In Cloudstreet, the mysterious figure of the Blackfella appears at key points, mostly to Quick. In each occurrence he appears to represent a different meaning or purpose, but there is an overall symbolic representation, and that is of spirituality.
Although he appears to be in physical presence, as in where he talks to Quick, the Blackfella has an overwhelming spiritual presence. This is not represented just through aboriginal symbolism – there are also many biblical references when the Blackfella appears.
On page 61 the Blackfella flees from Cloudstreet once he reaches the centre of the house. This portrays a sense of spirituality in the air due to the ancestral deaths that had occurred there.
In an imaginary scene on page 178, Fish sees a lack man flying around and over him. This image represents somewhat an impression of the spiritualistic freedom the Blackfella has.
On page 208, Quick picks up the Blackfella who has take the role of a hitchhiker. He leads Quick back home to Cloudstreet, but Quick refuses to go back. During the drive to Cloudstreet, a biblical reference is made to the Blackfella. From his bag, he pulls out bread and a wine-like drink, much like the bible story, and this supply appears not to deplete. Quick suspects nothing at all.
By page 217, Quick begins to think about who this black man is. Quick had been pulling in hundreds of fish in an almost incomprehensible situation, where he would be catching strings of fish attached to each other. As he is rowing he sees a black figure that appears to be walking on water. As he moves closer he recognises the black figure as the familiar Blackfella. This, again, can be perceived as a biblical reference.
Page 326 has a short appearance of the Blackfella to Fish, who sees him across the street from Cloudstreet. As a truck goes by, the Blackfella disappears “in the dust as it leaves”. This simply gives a supernatural feel to the Blackfella’s presence.
Earlier when Quick had given the Blackfella a lift to Cloudstreet, it had appeared that the Blackfella was attempting to guide Quick home. This subtle message was later presented much stronger on page 362 where the Blackfella tells Quick straight up to “Go home … This is not your home”.
Again on page 368 the Blackfella sends Quick home. When Quick turns to face him again, instead of one, there are hundreds of Blackfellas.
Bigger is a young black man living in the Southside of Chicago with his mother and two younger siblings. His family lives in a one room apartment, leaving little space for privacy. After being awoken by the sudden clang of an alarm clock, the Thomas’s start their day like every other before it. As the family is getting dressed a large rat runs into the room, causing chaos. Bigger trapped the rat in a box, giving it no way to escape. Looking at Bigger “the rat’s belly pulsed with fear. Bigger advanced a step and the rat emitted a long thin song of defiance, its black beady eyes glittering” (Wright 6). The fear that pulses in the belly of the rat is the same fear that runs through Bigger. Bigger is trapped within the physical walls of his run-down apartment and the city lines that the white society has put around the Chicago Black Belt. Bigger and the black community have no choice or way to escape. The confinement of these areas causes Bigger to feel confusion and anger towards those who have put him
This move talks about Sulaiman Northup. He was a black freeman who worked as a carpenter and violinist. He had a wife and two daughters in Saratoga in New York in 1841. One day tow men offered to Sulaiman job as a musician for tow weeks. The was working in circus in Washington for 1$ per day and 3$ every show. He was eating dinner with the two men, but they put anesthetic in his drink. The next day he week up and he has tied with chains. They gave him another name is Platt and he was fugitive from Georgia. He was sold by Theophilus to the owner of a farm named William Ford. Sulaiman was able to have a good relationship with Ford, but Joe Pitts was upset by Sulaiman and he begins to harassed him.
The traveler’s identitybecomes known to the reader by the description of his cane that he carries, “… which bore thelikeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought that it might almost be seen to twist andwriggle itself like a living serpent.” (1034) Many would recall the serpent from the first book inthe Bible, Genesis. The serpent is a symbol of chaos and evil power. The serpent that convincedEve to eat from the forbidden tree; resulting in man’s fall from grace. Here too in our story,similar to Eve, Young Goodman Brown is confused which results in his travelling down thewrong path resulting in a fall from the grace of God.Nevertheless, Goodman Brown, states that he wants to return to the village for his wife,Faith’s sake. Shortly the two travelers come upon an old woman hobbling through the woods.She is a member of the village known to be a pious and respected woman, Goody Cloyse.Shamed to be seen with the man, Goodman Brown hides from her. The man taps Goody Cloyseon the shoulder and is identified by her as the devil and she reveals herself to be a witch, on herway to the devil’s evil forest ceremony. Despite this revelation, Goodman Brown tells the manthat he still intends to turn back, for his wife, Faith’s sake. The man says that Goodman Brownshould rest. Before disappearing, he gives Goodman Brown his staff, telling him that he can useit for transport to the ceremony if he changes his mind.Shortly Goodman Brown hears voices which he recognizes as the church minister andDeacon Gookin, both on their way to the ceremony. This alarms Goodman Brown. He begins toquestion all he knows, wondering if everyone has gone to the devil. He decides to stay true toGod if only for his wife’s sake. But his faith is tested as all of our faiths must be tested; he hearsFaith’s voice coming from the ceremony. He screams her name, and a pink ribbon from her capflutters down from the
The next character is the man who Brown meets up with in the woods. This man is described as, "one who knew the world, and who would not have felt abashed at the governor's dinner table or in King William's court" (Kelly, 191). This man can be seen as the devil. He possesses features that illustrate him as the devil. For example his walking staff is described as having "the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent" (Kelly, 191-192).
