"1955"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the capitalistic identity of Alice Walker's main characters within her short story: "1955." It looks at how the lack of individual identity for Grace Mae and Traynor is based on the capitalistic perception of music as a commodity in Walker's ending narrative and not as a spiritually uplifting form of art. The paper also contends that Traynor's material success over Gracie Mae's success reveals the American capitalistic system marginalizing African-Americans beneath the white hegemony of popular music culture. In essence, the paper shows that Alice Walker's dismal ending for Gracie Mae implies a capitalistic identity within a racial construct.

From the Paper:

"The short story "1955" is a direct reflection of the white American capitalistic system that uses racism to project white superiority over African Americans. Walker uses a capitalistic identity through the conflicting issues of musicality that arise with Grace Mae and Traynor, especially in the resentful narrative Grace implies at the end of the story. At the beginning of the story, Grace Mae is an aspiring African American blues singer that has developed a unique style of singing that has a very lucrative potential. When a young white singer, Traynor, discovers Mae, they begin a relationship that evolves along a capitalistic agenda."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Walker, Alice. "1955." 2006. Washington State University. 5 November, 2006. <http://www.wsu.edu/~hughesc/1955.htm>

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