...November 29th, 2013 Strangers and how we perceive them. I was appalled by the sight of a young girl, malnourished, dirty, in torn cloths crying and begging for money on Ahmedabad Street in India. Just as I reached for my purse to give her some money, my host, Dr. Dalal pushed me aside, gestured me inside our parked car, locked the doors and exclaimed “I should have warned you! Haven’t you seen the movie “Slumdog Millionaire?” I was left shaking, words cannot describe the horror I felt for not helping out a poor desolate child. How could this helpless child be a victim of an organized crime of self-made beggars? To answer this question would be an essay in itself, however, I describe this, as one of many etched incidences in my life to illustrate that I misrecognized the beggar and was influenced by someone else’s preconceived stereotype image of “other, a stranger described as a beggar” that was different then us. The notion of “other and misrecognition” is described in Toni Morrison’s essay “Strangers” (1998) when she explores this concept by depicting a stranger as an image of a bizarre fisherwomen dressed in men’s clothing; while Brent Staples portrays his own image as a stranger and depicts how he is perceived as a threat to others in his essay “Black Men and Public Space” (1986). Although both Morrison and Staples offer differing accounts of their experiences and feelings, they both share the same vision, the correlation between “how we see strangers” versus “how we are...
Words: 1525 - Pages: 7
...Toni Morrison’s Beloved: A Realistic Saga of Black Female Slavery by Vaseem G Qureshi Margaret Atwood in The New York Times Book Review says about The Beloved by Toni Morrison as thus: In the book, the other world exists and magic works, and the prose is up to it. If you can believe page one – and Ms Morrison’s verbal authority compels belief – you’re hooked on the rest of the book. (Atwood, 1993, 35) Toni Morrison’s fifth novel, Beloved (1987) explores the degradation imposed upon all African slaves of America. The novel is about matrilineal ancestry and the relationships among enslaved, freed, alive and dead mothers and daughters. The text is so grounded in historical reality that it could be used to teach American history classes. The protagonist of the novel, Sethe’s character is based on a factual slave woman Margaret Garner in an exaggerated way. For Random House project, The Black Book (1974), “scrap book” of three hundred years of the folk journey of Black America, Morrison had to gather details for the text. A fugitive from Kentucky, Garner attempted to kill her children rather than having them re-enslaved when they were all captured in Ohio in 1850. She succeeded in killing only one, however, whose throat she slashed. Acknowledging that she had indeed conducted research while writing Beloved, Morrison told Martha Darling: I did research about a lot of things in this book in order to narrow it, to make it narrow and deep, but I did not do much research on Margaret...
Words: 1657 - Pages: 7
...Jimmeria Jones Professor Jenkins English 1102 December 9, 2008 Beloved: Memories, Manifestation, and Malice “A fully dressed woman walked out of the water” …“nobody saw her emerge or came accidentally by” (53). In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Beloved appears out of nowhere like a lost soul stumbling and stammering until she made her way to her predisposed destination the property of I24. The moment that Sethe see’s Beloved her bladder fills to capacity, “She never made the outhouse. Right in front of the door she had to lift her skirts, and the water she voided was endless” (54). This to me symbolized a woman’s water breaking before she gives birth; it is evident to me that Beloved is a manifestation and representation of Sethe’s inner most thoughts, feelings, secrets, and past traumatic experiences and Beloved has returned to shed light on Sethe’s past, present, and future self through painful memories. In a conversation about Beloved Morrison states, “she is a spirit on one hand, literally she is what sethe thinks she is, her child returned to her from the dead” (Darling 247). Sethe feels immediately drawn to Beloved after she states her name; “Sethe was deeply touched by her sweet name; the remembrance of glittering headstone made her feel especially kindly toward her” (56). There are...
