Black Women in Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper compares and contrasts the roles of black women in American society as portrayed by Ann Petry in "The Street" and Paule Marshall in "Brown Girl, Brownstones". The author begins with a general discussion of the status of black women in the 1940s, the time period in which these novels are both set. Then the paper individually analyzes the actions, motivations and experiences of each character. The paper concludes that these women's stories do in fact represent the plight of a culture in the first stirrings of tumult, a spiraling downturn for blacks as a whole and black women in particular.

Outline
Introduction
Silla Boyce as Brown Girl
Lutie Johnson in the Street
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Perhaps the answer lies in that they had little or no choices but that they dared to hope, dared to dream of a better life in a world, in a time that did not want to see them succeed-a time when the world was at war and people of all nations were set against each other in a struggle for power. Hitler, in his pursuit of the ultimate race, was killing Jews by the millions in Europe. Here in America, considered the land of opportunity, and especially in New York City's melting pot of immigrants, the promise of a better life and the resultant struggles for power brought racism of all kinds to a simmer. Issues of black poverty and unjust treatment from whites were coming to the fore, probably because the situation for so many was becoming intolerable. When too many people start living a slipping-down life, grumblings will inevitably be heard. These novels themselves are masterpieces of grumbling, providing not only commentary on the situation brewing at the time but also deep understanding and wisdom of humanity's needs and limits, and finally, hopefully, a warning to us all."

More papers on Black Women in Literature:

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• Research Paper # 56935 : "Diet and Black Women"

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