African-American Women Understanding The Problems of...

African-American Women: Gender and Race Introduction African-American women have often been an overlooked group with the larger context of American Society. Historically, oppression has been meted out to the African-American woman in two ways. Historically, everything afforded to African-American, from educational and employment opportunities to health care have been sub-par. As women they have been relegated even further in a patriarchal society that has always, invariably, held men in higher regard. Throughout history black women have been referred to as â€Å"slave†, â€Å"wench†, â€Å"nigger† and â€Å"mammy† amongst other things. Her children have been referred to as â€Å"pickaninny† and â€Å"niglet†. They have been beaten, routinely raped and abused in†¦show more content†¦In terms of mental, emotional and physical health how does the African-American woman compare with other cultural groups? How does she cope? How does she view herself and her circumstances? Where is sh e now in terms of employment and educational opportunities? Historical Overview The first Africans landed on the shores of America in 1619, there were 17 men and three women. When they arrived these Africans were not considered slaves, they were instead identified as indentured servants. This would eventually change and by the time slavery ended in 1865 it is estimated that more than 500.000 Africans had been imported to America as slave labor. Although there were many common factors within the institution of slavery for both men and women there were also circumstances that were unique to women. â€Å"The first slaves to be brought to the British colonies of North America were disproportionately male. Considered more valuable workers because of their strength, enslaved men performed labors that ranged from building houses to plowing fields. When the Dutch brought African and Creole women into New Amsterdam in the late 1620s, they did so not to supplement their workforce, but to provide company for their black male slaves† (Hallan, 20 04). This tells us that from the beginning the African woman was less valuable and her treatment by the slave owners was a direct reflection of this. â€Å"The slave owners exploitation of the blackShow MoreRelatedUnderstanding Gender Identity and Sexuality1083 Words   |  5 Pagesthe terms â€Å"gender† and â€Å"sex† are often used interchangeably, the two words have significantly different definitions. One could argue that sex refers to biological essentialism and the idea that we are who we are because of our genetic material. On the other hand, gender is associated with the social constructionist theory, which argues that the way we are is dependent on our race, class, and sexuality. Because each person is different in their race, class, and sexuality, their gender becomes sociallyRead MoreFilm Analysis : The Film The Help 953 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cinema Help to Overturn Cultural Politics Issues in American Society. Abstract: This assay compares and contrasts mass culture film â€Å"The Help† debuted in 2011, directed by Tate Taylor, set in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960s. The Help represents various characters. However, characters to be analyzed in this film are: Celia Foot, Minny Jackson, and Hilly. In Contrast to The Help, is the feminist text â€Å"The Color Purple† directed by Steven Spielberg, released in 1985, set in 1900’s in the deepRead MoreInjustice And Social Injustices1532 Words   |  7 Pages Factors like a person’ race, or gender can further influence the severity of the injustice; victims caught in the overlap between discriminations often go unrecognized by the law and society. Many people recognize the names Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice as African Americans who were murdered by local police. But names like Michelle Cusseaux, Tanish Anderson, and Meagan Hockaday often receive less feedback even though they are also murdered African Americans. The only distinction betweenRead MoreNegative Depictions Of Black Culture For Being Welfare Queen873 Words   |  4 Pageshow many African –Americans were under arrest. From there, I concluded my so called ‘final analyses’ about the black community. Even though I am black, I always ‘othered’ black American because of their negative culture. I saw myself as culturally different and I got mad when someone mistook me for African-American. I live in the Harlem area, which is predominantly black, and I never had an African-American friend. I never associated myself with one also. 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Mood and Anxiety disorders such as Depression are experienced by black women from all walks of life, especially those from low Socioeconomic backgrounds. Due to a variety of factors black women are more likely to report psychological disturbances a nd experience ChronicRead MoreThe Memos On Women During The Civil Rights Movement Essay1554 Words   |  7 Pagesboth races. Two Memos on Women Women learned from their involvement with the civil rights movement to â€Å"think radically about the personal worth and abilities of people whose role in society had gone unchallenged before.