Racism and Sexism in the Bluest Eye Essay -- American Literature Toni

Toni Morrison, the author of The Bluest Eye, centers her novel around two things: beauty and wealth in their relation to race and a brutal rape of a young girl by her father. Morrison explores and exposes these themes in relation to the underlying factors of black society: racism and sexism. Every character has a problem to deal with and it involves racism and/or sexism. Whether the characters are the victim or the aggressor, they can do nothing about their problem or condition, especially when concerning gender and race. Morrison's characters are clearly at the mercy of preconceived notions maintained by society. Because of these preconceived notions, the racism found in The Bluest Eye is not whites against blacks. Morrison writes about the racism of lighter colored blacks against darker colored blacks and rich blacks against poor blacks. Along with racism within the black community, sexism is exemplified both against women and against men. As Morrison investigates the racism and se xism of the community of Lorain, Ohio, she gives the reader more perspective as to why certain characters do or say certain things. Morrison provides the reader with a light-skinned black character whose racist attitudes affect the poorer, darker blacks in the community, especially the main characters, Claudia MacTeer and Pecola Breedlove. Maureen Peal comes from a rich black family and triggers admiration along with envy in every child at school, including Claudia. Although Maureen is light-skinned, she embodies everything that is considered "white," at least by Claudia's standards: "Patent leather shoes with buckles...fluffy sweaters the color of lemon drops tucked into skirts with pleats... brightly colored knee socks with white borders, a brown ... ...m or desert him. It should be understood that Morrison's novel is filled with many characters and many examples of racism and sexism and the foundations for such beliefs in the black community. Every character is the victim or an aggressor of racism of sexism in all its forms. Morrison succeeds in shedding light on the racism and sexism the black community had to endure on top of racism and sexism outside of the community. She shows that racism and sexism affect everyone's preconceived notions regarding race and gender and how powerful and prevalent the notions are. Within the community, racism affects how people's views of beauty and skin can be skewed by other's racist thoughts; sexism shapes everyone in the community's reactions to different forms of rape. Works Cited Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Afterward by Toni Morrison. New York: Penguin, 2004.

J.B Priestly trying to say about society Essay

My task is to explain what J. B Priestly is trying to say about the Capitalist society of 1912. The play is written in 1945 after WWII and set in 1912 before WWII. This is why there is dramatic irony. To do the above task I will have to look at each characters role, what part of the society they represent and whither they learn or don’t learn from their mistakes. In an Inspector Calls the effects of an individuals actions over a passage of time are shown. The audience and, to a certain extent the characters in this play are shown possible projections of their actions which contrast poignantly with their present conditions. Another major theme, which is that of responsibility, both individual and collective, for those actions and their consequences. The plays progression is that of ignorance to knowledge, not only for the audience but also for the characters themselves. Priestly observes the classical unites of time, place and action in his structure: the time span of the play in performance corresponds with the actual time the events presented would take unfold in real time. The style of the play seems at first glance to be that of a straightforward, detective thriller: after the natures of the Birlings Family and their guest Gerald Croft are established, the Inspector arrives with the news of the death by suicide of Eva Smith. As the involvement of each of the members of the family is progressively established, the structure becomes that of a whodunit with the Inspector apparently slowly unravelling the history of Eva Smith. Priestly heightens the audiences suspense by his skilful use of climaxes within the carefully controlled plot and by ensuring the audience is left on tenterhooks at the conclusion of each act. As the involvement of each member of the family becomes clear, and as the inspectors apparent omniscience drives each of them to confession, the play reveals its second stylistic model, that of the morality of the play. The original morality plays, of the late Middle Ages tended to instruct their audiences about the condition of man, caught between the religions need for goodness and the temptations of evil. Priestly in a more modern, secular manner, seems similarly concerned to affect his audience. While it is possible to see each of the Birlings as guilty to various degrees of the seven deadly sins: pride, sloth, gluttony, envy, covetousness, lust and anger, which would have ensured damnation for an earlier, medieval audience of morality of plays. His modern audience, more than familiar with the effects and privations of war, would have been equally receptive to the modern moral, which he intended them to take from the play.

Short Story - 956 Words

Neither Living Nor Deceased It was midnight; I lay awake unable to sleep, thoughts swirling through my mind. Like a crack of a whip I was jolted back into reality by a loud chorus of screams echoing though the silence of the night. I peered out of my window but only saw the moon resting in the jet-black sky. As, I slipped back into my cosy bed I could still hear more screams. I lay as still as a log, scared stiff for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, I heard our front door creak open, my dog barking to warn us of the intruder. Someone was downstairs and was now climbing up the stairs to what sounded like my parents’ bedroom. I was paralysed with fear unable to move. An ear-piercing scream followed by the sound of ripping and crunching†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mum? Dad? Lucy?† I asked, my voice shaking. They growled in response. Soon, all I remember was my family lunging at my small innocent body. I cried out as they tackled me to the floor. I tried with all my might to grab something while lying on the floor about to be ripped to pieces by my family members who were now turned into zombies. I couldn’t reach anything as I was held down by my mum’s and sister’s surprisingly heavy frames. Their teeth snapping just millimetres away from my face. Finally, I managed to grab hold of a lamp placed on a small white table in the hallway. To defend myself, I flung the lamp and it shattered on my mother and sister’s head, the force throwing them off my battered body. I swiftly stood up and realised my mother and Lucy were lying motionless on the floor, blood seeping out of their head. They weren’t breathing. I started crying hysterically, I just killed my own mother and sister! Oh, my loving, beautiful and caring mother and sister gone! Frantically I remembered my dad was still alive and was raging furiously in preparation to kill me. I managed to rush downstairs into what use to be the living room but then realized how bad my situation truly was. The whole room was full of infected individual zombies, hissing and howling, desperate for a bite of human flesh. I stood there, unable to peel my eyes away from their ghastly towering features. I had never seen something so awful, so ugly and soShow MoreRelatedshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. 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