Stories have an opportunity to leave the reader with many different impressions. When you look a different characters within the stories the ones that leave the greatest impressions are the ones that tend to scare us. The figures in Bob Dylar’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have you been?”, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”, and Stephen King’s “The Man in the Black Suite” all instill a bit of fear in the reader. They are symbols that represent the devil or devil like attributes in people and the uncertainties of human nature.
As Brown talks with this man, Hawthorne offers clues to who he truly is. Though Young Goodman Brown acts as if he knows the man, he or Hawthorne never says the man's name. Hawthorne then describes a staff the man carries with him. It resembles "a great black snake" or "living serpent." The serpent being a popular image of Satan. Hawthorne later refers to the man as " the fiend" and no longer as "friend." Whether his resemblance to Brown is an illusion or not, he either represents the evil within Brown, or he represents the Devil, the evil within us all.
Goodman Brown heads down a “dreary road...” (311). He is then approached by his fellow traveler, who happens to be the devil. The devil had with him “a staff that bore the likeness of a great black snake" (312). The devil tries to convince Goodman
... that there is evil everywhere. After more conversation with the devil Brown realizes that more people are coming to the meeting. Brown then accepts the staff that the devil offered him to help travel faster. “Brown calls out three times for Faith to come to his aid, and not until he sees a pink ribbon from Faith's cap that has fluttered down from the sky and caught on the branch of a tree does he abandon hope, crying “My Faith is gone.” (Levy) This symbolizes that not only is his wife gone but also his personal faith. He lost his faith when he accepted the devils staff.
In the essay “Everything Now” Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers, author Steve McKevitt blames our unhappiness on having everything we need and want, given to us now. While his writing is compelling, he changes his main point as his conclusion doesn’t match his introduction. He uses “want versus need” (145) as a main point, but doesn’t agree what needs or wants are, and uses a psychological theory that is criticized for being simplistic and incomplete. McKevitt’s use of humor later in the essay doesn’t fit with the subject of the article and comes across almost satirical. Ultimately, this essay is ineffective because the author’s main point is inconsistent and poorly conveyed.
Another sign that upholds the fact that the traveler is the devil is the staff that he carries. It bears "the likeness of a great black snake" and it seems at times to move "like a living serpent" (Hawthorne 384). Ever since the beginning of time, serpents have been an accepted symbol of evil. In the Garden of Eden, Eve was tempted by the devil in the form of a snake; and when she gave into the temptation, she caused all of humanity to fall into the bondage of sin. In the same way, the fellow-traveler tempts Goodman Brown by constantly persuading him onward into the forest, which in turn would crush his Faith.
Hawthorne also uses black and darkness as symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Black is used to represent evil and hiding. Hawthorne calls the prison the "black flower of civilized society," meaning it is evil and a place concealing the truth. Frequently Hawthorne makes references to darkness turning to light, suggesting darkness as a state of hiding where the person will not accept life's experiences and holds back. Pearl's eyes are called a "small black mirror," meaning they are empty and filled with sin as they reflect Hestor's scarlet letter. Hawthorne explains black weeds growing from a sinner's grave as evil coming out and dying hope. The Puritan's describe Satan as the Black Man in the forest.
Bigger Thomas is a twenty year old black man who lives in a cramped, rat- infested apartment with his family. Already from the beginning it can be seen his inadequacy through his home life and other actions. "A huge back rat squealed and leaped at Bigger's trouser- leg and snagged it in his teeth, hanging on" (Wright 5). The black people in the community were forced to live in impoverished neighborhoods, the South Side, with pitiful resources and goods, and limited opportunity for education. Bigger had lived a life defined by fear and anger toward the whites who overpower him. He and his friends commit crimes, but only against other blacks; the group ...
As soon as this fear arises, a mysterious traveler appears. This traveler is associated with being the devil. The devil is prevalently known as a symbol for evil. Especially when considering this evil spirit from a religious standpoint as Young Goodman Brown does. A black staff accompanies this devilish traveler. The black color signifies evil and the staff was described as a great, black snake. The snake continues as a biblical symbol for the evil one, as a serpent in the Garden of Eden that tempted Eve to commit the original sin. The traveler that carries the black, snake-like staff, happens to be Brown’s guide through the woods. Young Goodman Brown is not in safe hands. The goodness that survives in Brown can sense that he is in possible danger. Trying to refuse to go further into the woods, the evil traveler convinces the protagonist to do otherwise.
G. The Devil’s physical resemblance to Goodman Brown because Brown purpose on the night is evil one. Both Goodman Brown and the devil are aware of this factor. This is why Goodman Brown was not surprise when they share the same appearance.
chapter he ends it just as the guards have come to the door of Joe’s