Words: 2098 - Pages: 9
...Bildungsroman of Milkman Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, is a brilliant synthesis of a mythic journey, family drama and story of origin. This is the story of Macon Milkman Dead, heir to the richest black family in a Midwestern town, as he makes a voyage of rediscovery, travelling southwards geographically and inwards spiritually. Morrison’s narrative rendering of the black community along with her protagonist problematic relationship with himself, his family, and that community all lend them-selves to the very definition of a classic bildungsroman tale; though it is so much richer and fuller than anything that word could connote. A bildungsroman can be defined as “a class of novel that deals with the coming-of-age or formative years of an individual”. Furthermore, in a bildungsroman, a main protagonist usually undergoes some transformation after seeking truth or philosophical enlightenment. In Morrison’s novel, the plot follows the main protagonist Milkman as he matures within his community while developing relationships with others and discovering his individual identity. The symbolism of flying is very relevant to issues of identity. Milkman struggles to break away from dependence of Macon II is really the main struggle throughout the novel on an individual level. As he tries to break away and reach his full potential, he is able to fly at Guitar. He does not do this alone however, through all of the differing point of views, Morrison and her characters guide Milkman onto the...
Words: 5639 - Pages: 23
...Throughout Song of Solomon, readers are treated to a vast array of experiences, which reflect Toni Morrison’s themes of bearing witness to the disturbed past of black people, exploring divisions within a family that has lived through that past, and chronicling personal quests to reconstruct splintered identity at the personal, family and community levels. To create the conscious experience that brings so much of Morrison’s work to life, she imbues Song of Solomon not only with vibrant, directly encountered realism, but also magical themes and experiences. Magical Realism—in essence—is a way of telling a story with two sides. One based on a so-called rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the supernatural as everyday reality. Song of Solomon features many instances of the image of flight as it plays a major role in the narrative. Flight signifies true life and the living of it, as well as a sense of freedom and release for the main characters in the book. Of all the characters in the novel, one seems the most affected and that persona is Milkman—someone whom embarks on a journey of self-discovery and discovers the true meaning of flight. Milkman experiences flight in many different ways—through song, imagery and literal experiences. The onus is on us, the reader, to distinguish what is “real” and what is pure mysticism. The first instance of Morrison's use of the image of flight is at the very beginning of the book. "At 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday the 18th...
Words: 1599 - Pages: 7
...“Whose house is this?” The first four words of Toni Morrison’s new book greet — or assail — us before the story even begins. They’re from the epigraph, which quotes a song cycle written by the author some 20 years ago and therefore, it seems safe to say, not originally intended for this book, but an indication, perhaps, of how long its themes have been haunting her. And “haunting” is a fitting word for the lyric itself, in which a speaker professes to lack both recognition of and accountability for the strange, shadowy, dissembling domicile in which he finds himself. The atmosphere of alienation makes the song’s final line even more uncanny: “Say, tell me, why does its lock fit my key?” Thus the stage is set for “Home”: on the basis of its publisher’s description a novel, on the basis of its length a novella, and on the basis of its stripped-down, symbol-laden plot something of an allegory. It tells the story of Frank Money, a 24-year-old Korean War veteran, as he embarks on a reluctant journey home. But where — and what — is home? Frank is already back from the fighting when we meet him, a year after being discharged from an integrated Army into a segregated homeland. Since then, he has wandered the streets of Seattle, “not totally homeless, but close.” He has gambled his Army pay and lost it, worked odd jobs and lost them, lived with a girlfriend and lost her, and all the while struggled, none too successfully, against the prospect of losing his mind. The action begins with...
Words: 690 - Pages: 3
...Born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue and richly detailed black characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved. Morrison has won nearly every book prize possible. She has also been awarded honorary degrees. Early Career Born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison was the second oldest of four children. Her father, George Wofford, worked primarily as a welder, but held several jobs at once to support the family. Her mother, Ramah, was a domestic worker. Morrison later credited her parents with instilling in her a love of reading, music, and folklore. Living in an integrated neighborhood, Morrison did not become fully aware of racial divisions until she was in her teens. "When I was in first grade, nobody thought I was inferior. I was the only black in the class and the only child who could read," she later told a reporter from The New York Times. Dedicated to her studies, Morrison took Latin in school, and read many great works of European literature. She graduated from Lorain High School with honors in 1949. At Howard University, Morrison continued to pursue her interest in literature. She majored in English, and chose the classics for her minor. After graduating from Howard in 1953, Morrison continued her education at Cornell University...
