Mum Bett in her adulthood, and eventually became Elizabeth Freeman.
Kiki Smith is a feminist artist who is known for using the human body and its substances in ways that no other artist has before. “This work displays often grotesque and uncomfortable themes that would usually only be seen in private, however socially suppressed ideas towards things such as defecation and human fragility are often purposely overlooked today.” (Feminist Blog). Some of the issues she displays through art are abortion, AIDS, gender, race and women. Smith is known for using animals, fairytale icons, and other elements of nature in her artwork.
Annie [played by Aileen Quinn] is a story written by Martin Charnin about a little girl who was left for the doorstep of an orphanage when she was extremely little and goes on to live a miserable life of working at the orphanage. Until one day a person named Grace Farrel [played by Ann Reinking] came along and invited one orphan to stay with her and Oliver Warbucks [played by Albert Finney]. During Annie’s stay Mr. Warbucks realizes how much he likes Annie and wants her to stay. In a way to tell her he gives her a new locket. Without knowing, Annie doesn't accept the locket in result of her own was given to her by her parents before she had been given up. With this knowledge a search is sent out with a reward of $50,000. With
Thomas Carlyle, a preeminent figure of the Victorian era, said, “The real desire to get work done will itself lead one to more and more to truth” (Carlyle). Many teenagers all over the world rely on jobs to earn money to do fun activities with their friends. There are also many adults who have jobs to get by in life. Along with this, there are people who have a career. The difference between the two is that people who have a job work just to earn money, but do not enjoy it. People who have have a career enjoy their jobs and are very passionate.
Birds are truly amazing creatures and all of their characteristics allow them to be used as symbols to express a variety of things. They can be used as symbols of love, of peace, of life, of death, of people, of freedom and restraint. “Jane Eyre” and “Sula” are two examples of how one symbol can have multiple uses. In both books, birds were used to develop the identities of the characters, to foreshadow different events in the stories and help develop the plots and settings of the stories. I believe both Charlotte Bronte and Toni Morrison made great literary choices by choosing to use birds as symbols in their stories. Both stories are beautifully written with their metaphors of birds. I think that it is great that one symbol can be used to express two opposing views – one of freedom and one of restraint
Landscape painting was extremely important during the middle of the nineteenth century. One of the leading practitioners of landscape painters in America was Thomas Cole. He visited many places seeking the “natural” world to which he might utilize his direct observations to convey the untainted nature by man to his audience. His works resolved to find goodness in American land and to help Americans take pride in their unique geological features created by God. Thomas Cole inspired many with his brilliant works by offering satisfaction to those seeking the “truth” (realism) through the works of others.