The story "Mrs. Plum is presented by Karabo who is the first person of the story, she is a young black South African woman who works for Mrs. Plum as a housemaid and a cook. This story takes place during 1960 's, where the South Africa is still under the strict of segregation and discrimination on grounds of race between the blacks and whites. In this short story, there are many characters that bring this story together, before I begin to introduce a brief summary of "Mrs. Plum" I would like to introduce each character individually for a better understanding. As I mention earlier Karabo is the female narrator of the story, who is from the black down of Phokeng which is near Rustenburg. Karabo is like every other black South African who …show more content…
Karabo has been an employee for Mrs. Plum for only a short amount of time. Unlike the many families that Karabo worked for before entering Mrs. Plum 's home, Mrs. Plum seem personally interested in Karabo and encourages her to read books, learn how to sew and cook from recipes, as well as eating meals at the table with the family. This cause Karabo to be very confused and wondering why Mrs. Plum want to upset things when she is aware that the boundaries between blacks and whites, between employers and servants, are clear and impermeable. When Karabo decided to read the newspaper and attend to lectures at the Black Crow Club she came to realize that Mrs. Plum writes books and pamphlets to hope for better treatment for the blacks, which lead Karabo to think what is the reason that causes a white woman to speak up for …show more content…
Plum is also an owner of two dogs, whom she adore very much. The dogs eat special food, and they also have pink beds linen that is in Mrs. Plum 's room. She hired Dicks who is the gardener to also be in charge with feeding and brushing the dogs on a daily, knowing how good of an employee Dick is she constantly worry that Dick is not doing his job properly. After many years of working for Mrs. Plum Karabo notice, many important things happen. When Kate Plum started college she was going through a period of rebellion by playing loud music and staying out late with her friends. Within the freedom that Kate has while being away from home she fell in love with a black doctor who she invited to her mother 's house for the dinner party and announces that she will marry him. Mrs. Plum was not happy with the news and told Kate that she will not allow her daughter to marry a black man. As the dispute continues between Mrs. Plum and her daughter, Karabo came to find out that her close friend Chimane is pregnant and decided to have an abortion because she wants to continue working and keeping food in her parent 's mouth rather than carrying a child with no money in her pocket. After helping with Chimane with the abortion Karabo continues to make sure she is doing her job properly. When one day Karabo hear strange noises coming from Mrs. Plum 's bedroom, and when she decided to look through the keyhole to see what is happening she discovers Mrs. Plum on the bed masturbating
The first character we encounter is Mrs. Freeman. She is the wife of Mrs. Hopewell's tenant farmer. She is a very outspoken woman, and "she [can] never be brought to admit herself wrong on any point" (O'Connor 180). Mrs. Freeman is a gossip; she is nosy and she "ha[s] a special fondness for the details of secret infections, hidden deformities, assaults upon children" (O'Connor 183).
Mrs. Turner is a mixed woman who dislikes and is racist towards darker black people. Mrs. Turner wants Janie to leave Tea Cake and go with her light-skinned brother. Janie isn’t interested, and Tea Cake despises Mrs. Turner. She views white people as some type of god whereas the black people are merely worshipers. Janie is also lighter skinned, so Mrs. Turner enjoys Janie’s company. Janie’s uninterested self feels that Mrs. Turner is racist but harmless. Tea Cake goes out of his way to get rid of Mrs. Turner with the fight in her restaurant.
Because of the laws against colored people, Rosaleen, as a black woman, lives with constraints in her life. For example, she cannot live in a house with white people (Kidd, p.8), she cannot represent Lily at the charm school (Kidd, p.19), or even travel in a car with white people (Kidd, p.76). The media is also influenced by racism, and constantly shows news about segregation such as the case of Martin Luther King, who is arrested because he wants to eat in a restaurant (Kidd, p.35), the “man in Mississippi was killed for registering to vote” (Kidd, p.44), and the motel in Jackson, that closes, because the owners don’t want to rent rooms to black people (Kidd, p.99).... ... middle of paper ...
The story begins with Delia, a working Black woman in Florida, who is a wash woman. It is a warm spring day and she is sorting and soaking the clothing she washes for the white residents of her town. Her husband walks into the house and is immediately looking for a confrontation. It is throughout this confrontation that the exploitative and abusive nature of Delia and Syke’s relationship becomes clear.