Words: 2057 - Pages: 9
...American novelist, Toni Morrison in her acceptance speech “Nobel Lecture,” places a great deal of importance to the power of language, as well as reminding future generations that having such power takes a lot of responsibility. Morrison’s purpose is to urge us to recognize the lasting impact of the past and warns us against the misuse of language. With a passionate tone, she appeals to the feelings and experiences in her audience. Through her brilliant syntax along with her wonderful use of metaphors, her message is one of optimism and the guarantee that one day the power of language will eventually unite us. By opening with an anecdote of the blind, but wise old woman Morrison introduces us to the life of the bird. The bird’s life can be thought of as living or dead---the same can be said for language. There are the writers who can ‘kill’ the language; it comes to the extent where they begin to drain it, weakening the power from it. In this case, it initially seems that the youth mock the blind woman and want to destroy things the elderly cherish (for example, language) because it’s the believed nature of the youth: “For her dead language is not only one no longer spoken or written, it is an unyielding language content to admire its own paralysis.” In other words, the language with the sole reason that what its saying merely sounds beautiful, it is satisfied and living in bliss. This language that admires itself has come to the point where it doesn’t welcome the flourishing...
Words: 616 - Pages: 3
...Stella Harutyunyan Per. 1 Sula and Nel The 1920s was a time of racism, sexism and discrimination. No freedom compared to the one we have today and not many who were brave enough to create it. In Toni Morrison’s novel “Sula”, two girls named Sula and Nel dreamed of living their lives to the fullest since they were little, but as they grew older their lives separated into different paths. Sula decided to get out of town and live her life searching for freedom and Nel ended up living the typical town life marrying a man she barely knew if she loved. Sula demands and seeks freedom while Nel continues her life playing by the rules and misses out on freedom. Sula is really complex and hard to understand at times. We sometimes feel sorry for her, sometimes appreciate her courage, and sometimes hate her for being so insensitive to other people's feelings. She's anything but boring, and she challenges herself to earn her freedom. We first encounter Sula as a child living in a chaotic household run by some pretty strong-willed women. Because her surroundings are so noisy, messy, and busy, she prefers the quiet and neatness of Nel's house. We learn much about Sula through her relationship with Nel. However, as these two women mature, they begin to separate and each start to grow into different perspectives on the community in which they live. Growing up Sula witnesses a lot of events that shape her into becoming an adult. But unlike Nel, Sula decides to leave the Bottom and live...
Words: 1066 - Pages: 5
...In the 1973 novel Sula Morrison delineates a lot of different scenarios in Sula to demonstrate how racism is depicted in not only the book but also in history. Sula is an African American novel written by Toni Morrison an African American english scholar who centralizes this story of two black girls into a “circulation of sorrow”. This literary work does not only focus on one main focus but many main focuses. Each character goes through a estimation or challenge they want to fulfill. Toni Morrison also talks a lot about gender roles and the difference between male and females. Males are displayed as greedy , manipulative and childish or child-like while the women are displayed as strong and powerful. There is no secret that Morrison favored...
Words: 853 - Pages: 4
...on the ice pond, they were constantly trying not to fall. However, when Sethe did fall, all three of the girls burst out into laughter and could not stop for a long period of time, which then caused Sethe to break into tears while laughing. Denver and Beloved had not realized Sethe was crying, yet when they did, the girls knew right away that Sethe was crying for Paul D leaving and not because of her constant laughter. Since Sethe had yet to show any emotions that had to do with his absence, Denver and Beloved comforted Sethe: “Making their way over hard snow, they stumbled and had to hold on tight, but nobody saw them falling” (Morrison 206). As the girls were skating back to 124, they had to hold on to each other because they were not used to skating and could fall, if they were on their own. As the repetition of the girls falling continued, Morrison begins to create irony within the repetition. The townspeople kept a close eye on the girls, even after shunning Sethe and her family, because neither Sethe nor Denver had a mental breakdown due to Beloved’s return, or seem have gone into some sort of depression due to Paul D’s absence, similar to how Baby Suggs gave up on life shortly after the people of Bluestone Road had shunned her. The townspeople believed that Sethe and the girls would breakdown one day because of their constant struggles and hardships, especially since the three of them live in isolation from the rest of the people on Bluestone Road. The irony is then exemplifying...
