Ann Petry’s The Street is more than a story of racism and poverty in America. This novel is about how the intersectionality of identities limit African-Americans from achieving equality in the dominant race’s society. The protagonist, Lutie Johnson has three barriers dragging her down. She is not only a woman, but a black woman that is also a lower class single mother. In the novel Lutie faces the realities of the American Dream, which for African- Americans is literally just a dream. Lutie also experiences the harsh effects of poverty and how it shapes one’s life. The limitations forced upon Lutie makes her realize the truth behind the American Dream. When Lutie comes to Harlem she has this idea of the American Dream. She has this notion
Lutie took the civil service exam and was still only able to get a lower level government job. Colored people have been “shining shoes and washing clothes and scrubbing floors for years and years…the hard work. The dirty work. The work that pays the least.” (70). This is the kind of work Lutie is trying to get Bud to avoid. Lutie is use to it though, because she has no other option, but she wants more for her son. When Lutie applies for different jobs there is always an alter motif involved. For example when she auditions to become a singer for Mr. Crosse he says she has to go through six weeks of training that will cost her $125, which is money Lutie doesn’t have. Boots presents Lutie with the opportunity to sing, but like every other opportunity it falls through. When Bud asked why white people want colored people shining shoes Lutie couldn’t come up with an explanation. She figured that it must be “hate that made them wrap up all Negroes in a neat package labeled ‘colored’; a package that called for certain kinds of jobs and a special kind of treatment”(71) that limits their overall experiences as
After getting the apartment on 116th Street Lutie didn’t know what her next step would be. She didn’t know how long she would stay there. They had just enough money to pay rent, buy food and clothes. Being locked into poverty enables Lutie from seeing a future. “She couldn’t see anything but 116th Street and a job that paid barely enough for food and rent and a handful of clothes. “(147). This world she was living contrasts with places that were “filled with sunlight and good food and where children were safe was fenced off to African-Americans so people like Lutie could only look at it with no expectation of ever being able to have it.”(147). Lutie came to the realization as to why white people hate black people so much. It is because they are entitled to white privilege at birth. Take McIntosh’s “White Privilege-Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” into account. McIntosh describes white privilege as invisible things that we are taught not to see. For example Mrs. Chandler, who employs Lutie as her maid. Mrs. Chandler has an advantage over Lutie, which puts Lutie at a disadvantage. People of the dominant society like The Chandlers have a “pattern running through the matrix of white privilege” (McIntosh), a pattern of assumptions that were passed on to them as a white person. “[The Chandlers] are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and also ideal.”(McIntosh). In proportion as The
Although there were numerous efforts to attain full equality between blacks and whites during the Civil Rights Movement, many of them were in vain because of racial distinctions, white oppression, and prejudice. Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi recounts her experiences as a child growing up in Centreville, Mississippi. She describes how growing up in Mississippi in a poor black family changed her views of race and equality, and the events that took place that changed her life forever. She begins her story at the tender age of 4, and describes how her home life changed drastically with the divorce of her parents, the loss of her home, and the constant shuffle from shack to shack as her mother tried to keep food on the table with the meager pay she earned from the numerous, mostly domestic, jobs she took. On most days, life was hard for Anne, and as she got older she struggled to understand why they were living in such poverty when the white people her mother worked for had so many nice things, and could eat more than bread and beans for dinner. It was because of this excessive poverty that Anne had to go into the workforce at such an early age, and learn what it meant to have and hold a job in order to provide her family. Anne learned very young that survival was all about working hard, though she didn’t understand the imbalance between the work she was doing and the compensation she received in return.