† These thoughts, naturally, became part of how women began to place themselves within the civil rights movement and to truly start to think about what being a woman in a civil rights organization, like SNCC meant. In a way SNCC acted similarly to the radical abolitionists of theRead MoreThe Beliefs Of Misconceptions And Gender, Race, And Sexuality1472 Words   |  6 Pagesalready existent towards multi social groups’ underlying different issues mostly affecting African Americans. These issues highlighted by Collins include, â€Å"a set of ideas and social practices shaped by gender, race, and sexuality that frame Black men and women’s treatment of one another, as well as how African Americans are perceived and treated by others† (p.7). These ideas encapsulate a f alse understanding of the issues surrounding the persecutions the black community undergoes frequent. The notionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Black Women 1645 Words   |  7 PagesBlack women in America are faced with many challenges. Sexual discrimination and outspoken anger were some of the oppressions that African-American women had to contend with. They were marginalized even on the political aspect. Nobody was ready to come to their rescue. They were marginalized and frustrated by claims about a universal sisterhood that was oppressive. They were discriminated along racial, ethnic, class and social lines drawing them as half-humans. They had to go through difficultiesRead MoreEssay on Cultural and Racial Stereotyping1439 Words   |  6 Pages Most people find stereotypes to be obnoxious, especially when they have to do with sensitive subjects like gender or race. â€Å"Stereotyping is a generalization about a group or category of people that can have a powerful influence on how we perceive others and their communication behaviors† (Floyd, 61). Because they underestimate the differences among individuals in a group, stereotyping can lead to inaccurate and offensive perceptions of other people. Although stereotypes are prevalent in almost every

Love in Tess of the DUrbervilles Essay - 1600 Words

Is being in love always a happy experience? With references to the main characters in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, show the range of emotions love can bring. Tess of the D’Urbervilles Is being in love always a happy experience? With references to the main characters in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’, show the range of emotions love can bring. Thomas Hardy was born in June 1840 and was educated until he was 16 near Dorchester. By 1867 Hardy had begun to write his first unpublished novel, ‘The Poor Man and the Lady’. By the time he had married his wife in 1874 he had written four novels and was earning a living as a writer. It total Thomas Hardy has written eleven novels, one of which is ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ set in†¦show more content†¦This makes it very hard for Tess to ignore Alec altogether as she believes she owes something to Alec. Alec knows this and therefore takes advantage of the situation when he seduces Tess when they are alone in some woods together. In another version of the book, it clearly states that Alec first gives Tess a drug that makes her unaware of what is happening. This would make the event rape not seduction. In Hardy’s time this would have been a very daring thing to write about as no other author had dared to write about anything like it before. Now however, people would not be as shocked as there are many more books written with much more graphic description than this novel. Alec’s feelings towards Tess not being reciprocated show that love is not always a happy experience although he does not really love her; it is just lust and obsession. Here the emotions of Tess are that she feels ashamed and dirty. Alec is obsessive and very determined to be with Tess. After this event Tess decides it best to leave and return home to her family. When Tess does arrive home she partially blames her mother for what happened with Alec whilst she was away. She asks her ‘How could I be expected to know? I was only a child when I left this house four months ago. Why didn’t you tell me there was danger?’ Due to the way she feels about Alec, TessShow MoreRelatedTragedy in Tess of the D’Urberville by Thomas Hardy Essay893 Words   |  4 PagesHardy’s novel Tess of the D’Urberville is based on the tragedy of Tess’ life. Throughout the novel Tess goes through numerous amounts of suffering .Traditionally, it was believed that tragedy was due to hamartia. Aristotle described hamartia as a flaw that leads to the fall of the protagonist caused by mistake in a person’s behaviour. However, Tess does not have a flaw but she still suffers despite the fact that she did not do anything wrong. Hardy demonstrates that Tess is a woman in a patriarchalRead More Tess Of The Durbervilles: Coincidences Lead To Consequences Essays1419 Words   |  6 Pagesportrays chance and coincidence as having very significant roles in quot;Tess of the dUrbervillesquot; continuously. Three such coincidences were quite influential and had large effects on Tesss future. The first bein g that Tess Durbeyfields father, discovered that their family came from the oldest, (and at one time) most wealthiest family in England. Another event that occurs by mere chance in Tesss life is when Tess slips a letter of confession underneath both her lovers door and (by accident)Read MoreThomas Hardy s Tess Of The D Urbervilles1317 Words   |  6 PagesIn Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Tess Durbeyfield, who is related to the ancient upper-class d’Urberville family, describes herself as â€Å"only a peasant by position, not by nature† (239). When Mr. Durbeyfield, Tess’ father, discovers that he comes from the line of the d’Urbervilles, many of Tess’ features and characteristics are explained. However, while Tess’ appearance and qualities cause her to appear as an aristocrat, her upbringing justifies her as a peasant. 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Another event that occurs by mere chance in Tesss life is when Tess slips a letter of confession underneath both her lovers door and (by accident)Read MoreTess of the DUberville1525 Words   |  7 PagesLe A3 Book Card Title: Tess of the D’Urbervilles Author: Thomas Hardy Genre (include original copyright date): Tragedy (1891) Setting (remember setting is not just time and place): Victorian Era England, Wessex County, and English peasantry life Characters and Brief Description (include quotes): Tess Durbeyfield: oldest in family, beautiful, naà ¯ve, innocent, immature, runs away from her problems, prioritizes family first, believes anything Angel says. â€Å"Tess Durbeyfield at this timeRead MoreTess of the DUrbervilles by Thomas Hardy Essay1070 Words   |  5 Pagesis what Tess Durbeyfield had to do in Tess of the Durbervilles by Thomas Hardy. Tess’s strength develops as she contends with two cultural issues; the cultural expectation for women to be pure, and the cultural system of a social hierarchy. In Tess of the Durbervilles, there is a double standard for women, for Tess. Women are expected to be pure because without their pureness, they are soiled and unsuitable for marriage. Therefore, when Tess was taken advantage of by Alec D’urberville, she wasRead MoreThe Role Of Judgement In The Society Of Tess Of The DUrbervilles1526 Words   |  7 Pages The society of Tess of the d’Urbervilles based their ruling off of two things. Their judgement and the justice for their judgement. This means if a woman was to cheat on her husband, he is allowed to harm her, but if he were to cheat on her there is no harm or foul. Their reasoning behind this logic is women are seen as property and not as a person. The women in this age weren’t allowed to do much without their husband and if they didn’t have a husband they were often seen as unvalued or asRead More Analysis of Tess of the DUrbervilles by Thomas Hardy Essay3684 Words   |  15 PagesAnalysis of Tess of the DUrbervilles by Thomas Hardy The depth of artistic unity found in Thomas Hardys Tess of the DUrbervilles pervades every chapter of the novel. No one chapter is less important than another because each is essential in order to tell the tragic tale of Tess Durbeyfield. There is never an instance in Hardys prose that suggests frill or excess. Themes of the Industrial Revolution in England, the status of women during Victorian England, Christianity vs. Paganism, mattersRead MoreHow Money And Class Function Tess s Life887 Words   |  4 PagesHow Does Money and Class Function Tess s Life During the 19th century, Britain Victorian Era, the class or social status and money played a significant role in shaping the social systems and functions of the society. The possession of money and being at the top class in the society meant those people were influential and had a wide range of opportunities. On the other hand, it was very challenging for the lower class to transition to a higher class social status. Therefore, there were high chancesRead MoreTess of the DUrbervilles by THomas Hardy Essay718 Words   |  3 PagesTess of the DUrbervilles is a movie based on a novel by Thomas Hardy. The story involves a young girl named Tess who will be the victim, the prey, and sometimes the lover of many men. She will go through this without ever understanding what it is that those men want of her. The first man in her life is her father, whose name is John Durbeyfield. He was a drunken farmer. John discovers from the local parson that he is related to the noble local family of dUrbervilles. After finding out this information

The barbers Trade union Summary free essay sample

