It portrays in poignant terms the tragic conditions of blacks in racist America. It examines how the ideologies, perpetuated by the institutions controlled by the dominant group, influence the making of the self -image of black woman, thereby exposing the devastation caused by white cultural domination in the lives of Africans. The text informs us that eleven-year old Pecola is pubescent, half-child and half-woman. In the defining moment of sexual and psychic awakening, she is raped and impregnated by her father. Ironically he is the only person who regards her as
During this period of time, African Americans were extremely disadvantaged and oppressed. America was segregated and blacks and whites had a different set of rights under what were called ‘Jim Crow’ laws. Not only was there racial oppression, however, but women were also oppressed and viewed as inferior to men. This started a huge movement of the arts which prompted changes in unjust laws and legislation. The 1960s brought about a great movement of the arts as the oppressed people and the activists spoke out against the unfair laws through their various art forms.
From Mrs. Dubose’s words, the readers are also able to see how even Atticus was insulted just because he defended for a black. In addition, these two classes clearly show how the racist views in Maycomb county is intertwined with the division of the social
The concept of racism through studies is believed to have begun with the enslavement of Africans in the sixteenth century (Benedict 1940). Though racism is widely known against Africans, there are other ethnic groups like the Jews, Native Americans or religious groups like Muslims, that suffered due to racist plots against them. It is slavery that caused a rift between ethnic groups that allowed one group to completely take advantage of the other while also damaging the lifestyles and mindsets of those enslaved. These various groups agonized because of discriminatory laws, social reform, and unlawful behavior directed towards them. According to Professor James Walvin, he explained that, “the British don 't become slave traders and slavers because they are racist; they became racist because they use slaves for great profit in the Americas and devise a set of attitudes towards black people that justifies what
The brutal and harmful details that are described in the novel showed to the nation of how detrimental slavery was on an individual African American. The main purpose of his autobiography was, “First, Douglass asserts his humanity in the face of the dehumanizing institution of
Gates, and Mrs. Merriweather. Hypocrisy is a major theme in To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee leaves an underlying message to explain what the times were like. Aunt Alexandra was hypocritical because her statements about Cousin Joshua and the Cunninghams. Miss Gates was also hypocritical because of her statements about Hitler and the black people in Maycomb. Lastly, Mrs. Merriweather is a voice of hypocrisy because of her opinion about blacks in Maycomb and blacks in Africa.
Correspondingly, the novel reminds the causes of the war and the circumstance in the Southern part at that time when the racial discrimination was actively happened. Especially the idea of social injustice is distinctly reflected in the behaviours of biased people living in Maycomb society where black people are considered as an inferior presence. In ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, Harper Lee illustrates the theme of justice through various literary techniques by narrating the events of adult’s world in child’s fair perspective, symbolizing each character to demonstrate the consequences which the society influences a child, and reinforcing the theme of social hierarchy due to racism. Firstly,
Conflict between ethnic groups have always been a societal issue all across the United States. In particular, the poem “Strange Fruit” written by Abel Meeropol is a prime example of the injustice that the African American community faced during the segregation and the Jim Crow law era. As stated in the article, “Strange Fruit” is a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism” (Blair 2012). Meeropol utilizes literary devices to paint a picture of the horrific treatment and the lynching of the African Americans in the south. The poem will be analyzed based upon literary devices that the author uses to relay a message to the rest of society of his concerns of lynching ritual against African American people.
The Jews in Europe, and the Africans in the United States, were treated like substandard citizens, and were violently abused and murdered. Though this subjugation of people is brutal enough, what is more appalling is the apathy exhibited by the common people during these times. For people in The United States and in Europe, Slavery simply suited the economic system. Thousands of slaves sacrificed their lives, so that people could satisfy their newfound taste of sugar, tea, coffee and tobacco. Many in the Southern United States, took pride in owning slaves, and had a superiority complex, Believing Africans to be 3/5th man.
In the African American community, in the rap culture, misogyny has been racialized, making the ideology a black issue. This ideology has ‘had a profound effect on the inner psyche of African Americans as the ideology feeds off of not only hatred of women but also hatred towards Blackness, which serves as a two-edged sword.’ (Adams & Fuller, 2006). ‘The sexist, misogynist, patriarchal ways of thinking and behaving that are glorifies in gangsta rap are a reflection of the prevailing values in our society, values created and sustained by white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.’ (Adams & Fuller, 2006). In