Mary Cassatt, an American printmaker, and painter was born in 1844 in Pennsylvania. Cassatt’s family perceived traveling as an essential part of the learning process thus she had the advantage of visiting various capitals such as Paris, London, and Berlin. Cassatt studied to become a professional artist and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She later went to study in France under Thomas, Couture, Jean-Leon Gerome, and others. She spent a significant part of her adult life in France. When in France, she initially befriended Edgar Degas, a famous French artist, and later her works were exhibited among other impressionists. Afterward, Cassatt admired artists that had the ability to independently unveil their artwork and did not
Elisa Allen is working on her garden and she sees her husband, Henry, speaking with two men about selling his steers. The garden bed and the house are called to attention and it is pointed out that they are very clean and organized. Once the strangers leave, Henry comes over to her and politely praises her on how lovely the garden looks and then wishes that she would attend to the orchards in the same way. She at first is egger to help but realizes that he was joking. Henry says they should celebrate by going to town and jokingly suggests seeing a fight, to which Elisa turns down. Henry leaves and a wagon pulls up with a charming, yet uneducated, tinker. They joke about the ferocity of the dogs. He asks for work to pay to feed his self and Elisa denies that there is work for him to do. He notices the chrysanthemums and tells her that he has a client that wants to raise some. She suddenly is excited and begins to ready some plants for him to take with him, and she instructs him on how to take care of them. She expresses her passion and her connection to the flowers in a seductive manner, even to the point of wanting to have physical contact with the tinker. She refrains from touching. The tinker points out that it’s hard to feel that way when hungry. Elisa gives in and finds something for him to work on. As the tinker works, Elisa expresses her opinion that women can do that same kind of work he does, to which he says it would be to lo...
The narrator of the story is a young, black girl name Sylvia and the story is also told from her perspective. The setting is not clear. Perhaps it started in Harlem and then to downtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue and the time of the story took place is also unclear. Bambara uses a great deal of characterization to describe the characters in the story. For example, Bambara describes Miss Moore as “black as hell” (Bambara 330), “cept her feet, which were fish-white and spooky” (Bambara 330), and “looked like she was going to church” (Bambara 330). She later tells us that she’s been to college and her state of mind is she believes it’s her responsibility for the children’s education. The plot started when Miss Moore rounded up all of the children by the mailbox. Then she gets the kids in a cab and took them to Fifth Avenue to a big toy store where the rich people would shop. The story then continues with the children and Miss Moore in the toy store and the kids looking around and noticing they can’t afford anything. Which will soon end the plot with a lesson that society is not fair, “that this is not much of a democracy if you ask me. Equal chance to purse happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don’t it?”(Bambara 330). Hence, the lesson Miss Moore is trying to teach these
She not only lost a newfound love, but she was also being torn away from her father, mother, and sister. However, her troubles had only just begun. Kieu and Scholar Ma left for his home—a brothel he owns and operates alongside a woman named Dame Tu. Kieu was shocked to find out how little she knew about the man she married. After learning of Kieu’s misfortune and the reason she is there, Dame Tu allowed Kieu to live in the brothel, but not be obligated to host guests (Thong 66). After many meaningless, dreary days, a man visited the brothel that appeared to be taken with Kieu (Thong 68). He offered to come under cover of night and rescue her. He came to her as promised, put her on her own horse, and they rode away. Soon into the ride, he abandoned her, and she was left lost and alone. A band of men on horses surrounded her and dragged her back to the brothel (Thong 70). It was then Kieu realized she was set up by Dame Tu, and the man never had any pure interest in her at all. Dame Tu brutally beat Kieu upon her return (Thong 70). Kieu’s heart was broken once again over her twisted fate. After her attempt to run away, Kieu was no longer allowed the privilege of not welcoming guests. Dame Tu taught her the ways to charm and ensnare men,
In this paper I will discuss the print called Plum Garden at Kameido. This print was created by Ando Hiroshige in 1857. It is a woodblock print. In the front of the print is a close up of a tree. It is an image of a plum tree in a plum garden. The tree has pretty white blooms on it. For this reason it is logical to assume that it must be springtime. Working back, I see two more plum trees. None of the trees have much detail of the bark texture. I can see that if these trees are true to life, Plum trees are not very shapely trees. Behind the second row of trees is what appears to be an iron fence with people standing at various points along the fence. The fence line angles back to show a third row of trees in the distance. Green grass can be seen in much of the fenced in area highlighting the fact that it is a garden.