For instance, relating to the employment, there were two obvious hierarchical differences between the black and the white, and women and men. According to Kimberle (2015), in the late 1970, the employment opportunities for black people and women were still in the straitened circumstance, furthermore, even if there were chances for them, “... the black job were men’s job, and the women’s job were only for whites.” (Kimberle Cranshaw 2015). In other words, there was no opportunity for the black women. In this case, the unjust discriminatory treatment for black women simply resulted from their intersected identities as a “black” and “woman” both were marginalized in the society. In regard to this, however, the important point is that people did not analyze the cause of this situation through considering it from the both racial and sexual sides simultaneously. People ignored the experience of the others, and categorized the black women based on their sex as a “woman”. In other words, people, especially who were in the privileged position, just neglected the subtle “differences” of others, and they stretched the rules to their own advantages. Relating to these “differences”, Audre Lorde (1984: 115) explains that “ But we have no patterns for relating across our human differences as equals. As a result, those differences have been misnamed and misused in the
On Being Young-A Woman-and Colored an essay by Marita Bonner addresses what it means to be black women in a world of white privilege. Bonner reflects about a time when she was younger, how simple her life was, but as she grows older she is forced to work hard to live a life better than those around her. Ultimately, she is a woman living with the roles that women of all colors have been constrained to. Critics, within the last 20 years, believe that Marita Bonners’ essay primarily focuses on the double consciousness ; while others believe that she is focusing on gender , class , “economic hardships, and discrimination” . I argue that Bonner is writing her essay about the historical context of oppression forcing women into intersectional oppression by explaining the naturality of racial discrimination between black and white, how time and money equate to the American Dream, and lastly how gender discrimination silences women, specifically black women.
Stockett explores this early on in the novel, through the narrative perspectives of Miss Skeeter, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson. Miss Skeeter already defies the social expectations of white women in the 1960s; however, it is her devotion at considerable risk to a book featuring the real stories of black women working in white households, that could very well place her and others in danger. ‘All my life I’d been told what to believe about politics, coloureds, being a girl. But with Constantine’s thumb pressed into my hand, I realised I actually had a choice in what I could believe.’ –page 63. As the novel progresses Skeeter becomes more distant from her safe social status as her outlook on the world alters; and the readers realise that she has the most to gain and even more so, the most to loose. Likewise, the narrative perspectives of Aibileen and Minny see their struggle to break free of the status quo and push for equality. Comparably, Perkins uses Joe as an advocate for Indigenous rights, by not standing or singing for the national anthem at his school assembly. His father supports Joe; but his mother is more concerned for the consequences. She argues that her family made the choice to live in a way that is stereotypical to western society, ‘You can’t pick and choose, when it suits you.’ Sending the message that sometimes you need to comply with what expectations may stand in order to keep the
Lucy believes that even though she has gone through so much pain throughout her life, it can always be worse; there are people having more difficulties in their lives. For example, she brings up this ideology when she is watching the horrors of Cambodia loomed on TV. She expresses that “she feels lucky to at least have food, clothes, and a home” in comparison to these people that have nothing. In addition, she mentions how great would it be if people stop complaining about their situations and see how much they have already; “how they have health and strength.” Likewise, James expresses a positive view about the African American outcome after the slavery period. He realizes that the acceptance of the black man in society “not only has created a new black man, but also a new white man.” He’s not a stranger anymore in America; he’s part of a new nation. Because of this achievement, he concludes, “this world is no longer white, and it will never be white
People who work hard enough become successful and build a good life for themselves and their family. Millions of Americans and others who admire America have believed this for generations. However, is this still true? Brandon King debates his interpretation of the American Dream in his published work, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” During his essay, the speaker highlights how important the American Dream is to the economy and providing a distance from inequality. The speaker emphasizes his belief that the American Dream is still alive within America and that people must work hard to achieve it. When discussing the American Dream, King will agree that the idea is alive and thriving in the minds of Americans; yet, I argue that the idea is on hold within American society due to lack of upward social independence and economic mobility.
The American dream can be realized by anyone who puts their mind to it. Some people shoot for what they can afford and some turn for the stars. The House On Mango Street really gives people a good example of how a poor American family can achieve the American Dream. Esperanza and her family proves that anyone with a strong will and a lot of hope can make a worthwhile struggle for what they need to get ever closer to the fulfilling and completing their extension of the American Dream so maybe, it would not be an extension anymore. So they do achieve their own version while Esperanza must now go off and achieve hers.
...is was an excellent book that discussed a lot of information. This book is about how inner city people live and try and survive by living with the code of the streets. Within the book in each chapter it talks about every aspect of the street code with great information on each topic. The information that each chapter discusses are the, Street and decent families, respect, drugs violence, street crime, the decent daddy, the mating game, and the black inner city grandmother. Each one of these chapters has major points and good information within them and I would personally want anyone to read this book because it helps you understand and give you a better view into someone else’s world.