Asst. Prof. of English, Lal Bahadur Shastri Mahavidyalaya, Dharmabada, Mulk Raj Anand (1905-2004) was born in a Kshatriya family in Peshawar. After completing his education in India, he went abroad for pursuing higher studies including a doctor of philosophy. He has been conferred upon many prestigious awards like the Padma Bhushan, the International Peace Prize, the Sahitya Academy Award etc. He has been prolific as a novelist, short story writer and critic. Among his novels are Untouchable (1935), Coolie (1936), Two Leaves and a Bud (1937), The Village (1939), Across the Black Waters (1940), The Sword and the Sickle (1942), Lament on the Death of a Master of Arts (1939), The Big Heart (1945), The Private Life of an Indian Prince (1953), The Death of a Hero (1963) and Morning Face (1968). The Barber’s Trade Union and Other Stories (1944) established Anand as a seasoned short story writer. He observed the rudiments of the contemporary orthodox Hindu in toto and tried, through his literary projection, to expose it. Anand, the Emile Zola and the Balzac of Indian Writing in English, is the champion of the underdogs, the suppressed and the deprived in the India society. The thematic corpus of Mulk Raj Anand consists preponderantly of the  concerns of the depressed and the underprivileged classes in the Indian society. Anand is often castigated as being a propagandist, rather than a litterateur. His reviewers, however, fail to take stock of his artistic skills. Anand is known more to be a novelist. His short stories have not comparatively received as much critical attention and acclaim. But, the fact is that his short stories, like his novels , also are of equal literary and social significance. Some of his stories really are literary masterpieces and do invite critical attention and appreciation. One of his remarkable short stories is The Barber’s Trade Union (1944). Unlike others, Mulk Raj Anand’s literary focus is on the very people with whom he frolicked, played right from his childhood, namely, the repressed, the downtrodden, the untouchables in the society. He himself acknowledges in the preface to Two Leaves and a Bud : â€Å"All these heroes as the other men and women who had emerged in my novels and short stories, were dear to me because they were the reflection of real people I had known during my childhood and youth. They were flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood and obsessed me in the way in which certain beings obsess an artist’s soul. And I was doing no more than what a writer does when he sees to interpret the truth from the realities of life†. Anand very vehemently favours art for the sake of life. Mulk Raj Anand’s concentration has always been on the eradication of social stigmas like casteism, untouchability, unequal social gradation and stratification based on birth. He believes that man should be known by his worth and not by birth. He utilizes art with a view to fulfilling this intent. The social blots have been in the Indian society for ages together. Anand has a deep sense of sympathy for the depressed, their plight and  predicament and calls them truly heroic. On one hand he exposes the economic disparity among the Indian people and on the other hits hard against the age-old inhuman, base traditions which rendered these unfortunate sections of the society equal to the savage. This kind of hard stricture is conspicuous both in his novels and short stories as well. Bakha, the protagonist in his debut novel untouchable , Munoo, the protagonist in the novel coolie , like Chandu, the protagonist in the short story under study – The Barber’s SHO D SAMIKSHA AUR MULY ANKA N 21 International Research Journal ISSN-0974-2832 Trade Union , all testify to the atrocities, coercion to which these ill-fated masses are subjected. As mentioned, Chandu , a barber boy, is the protagonist in the short story. He is quite unlike Bakha and Munoo in the sense that both of them are submissive and succumb to circumstances. Chandu is dynamic and by the dint of his candour and ingenuity, he emerges triumphant at the end of the story. He turns out quite capable of penetrating the labyrinth of the hoary inhuman traditions. The story basically depicts the conflict between Chandu and the orthodox, reactionary society, with the former turning out to be victorious and the  latter at the receiving end. The theme of the story is the exploitation of the oppressed at the hands of the so – called caste Hindus with a comic touch. Mulk Raj Anand fully concedes dignity to man irrespective of his status. The short story witnesses restitution of dignity to the protagonist robbed by the reactionary. The setting of the novel is ty pically Indian. The narrator of the story partakes in every single development in the story and has full allegiance to Chandu, his friend, philosopher and guide. Mulk Raj Anand has succeeded in maintaining the humorous vein throughout the story, elevating Chandu. At the very outset of the story, Mulk Raj Anand wittily mentions –†Among the makers of modern India, Chandu, the barber boy of our village, has a place which will be denied him unless I press for the recognition of his contribution to history†. As we move on, Chandu’s multifarious and realistic character is revealed to us. He is good at reciting poetry, but is bad at mathematics. He is not, however, solely responsible for it. He has to ply his