Racism and Prejudice in "The Street"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Ann Petry's novel, "The Street", a story about the tribulations suffered by a black, young woman during her life in and out of Harlem, in the early nineteen forties. The paper relates that Petry's novel demonstrates how the environment can take control of somebody's life. Even the title of the novel emphasizes the environment in which the main character has to live, hinting that a black woman living in Harlem in the forties was condemned to a life filled with frustrations, abuse and failure. The paper concludes that Petry's novel is an evocative story of the period known as the Harlem Renaissance in America. Despite the fact that it marked the beginning of real freedom for the African- Americans, this period was nevertheless punctuated by racial and gender discrimination.

From the Paper:

"The story of Lutie's life in Harlem is very telling for the condition of the black woman towards the middle of the twentieth century. Although allegedly free, the black women were constrained to suffer from the discrimination of the white people who considered them to be less than human: "Burly Negro...Threat, or an animal, or a curse, or a blight, or a joke." All through the book, the black people are compared to animals, pointing thus to the powerful racial prejudice against them. Also, they were allowed to work but no one of Lutie's condition could get more than a menial job and therefore live in direst conditions. Aware of all the odds that were against her, Lutie tries to fight her own condition and live a better life. When she surprises Bub with a shoe-shining box, trying to earn a little extra money, she punishes him and tries to explain that he shouldn't follow the white men's opinion and try to do such a debasing job. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Petry, Ann. "The Street". New York: Mariner Books, 1998.

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