ipl-logo

Brownies By ZZ Packer: Literary Analysis

2386 Words10 Pages

Literary Analysis Essay William Howard The short story that I chose for my literary analysis essay is “Brownies” By ZZ Packer. This fictional short story had a powerful meaning because it focused on how racial stereotyping can cause a lot of problems even among young girls who were attending a Girl Scouts camp. “Brownies” also showed how stereotyping can actually be harmful and can sometimes lead to hurtful consequences for the person who is the victim of it and for the person is guilty of stereotyping someone. I decided to do my analysis of this short story using the historical context element because of the long history of problems between the Black and White races in this country according to our history books, including …show more content…

This fictional short story had a powerful meaning because it focused on how racial stereotyping can cause a lot of problems even among young girls who were attending a Girl Scouts camp. “Brownies” also showed how stereotyping can actually be harmful and can sometimes lead to hurtful consequences for the person who is the victim of it and for the person is guilty of stereotyping someone. I decided to do my analysis of this short story using the historical context element because of the long history of problems between the Black and White races in this country according to our history books, including one terrible incident that just happened one week ago when nine innocent Black people were murdered in a church in Charleston South Carolina by a 21 year old White racist who was guilty of stereotyping and hating Black people. The killer accused Black men of raping White women and that Black people were taking over the whole country. These were stereotypes that he first thought about in his head that then led to his terrible actions. That’s why the truth about stereotyping

Show More
Related

  • Analyzing The Short Story 'Brownies'

    366 Words  | 2 Pages

    2 Questions of “Brownies” 1. In the short story, “Brownies,” I would describe the narrator, whose name is Laurel, as a shy and timid girl, questioning the way people act. Most of the girls in her group do not take a liking to her, for she says, “[They] already decided their course of action, me being the only impediment” (Packer 847). Moreover, the narrator is very smart because she is skeptical, for she is the only one who questions the girls if they, in fact, heard troop 909 call one of the girls a nigger.

    Read More

  • Lillian Bertram's Poem Skittles For Trayvon

    1314 Words  | 6 Pages

    In this paper, the following topics will be discussed; discrimination, fear, and justice. Discrimination in this poem deals with the troubled man judging the singing boy based on his presence. The fear in the singing boy’s eyes as the troubled man strangles every inch of breath in him. The singing boy’s justice was never given to him as the troubled man was acquitted of all his crimes. In the poem “Skittles for Trayvon,” Lillian Bertram uses metaphors to show the outcry of the singing boy’s experience of fear, discrimination and

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Brownies And Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

    1054 Words  | 5 Pages

    In this short story the Brownie troops at the summer camp appear either all black or all white, no mixed troop is present. This displays the constant segregation occurring and the influence it has on young children who are vulnerable to a racially segregated environment causing them to portray themselves a certain way. The black girls have little knowledge of people different than them, “When you lived in the south suburbs of Atlanta, it was easy to forget about whites. Whites were like those baby pigeons: real and existing, but rarely seen or thought about” (pg. 5), because of these girls have little contact with one another and the black girls are extremely conscious of the differences they posses. The feeling of differences comes from the world around them, what they hear and see affect their opinions tremendously.

    Read More

  • Essay On Blackface Minstrelsy

    704 Words  | 3 Pages

    Where do we draw the lines between adoration and mockery, influence and appropriation, and individuality and stereotyping? Accordingly, the racial subject has always been a touchy topic to discuss, but with the lasting effects that the black minstrelsy has left in the society, we most definitely need to deal with the racial subject. Only this way can the American society move forward both as a nation and as a species, and through such efforts, only then can we ensure that such history can never repeat

    Read More

  • Atticus Racism Quotes

    1719 Words  | 7 Pages

    An African American man who only has his word has to go against the words of two white people. His closing statement introduces the stereotypes against African Americans and how that would very obviously affect someone’s judgment on the case. “...the assumption—the evil

    Read More

  • Jim Crow Laws Oppressed African Americans

    1493 Words  | 6 Pages

    How the Jim Crow Laws Oppressed African Americans Racism has been a prominent issue throughout american history. It started when American Colonists traveled to Africa and kidnapped people, bringing them back to America and putting them through extremely harsh conditions. As time progressed slavery had changed its course and the North won the Civil War, and President Abraham Lincoln announced the abolishment of slavery. Although slavery had been (verbed), the tension between slaves and slave owners was greatly present.