When she first is confronted by the problem or race it hits her with a thump. Bob takes Alice to dinner where she states, “I don’t want feel like being refused” (55). Alice does what she can to avoid the face of racism. She lacks the integration within the different community, which gives her a one-path perspective. While going to the restaurant with Bob, he asks, “Scared because you haven’t got the white folks to cover you” (55)? She doesn’t have the protection of her friends or her parents to shy away from the truth of her being African American. She is hiding behind a mask because she’s passing as white. She’s accepting the assumption that she belongs to their culture. When she goes out, “with white folks the people think you’re white” (60). But, when she goes out with Bob there is nothing to hide behind. She’s confronted with the truth. Already feeling low about the restaurant, and getting pulled over by the cops, she uses her wealth to get out of the situation. She says, “I am a supervisor in the Los Angeles Welfare” (63). The power of her family shows that she be treated better by the cops and others in the
Lareau’s main argument in the text is that when children grow up in certain environments, parents are more likely to use specific methods of child rearing that may be different from other families in different social classes. In the text, Lareau describes how she went into the home of the McAllisters and the Williams, two black families leading completely different lives. Ms. McAllister lives in a low income apartment complex where she takes care of her two children as well as other nieces and nephews. Ms. McAllister never married the father of her two children and she relies on public assistance for income. She considers herself to be a woman highly capable of caring for all the children yet she still struggles to deal with the stress of everyday financial issues. The Williams on the other hand live in a wealthier neighborhood and only have one child. Mr. W...
The term “The American Dream” sounds appealing but it is really not what others make it seem to be. The meaning of the American Dream is the idea that every single US citizen should have the same equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. What is the true definition of hard work? Is hard work the same amount of effort for different type of people? For some people, the journey to success will be smooth, but for others it will be more difficult. It will be difficult for others because of for an example, the color of someone 's skin. Is the Dream harder to achieve from a burden we cannot change like skin color? In the book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
In Lorraine Hansberry's inspirational play A Raisin in the Sun, a working class African American family's life is turned upside down when death comes for their father. In this play, the main characters: Walter, Benetha, Ruth, and Mama(Lena), all dream of having a better life. Despite the living conditions that rule their lives, they each try to pursue the "American Dream." Although the "American Dream," is different for each character, by the end of the play and through many trials and tribulations; the Younger's come to realize who's dream is the most important.
The main character is completely alienated from the world around him. He is a black man living in a white world, a man who was born in the South but is now living in the North, and his only form of companionship is his dying wife, Laura, whom he is desperate to save. He is unable to work since he has no birth certificate—no official identity. Without a job he is unable to make his mark in the world, and if his wife dies, not only would he lose his lover but also any evidence that he ever existed. As the story progresses he loses his own awareness of his identity—“somehow he had forgotten his own name.” The author emphasizes the main character’s mistreatment in life by white society during a vivid recollection of an event in his childhood when he was chased by a train filled with “white people laughing as he ran screaming,” a hallucination which was triggered by his exploration of the “old scars” on his body. This connection between alienation and oppression highlight Ellison’s central idea.
In the novel, Typical American, by Gish Jen, the life of Ralph Chang's journey in America is cleverly unveiled. Jen focuses the story around Ralph's trials and tribulations as an foreigner living in America. At the beginning of Typical American, Ralph's character is shown about what he thinks about America. It is shown that he does not really respect America's beauty. "... famous mountains lumbered by, famous rivers, plains, canyons, the whole American spectacle, without his looking up once" (7). However, he realizes that America can bring new opportunity for himself. He wanted to become successful just like his father. He wanted to prove to his father that he also can become a scholar just like him. He wanted to pursue the "American dream", the idea that America can offer the lifestyle that is desired by many immigrants. When Ralph and his wife visits America, they tried to stay as close as possible to their Chinese roots. They did not want to be the "typical Americans" that they hated. Ironically, they slowly become the typical Americans that they wanted to avoid. In the novel, Jen shows how Ralph and Helen transformed from their Chinese culture to the new typical American lifestyle.
The American Dream in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry is about living the "American Dream". Hansberry wrote her story in 1959. The "American Dream" that she describes and the one that currently exists are vastly different. In 1959, the dream was to work hard and live a comfortable life.