Words: 1447 - Pages: 6
...Beloved’s statement “I will not lose her again. She is mine,” reflects her demanding nature over Sethe throughout Toni Morisson’s Beloved (254). In the beginning of the novel, Sethe welcomes Beloved into her house and cares for her, yet Beloved always continues request more. These demands seem to take control of Sethe’s mind and attention, and ultimately drive Sethe to crazed and deathly conditions. Nonetheless, there are many interpretations regarding why this occurs. The two main debated parts of these interpretations address who this figure is and what her purpose is in coming to Sethe’s house. One explanation is that she is a real person, perhaps a runaway slave that never had the chance to learn to speak or properly interact. Another idea...
Words: 1767 - Pages: 8
...materialistic ways that he perhaps inherited through the ways of his father. Additionally, Milkman lacks compassion for those perceived as inferior to him and lacks a sense of commitment to his family. Changez, on the other hand, is an intelligent and reserved Pakistani man in his mid-twenties who graduated at the top of his class from Princeton. Unlike many of his wealthy acquaintances at Princeton, Changez had little money and was attending the school on financial aid. To the cost of tuition, he worked three off-campus jobs, studied tirelessly, and cooked his own meals in his dormitory. Family was also a top priority to Changez, so much that he sent his yearly bonus to them after they ran into financial trouble. 2. A prevalent theme in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon is racism. In Chapter One, the author makes the reader aware of racial uplift groups and specifically mentions the presence of segregated hospitals to create the impression that the segregation of blacks and whites living in a single community is not something to be undermined. Further emphasis is placed on white oppression in regards to race when Guitar reminisces that his mother received four ten dollar bills for his father's body. The reasons for Guitar's anger towards whites are reemphasized in his unfair treatment by a white nurse. A similar scenario is called upon in A Tale of Two Cities, when the theme of differing classes is presented. In this novel, the distinction between classes is made crystal clear...
Words: 1883 - Pages: 8
...Toni Morrison displays “New World Woman” through Sula to readers. She is independent, unconventional and wild compared to other black women during that time in the novel. In the novel, after Sula comes back to Bottom to meet her grandmother and her grandmother wants her to get married and be settled, she says: “I don’t want to make somebody else. I want to make myself.” (92) Her declaration displays an image of an independent woman who can take care of herself and live by herself without a man. This “New World Woman” image really destroys the view of people who see black women always dependence on their husbands and need men to support their lives. Also, from the sexual life aspect of Sula, it shows the image of “New World Woman” of Sula. The quote from the novel says “She was pariah, then knew it. Knew that they despised her and believed that they framed their hatred as disgust for the easy way she lay with men”, (122) which indicates that Sula is so unconventional and wild that she does not care about her reputation and this behavior is kind immoral in other people’s view in Bottom since they think women should always obedient to their husbands. In addition, Sula leave Bottom for ten years and went to college during that time, which is not major black women would to do. Furthermore, from 1976 Interview with Toni Morrison1, Toni Morrison also mentions Sula as “a woman alone – not a woman without a man, but a woman alone, without women friends”. In the later life of Sula,...
Words: 659 - Pages: 3
...On the Acts of Love between Mother and Child in Toni Morrison’s Sula By Professor L.B. Johnson English 102.103 5 December 2011 Alicia D. Davis Professor L.B. Johnson English 102.103 5 December 2011 On the Act of Love between Mother and Child in Toni Morrison’s Sula Thesis: Eva is conflicted with the choice of putting her son, Plum, out of his misery or watching him die slowly; sacrificing herself to save her daughter, Hannah, or watching her burn; Eva is conflicted with the love she feels for grand-daughter, Sula and the contempt she also holds for her. I. Eva is left with the choice of putting her son, Plum out of his misery or watching him die slowly. A. Eva decides to remove stool from her son, Plum’s rectum to put him out of his misery. B. Eva decides to kill her son, Plum, to put him out of his misery. II. Eva is conflicted with the choice of sacrificing herself to save her daughter or watching her burn. A. Hannah’s dress caught fire and her daughter Sula watches. B. Eva jumps from a window to try and smother the fire with her own body. III. Eva is conflicted with the love she feels for Sula and the contempt she also holds for ...
Words: 2157 - Pages: 9