“It is possible that there is anyone in this who is so spineless? Why are you such a ninny?” Page 2. This quote from “The Ninny” displays how the governor can treat his governess disrespectfully because he has the power of controlling how much money the governess will receive. In “Mrs. Bertha Flowers” the black people are treated differently from the white people; except for Mrs. Bertha Flowers who has power for being striking in appearance and having a kind personality. “Another Negro woman of her health and age would have been expected to carry the paper sacks home in one hand, but…” Page 1. This indicates that the usual black women who be expected to care for herself whereas Mrs. Bertha Flowers has enough power and privilege to be treated slightly
Grace King's The Little Convent Girl is an excellent example of post-Civil War realism incorporating a trick-ending. In this local color short story, King methodically lures the reader into a false belief that her story is about an insignificant and nameless young girl who, after twelve years seclusion in a convent, is exposed to the fervor and excitement of a steamboat trip down the Mississippi River. The success of Ms. King's trick-ending is achieved through three basic elements; 1) de-emphasizing the importance of the main character, 2) tidbits of information followed by wordy misdirection, and 3) a false climax.
In Daisy Miller, Henry James slowly reveals the nature of Daisy"s character through her interactions with other characters, especially Winterbourne, the main character." The author uses third person narration; however, Winterbourne"s thoughts and point of view dominate." Thus, the audience knows no more about Daisy than Winterbourne." This technique helps maintain the ambiguity of Daisy"s character and draws the audience into the story.
Does anyone ever stop to think about all the stereotypes there are in society today? In society there is a stereotypical woman and a stereotypical man, which, if asked from any perspective, can be proven. From a young age boys have been taught that to be a man you need to be brave, strong, and unemotional. As for women they have been taught as little girls that to be a woman you need to be sensitive, nurturing, and graceful. Though through time many have been able to break free of these stereotypes and others have accepted them for it.
Kino, Juana and their infant son Coyotito live in a modest brush house by the sea. One morning, calamity visits their home when Coyotito is bitten by a scorpion. With hopes of protecting their son, Kino and Juana rush him to the doctor's clinic in town. However, when they arrive at the gate, they are turned away because they are poor natives and not paying customers. Later that same morning, Kino and Juana take their family canoe out to the estuary to go diving for pearls. Juana makes a poultice for Coyotito's wound while Kino canvases the sea bottom. Juana's prayers for a large pearl are answered when Kino surfaces with the largest pearl either of them has ever seen. Kino lets out a triumphant yell at his good fortune, prompting the surrounding boats to circle in and examine the treasure. In the afternoon, the whole neighborhood gathers at Kino's brush house to celebrate his find. Kino names a list of things that he will secure for his family with his newfound wealth, including a church wedding and an education for his son. The neighbors marvel at Kino's boldness, wondering if he is wise or foolish to hold such ambitions. Toward evening, the local priest visits Kino, to bless him on his new fortune, and to remind him of his place within the church. Shortly after, the doctor arrives, explaining that he was out in the morning but has come now to cure Coyotito. He administers a powdered capsule and promises to return in an hour. In this period, Coyotito grows violently ill and Kino decides to bury the pearl under the floor in a corner of the brush house. After the doctor returns, he feeds Coyotito a potion to quiet the baby's spasms. When the doctor inquires about payment, Kino explains the story of the pearl to him. This intrigue...
Kino and Juana set out for the center of town, with their neighbors trailing behind them. Near the center of town, more people follow, curious to see the outcome of a poor man’s plea to a rich doctor. Arriving at the doctor’s house, Kino knocks at the gate. He fears the doctor, a powerful man not of his own people. The gate opens to reveal one of Kino’s own people, employed in the doctor’s service. Kino explains the details of Coyotito’s injury in his native tongue; the man ignores Kino’s use of the native language and responds in Spanish. He tells Kino to wait while he goes to speak with the doctor. The doctor sits up in bed, surrounded by luxuries. When the servant interrupts the doctor’s reverie to announce Kino’s visit, the doctor bitterly demands to know if Kino has money to pay for the treatment. Kino gives the servant eight small pearls, but soon the servant returns to Kino with them, explaining that the doctor has been called out to attend to a serious case. Standing in shock in front of the closed gate, Kino strikes out in anger, smashing his fist into the barrier and bloodying his knuckles.