hereditary profession at the behest of his father. His schooling comes to a complete standstill on account of his father’s demise. At a tender age, Chandu embarks upon fullfledged domestic responsibility. Every morning Chandu has to make errands to the notables in the village for shaving and hair-cutting. All goes well and the set ordered is not disturbed unless Chandu starts going to the Taluka for transacting business. He observes certain novelties there, particularly the rig out of doctor Kalan Khan- a white turban, a white rubber coat and a leather bag in hand. He is uncontrollably fascinated towards the apparel. He has attraction for the medical profession as he has bequeathed some medical tips and snippets from his father. Chandu’s new attire brings about great clamour and chaos in the village 22 ‘’kks /k leh{ kk VOL. I * ISSUE—16 RNI : RAJBIL/2009/29954 when he approaches the landlord’s house. The landlord, an ideologue of dogmatism and orthodoxy, having seen Chandu in the new robe, mortifies Chandu in the foulest terms. The landlord reprimands calling Chandu –†The son of a pig! Get out ! Get out ! †¦ You will defile my religion†. It is a fact that innocent low –caste people like Chandu are always treated with humiliation for no fault of theirs. Did Chandu commit any blemish or blunder by wearing a dress like doctor Kalan Khan’s ? The conservative society always prefers injustice and oppression. Chandu is impelled to realize that due to his being a low-caste boy, he is not entitled to such felicity and that he is perpetually harnessed to serve the upper caste society. This is his ineradicable destiny and that he is bound to be in it. The village Sahukar, too, goes one step ahead and deals with Chandu in harshest possible terms –†You little swine, you go on disguising yourself as a clown †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Pandit parmanand, the keeper of the village shrine, also bullies saying –†He is a low caste devil! He is a rogue! †. Chandu is thoroughly humiliated and  exasperated at this treatment. There is a distinct discrepancy between Chandu and Mulk Raj Anand’s other protagonists like Bakha and Munoo. They would have wilted, submitted and succumbed to the circumstance as normal creatures of circumstance would have. But Chandu is entirely unlike them. He is one in hundreds and hundr eds in one. He is intent on topsey- turveying everything orthodox. He is representative of the modern man in the modern world. Chandu, insulted and affronted though, instead of giving into the village superiors, adopts a course of action with a view to teaching the idiots a lesson. His course of action is a course of revolt. He desires to change his fate and fate of his fellow – brothers by way of overcoming his predicament. Despite his being a mere barber boy, he has prowess to outwit and outsmart others. With a view to teaching the orthodox idiots a lesson, he ceases to dance attendance to the village notables and others for shaving and hair –cutting. Instead, he frequents the town for earning. Within a few days, the outcome is easily visible, causing a great problem and inconvenience. Chandu is so shrewd and cunning that he has already had his Verka counterpart in his league. The result is that the landlord looks hoary and his wife has even threatened to leave him. The Sahukar looks like a leper with the brown tinge of tobacco on his vkS j ew Y;kda u International Research Journal ISSN-0974-2832 moustache. The elders in the village become a stock subject of laughter. Chandu very conveniently succeeds in his plan of non-cooperation. The villagers approach the barber at Verka with a double money offer, but in vain. The villagers reel under the new situation while Chandu makes hey in the town. He summons all the barbers in the purview of seven miles and convinces them that it was high time  that all the elders came to them and that they must stop dancing attendance to them. And thus, they launch into â€Å"Rajkot District Barber Brothers’ Hairdressing and Shaving Saloon† and thus become the harbinger and herald of the new era of freedom and justice. Chandu’s victory assumes greater significance especially in the backdrop of the orthodo x and inhuman traditions in the Indian society. VOL. I * ISSUE— 16 RNI : RAJBIL/2009/29954 His triumph restores sanity to the situation. It is not a win which belongs only to Chandu. It is victory of justice, parity, morality and rejuvenation of human dignity. In the nineteen thirties, when Mulk Raj Anand penned the story, social stigmas like casteism, untouchability were rampant. The proletariats and the ‘have – nots’ had no human dignity, being rendered to a barbaric and sub-human status. Mulk Raj Anand, as a seasoned story teller, gives the nation a call in time to wake up to the situation and abjure the evil, inhuman customs and traditions preserved for centuries. Mulk Raj Anand, through the story, assumes a need for social justice, particularly for the weaker sections in the society. The story is elevated to an altogether different level with humour being intertwined.