Their Eyes Were Watching God Nanny

Her over active imagination, anxiety, and aggression get her into trouble. When Nea tries to rescue Sourdi from her husband, it is the last straw and she knows that she has lost her dear older sister for good. “She had made her choice, and she hadn’t chosen me.” (84) Sourdi has matured and moved on while Nea is stuck in the memories of her

Mildred’s lust for objects distracts her from the things that should really matter. (STEWE-2) The day before this incident, Montag also asked Mildred whether she could remember where their relationship had started. Mildred responds with: " 'Funny, how funny, not to remember where or when you met your husband or wife... It doesn 't matter '" (Bradbury 40). Mildred does not think of her relationship as being anything worth remembering; She doesn’t care about it.

"Ah can’t die easy thinkin’ maybe de menfolks white or black is makin’ a spit cup outa you: Have some sympathy fuh me. Put me down easy, Janie, Ah’m a cracked plate." Nanny is beyond exhausted. She grew up during slavery, was raped and had to raise her child, Leafy, without a father. Nanny never got married because she was worried that Leafy would be trampled upon like she was.

Johnson refuses to give the quilts to Wangero, one wonders if it was because she hated her daughter over the rejection of the family heritage, because she had found success, or if her daughter was an unlikeable character from the start. Was there a jealousy that her older daughter had found success and confidence when she would never know any, was she jealous of the confidence her daughter displayed by saying she did not have to live under the old ways anymore, or was she favoring Maggie over Wangero, since Maggie was flawed like herself? No matter whether one sides with Mrs. Johnson and Maggie on the value of the quilts, or with Wangero, the obvious schism is clear. Where one party values them because of the family connection, the other rejects that connection because it was born out of oppression and

Through the path of life there are obstacles that are often hidden by one's facades. In Leaving Gilead by Pat Carr, a novella taken place during the civil war, Geneva Birdsong is the mother to her eight year old Saranell, and wife of Colonel Birdsong. Because of Geneva's unwise decisions, she is unable to be a wife and mother, which leaves the Birdsong's slave, Renny to raise Saranell. Because of her circumstances, Geneva is unable to accept reality. If one allows it, the mistakes made in the past can impact their entire life including relationships and overall happiness.

She uses the foil to explore how Irene and Clare experience womanhood differently and connects it to the expectations of women in the 1920s. She mainly uses motherhood and marriage to exhibit these differences in their lives based on off race. She uses motherhood to show how Clare hates being a mother because of her fear of her husband finding out she’s black through her daughter’s skin tone. Irene appreciates being a mother even though she sacrifices her own desires for it; she understands the huge responsibility that comes with being a mother and embraces it. Marriage is used to portray Clare’s fear of her husband, and it shows Irene’s insecurity in her marriage when she suspects Clare and Brian are having an affair, yet her faith in her husband when she blames herself.

Katie Nolan, Francie's mother, is consistently filled with dread. She works all the time to support the family and her alcoholic husband. She realizes that she has settled by marrying Johnny Nolan and dreams of a day when he is no longer is in the picture. She wishes her husband dead ''He's worthless, worthless. And God forgive me for ever finding it out'' (Smith 205) and her contempt for life has a direct impact on her relationship with her daughter Francie.

Another example is the letter addressed to the Crane family, “Didn’t you ever see an idiot child before? Some people just shouldn’t have children should they”? (4) This shows that she is envious of the family because they provide each other with company and they love each other, “ most infatuated young parents she had ever known”. Whereas Miss Strangeworth lives all alone. In short, these letters have proved that since she is jealous of her victims she tries to disrupt their way of living so she can feel superior.

The idea of blocking everyone out helped Connie build her self-confidence. To emphasize Connie’s narcissism, Oates stated that “Connie’s mother kept picking at her until Connie wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over” (324). Because Connie felt so negatively of her mother and family, she creates an idea of wanting to be on her own. She doesn’t know exactly what it is like to be without anyone to use as a crutch, but Conni feels as if her mother doesn’t want her to be pretty. Connie wanted to shut her family out because she felt as if they didn’t love her as much as her genuine sister June.

In “Everyday Use,” two sister Dee and Maggie have different views on how they should preserve and honor their heritage. The story is told from the point of view of their mother, Ms. Johnson, and it is from her that we learn about the difference in the sister’s characters. Dee, who changes her name to Wangero, is outspoken and is the educated sister. Maggie is shy and appears to be ashamed of the burns on her skin. “[Maggie] thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that ‘no’ is a word the world would never learn to say to her” (Walker 6).