    Read More

  • Brownies By Zz Packer Analysis

    620 Words  | 3 Pages

    The plot of the short story, “Brownies”, by ZZ Packer, is of a troop of young girl scouts who are of African American descent. The story depicts them attempting to brawl with another group due to the “brownie” troop assuming another called them a particular insult. Whether the other troop, Troop 909, in called the others a racial slur is left to ambiguity, although it is strongly suggested that they did not in fact refer to them in an invective manner. When the other troop is confronted about it, it is discovered that Troop 909 simply consisted of mentally disabled girls all in one group. Due to this, it is only fitting that the theme of the story was to indicate individuals with disadvantages in life should rejoice and unify rather than combat

    Read More

  • Just Walk On By Brent Staples Analysis

    707 Words  | 3 Pages

    Brent Staples, in his literary essay “Just Walk On By”, uses a variety of rhetorical strategies. The devices he uses throughout his essay effectively engage the audience in a series of his own personal anecdotes and thoughts. He specifically shifts the reader 's perspective towards the unvoiced and the judged. Within the essay, Staples manipulates several rhetorical strategies, such as perspective and metaphor, in order to emphasize the damage stereotypes have caused against the mindsets and perceptions of society as a whole. Staples illustrates how the nature of stereotypes can affect how we perceive others around us in either an excessively admirable light or, in his and many other cases, as barbaric or antagonistic.

    Read More

  • Brent Staples 'Black Men And Public Space'

    110 Words  | 1 Pages

    In his essay entitled Black Men and Public Space (1987), Brent Staples talks about how people will have a common misconception on the black community by thinking that they are all mugger ,rapist or thugs. Staples supports his claim by telling the reader events/ stories that occured to him and talks about how people will assume that he is a danger to society when in reality he isnt. The authors purpose is to inform the reader that his experiences of being stereotyped is to show the reader his point of view when it comes to these types of situations. Staples writes in a formal tone for an intelligent or free minded person.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Just Walk On By

    1164 Words  | 5 Pages

    His sympathetic persona along with his analogies actively connect the reader to his story, while the strong diction and depressing tone make a strong emotional impact. Unlike most essays, the anti discrimination message can be applied to multiple minority groups and other social issues. As a whole, Brent Staples essay succeeds on all levels as it makes an impactful argument describing how society's view on African Americans as being dangerous violent criminals is truly

    Read More

  • Racism In Short Story

    1350 Words  | 6 Pages

    In this society, many judgements are made about people from different backgrounds. This causes many problems between people of other races. Racism can be shown in multiple ways such as by using overt and covert racism. In the two stories “The Stolen Party” by Liliana Hecker and “So What Are You, Anyway?” by Lawrence Hill, there are many examples of racist stereotypes.

    Read More

  • Stereotyping In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    780 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sometimes in life, people will have to deal with other people that are judgmental and listen to stereo types when they know nothing about the person. In the short story “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, there are some examples of stereotyping. This story is about a woman who has a good friend of hers and he is blind. The blind man, whose wife had just recently died and was traveling to go visit his family, was stopping at the women’s house overnight. The blind man and the narrator’s wife knew each other.

    Read More

  • Racism In Countee Cullen's Incident

    1390 Words  | 6 Pages

    Amara Crook Harmon—L202 Major Paper 3 Clever Title Countee Cullen’s “Incident” explores the concept of unprovoked and unwarranted racism through the eyes of an eight-year-old boy. In his short yet powerful poem, Cullen uses a single incident in which a young boy “riding through old Baltimore” (1) is singled out and called the N-word by another very small child, despite having done or said nothing to offend the boy. Although this incident is clearly hurtful, why is this incident in particular so important?

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In The Film Imitation Of Life

    418 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moreover, demonstrate consequences are taken to oppress racial and ethnic minorities to keep them in a subservient position. Overall, this film has provided me with a visual depiction of how stereotypes are a mental tool that enforces racial segregation and self-hate. The label of “White” became a necessity for Sarah Jane to achieve in society. To attain it she needed to move to a new city, change her name and deny her mother.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In The Media Essay

    661 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many controversial topics that we see on a daily basis through the media. Some of the topics that we are exposed to are race, stereotypes, sexism and sex. These things seem to be a key factor in how media makes its presence felt. Whether it is through T.V. shows, how stereotypes and race are still a common trend in present day movies. I believe that stereotyping is everywhere you look movies and T.V. in particular but also music.

    Read More

More about Brownies By ZZ Packer: Literary Analysis

Open Document