Chapter 16
One of the most obvious cases of racism appears in this chapter with the character of Mrs. Turner, who is so obsessed with the white race she believes interracial marriage only causes more issues, as it produces more blacks, and thus society should work to "lighten up de race". The fact thatMrs. Turner is not fully white, makes her opinions all the more interesting. Later in the chapter, Tea Cake runs in to Mr. Turner, a sad looking man. Mr. Turner comments on his relationship with his wife, saying she "takes time fuh whatever she wants tuh do".
I thought this was interesting not only because of the switch of the usual male dominance and female subservience roles, but also because of its similarity to Janie's previous relationship with Jody. Although we only meet Mr. Turner for a short time, what do you think about Mr. and Mrs. Turner's relationship in comparison to Janie and Jody's? If you think of Their Eyes Were Watching God as a feminist novel, do you think this relationship plays any sort of role in that?
Chapter 17
In Chapter 17, Tea Cake beats Janie when he feels threatened by Mrs. Turner's brothers. This incident complicates our understanding of Tea Cake and Janie's relationship. Although Tea Cake is quick to pamper her afterwards, and Janie is quick to forgive him, the incident still lingers in our minds as we continue reading.
Why do you think Hurston included this scene in Their Eyes Were Watching God? Why do you think Janie is so passive about this incident?
Chapter 18
"They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God."
Chapter 18 shows the climactic scene of the hurricane. The quotation above comes when Tea Cake, Janie, and Motor Boat are huddled together facing the monstrous hurricane. This scene shows that through human connections one is able to transcend the challenges of nature.
What kinds of challenges do you think Janie will be able to endure in the future as a result of surviving this hurricane with Tea Cake? On a somewhat unrelated note, what is your interpretation of the phrase "their eyes were watching God"? How does it relate to the novel as a whole? Why do you think Hurston chose it as her title?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
White Boy -- Ch 5&6
In chapters 5 and 6 of White Boy, Richard explores a variety of subjects previously seen in the novel such as hunger, school, white people, and violence coming from various sources.
In these chapters, one of the main aspects of his learning that begins to deepen is his understanding of the relationship between white and black people.
(129-133) First, there is the newspaper job. Although it initially seems like an innocent and honest way to earn some money, Richard soon learns that the paper he is selling is teeming with racist articles advocating the ways of the infamous Ku Klux Klan. What I found interesting about this particular incident is that Richard is ashamed once he discovers what the newspaper suggests. Why do you think this, rather than mere shock, is his reaction?
(146-148) Next, Richard acquires his first few jobs actually working for white people, and it is there that he truly experiences the hostility between races. At his first job in the world of whites, he is fed stale food by a woman who then insults his ego by declaring, "[y]ou'll never be a writer." Her reaction is unsurprisingly ridden with disgust. His reaction is once again an interesting one. Rather than being appalled or upset, Richard is simply angered by her assault on his ego. Perhaps this reaction, which is directed toward the less important issue at hand, was simply due to the innocence of young Richard. The voice of older Richard then comes in with insight, stating that he was "too naive to think that there were many white people like that." To young Richard, this was simply a small section of the much larger white population. At his second job, Richard once again experiences the hostility of the white race. Differing from his first job, however, is Richard's reaction. It now becomes one of understanding as he begins to "learn the reality--a Negro's reality--of the white world." Something I found interesting about this part was Richard's reaction to the constant cursing and tension between the white people. Why do you think this is so peculiar to Richard? What about this environment captivates his interest in this behavior among the whites to the point where he is "always conscious of it"?
In these chapters, one of the main aspects of his learning that begins to deepen is his understanding of the relationship between white and black people.
(129-133) First, there is the newspaper job. Although it initially seems like an innocent and honest way to earn some money, Richard soon learns that the paper he is selling is teeming with racist articles advocating the ways of the infamous Ku Klux Klan. What I found interesting about this particular incident is that Richard is ashamed once he discovers what the newspaper suggests. Why do you think this, rather than mere shock, is his reaction?
(146-148) Next, Richard acquires his first few jobs actually working for white people, and it is there that he truly experiences the hostility between races. At his first job in the world of whites, he is fed stale food by a woman who then insults his ego by declaring, "[y]ou'll never be a writer." Her reaction is unsurprisingly ridden with disgust. His reaction is once again an interesting one. Rather than being appalled or upset, Richard is simply angered by her assault on his ego. Perhaps this reaction, which is directed toward the less important issue at hand, was simply due to the innocence of young Richard. The voice of older Richard then comes in with insight, stating that he was "too naive to think that there were many white people like that." To young Richard, this was simply a small section of the much larger white population. At his second job, Richard once again experiences the hostility of the white race. Differing from his first job, however, is Richard's reaction. It now becomes one of understanding as he begins to "learn the reality--a Negro's reality--of the white world." Something I found interesting about this part was Richard's reaction to the constant cursing and tension between the white people. Why do you think this is so peculiar to Richard? What about this environment captivates his interest in this behavior among the whites to the point where he is "always conscious of it"?
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