African American Literature and Culture
1. I feel that I am led by the same impulse which forces the un-found-out criminal to take somebody into his confidence, although he knows that the act is likely, even almost certain, to lead to his undoing. I know that I am playing with fire The passage is found in James Weldons The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. p.g 5. It describes the state of mind of the character regarding a certain crime that he committed. It shows the doubt and confusion in his mind.
2. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. The passage is found in DuBois The Souls of Black Folk p.g 12. The statement shows the contempt in a young mans soul it portrays the hate he feels for being perceived as different by the society around him.
3. Nother thing. Ah hates tuh see folks lak me and you mixed up wid em. Us oughta class off. The statement has been derived from the book Their Eyes were Watching God by Hurston and Pinkney p.g. 169. It depicts the hate of a colored woman towards the black race. The woman dislikes the color saying that she has class unlike the black folk.
4. I am an ordinarily successful white man who has made a little money. They are men who are making history and a race. I, too, might have taken part in a work so glorious. The passage is from The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man p.g 93 by James Weldon. The statement depicts a choice made by the character the choice made is some what less compared to what he might have chosen that other men chose. Though it is a good choice, the character wishes he had more.
5. The songs are indeed the siftings of centuries the music is far more ancient than the words, and in it we can trace here and there signs of development. The statement is found on page 164 of DuBois The Souls of Black Folk. The passage shows the importance of music to the black folk the songs they sung showed their despair, sorrow and pain experienced over time. In their music one could see their souls, it was moving.
6. So this was a marriage She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then she felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid. Extracted from Hurston Pinkneys Their Eyes were Watching God p.g. 15. The statement depicts a young womans understanding of life and the mysteries of life all around her. It shows the revelation of something of importance to this character.
7. And neither world thought the other worlds thought, save with a vague unrest. Extracted form DuBois The Soul of Black Folk, p.g. 151. The statement shows deep seated differences between two worlds, a black world and a white world. Both societies exist together but share different opinions about each other. It is this thought and opinions that the two worlds dont want to think about lest it affects their own thoughts and dreams of the future.
8. I believe it to be a fact that the colored people of this country know and understand the white people better than the white people know and understand them. The passage has been borrowed form James Weldons The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man p.g. 12. The statement shows us the mind of a colored man as he made his way through life he is considered neither black or white and therefore his thoughts are his own. The white man in particular found these coloreds hard to comprehend they often kept to themselves never divulging their thought for fear of being sidelined by either race.
9. The day of the gun, and the bloody body, and the courthouse came and commenced to sing a sobbing sigh out of every corner in the room out of each and every chair and thing. Commenced to sing, commenced to sob and sigh, singing and sobbing. The passage can be found on page 231 of Hurston and Pinkneys Their Eyes were Watching God. The passage depicts the thought of a young womans love. Either the husband or lover is gone. The process was painful and sad but she is determined to keep him alive in her thoughts he will always be around that way.
10. Would America have been America without her Negro people The passage is from DuBois The Soul of Black Folk p.g. 170. A question that questions the existence of the great America if the BlackNegro failed to reach the America when they did, the negroblack people have definitely contributed a lot to the development of the nations as seen in the passage. But still the Negro is being persecuted and treated with disdain they are unappreciated.
Section II
I
Janie is the daughter of a slave who abandoned her as a child she was consequently brought up with her grandmother Nanny. Nanny had great hopes for Janie and therefore when she came of age, Nanny arranged for her to be married to Logan Killicks a farmer looking for a wife as a helper in the farm. Janie on the other hand has a different idea of marriage this is depicted and shown when she describes her experience under the pear tree one summer, she saw the bees pollinating the pear tree and the experience to her was revealing. To her the tree shivered it supposed with the pleasure of love this natural process to her was how marriage should be a union between two people who are in love.
Consequently she eloped with Joe Starks to Eatonville a sleepy town with no ambition whatsoever. Starks consequently bought some land and using the locals build a store through which he ran a small business. This made him very popular his store front was the venue of many social contribution, many of which Janie was forbidden from participating. This did make Janie very happy Joe Starks wanted to use her image as the perfect wife to gain favor from the people who had elected him as mayor of the sleepy town. Joe Starks kept Janie as a trophy wife instead of a wife to love and cherish, from the book Starks must have been a very strict man. Janie consequently found herself in a situation that she could do little about and she hated it. Her experiences in life and her perceptions were completely contradicted she did not love Joe Starks but she believed in the sanctity of marriage and would not be found going against that union.
Joe Starks eventually made a name for himself and apparently a lot of money but all those did not stop the inevitable as Joe Starks eventually dies leaving Janie a fortune. She was alone again. She needed to find herself her true feeling and believes this to Janie was her ultimate goal it was the place she had longed to reach all her life ever since she experience the pear tree pollination, it was there. After turning down a lot of suitors she eventually fell for Tea Cakes Vergible Woods, after he played for a song over the harmonica. This signified a man who will adore her for her and always treat her right. Therefore Janie decides to sell of everything that she owned and move to Jacksonville with her new found love. They get married and start their lives together. The marriage is defined as one that had its own ups and downs but it was full of love Janie had found what she wanted in life she was finally there.
Their troubles seem to have no end. While in Jacksonville, the Okeechobee hurricane strike land and threatens everything within sight. Janie is trapped and Tea Cakes goes to her rescue which he managed but to a great harm he is bitten by a rabid dog and he gets infected. Despite all efforts to control the situation it gets worse and Woods tries to kill his wife Janie fortunately she beats him to the act and kills him using a rifle a tragic end to a great love. This shows that when it come down to it practicability come to the forefront. She had to choose between her life or the life of her husband who was rabid she chose hers because it was hers. She gets persecuted for this action and the town condemns her. The men support Tea Cakes and want her sentenced for defending herself the women support her for obvious reasons. Fortunately Janie gets acquitted and the whole town forgives her but she decides to move back to Eatonville and continue her life.
II
Louise Armstrongs performance of Jazz you rascal you in the animation of Betty Boop is considered both astonishing and inspirational. To begin with the songs relation with the comicalanimation depiction has been considered as both weird and to an extent revolution. Weird because the song was being sung during the animation of the cartoon where the characters are running from African natives while Armstrongs head keeps appearing at various points and circumstances. The performance was great as the song has been among the most appreciated pieces from the Jazz artist.
The animation depicts the thoughts of the aggravated man who took in another who was pretending to be his friend only for him to discover that he was wooing his wife behind his back. The character of Armstrong in the animation therefore appears in different situations to show that the friend has been cornered by Armstrong and is being forced to leave his wife alone and to leave and never come back better still the Armstrong character sings that he will be tickled to laughter if the friend died. The relevance of the song and Armstrong character in this situation is to show that one should not expect much out of a situation. It also tells us not to trust anybody because it is the same people who will end up betraying our trust therefore affecting our whole being.
The character of Armstrong is also used to show anger and disappointment it even shows a bit of regret Boy, I brought you into my home you wouldnt leave my wife alone Ill be glad when youre dead, you rascal, you. The character regrets why he even brought his friend into his house in the first place. They were friends and he trusted him to behave himself around his family only to discover that he was fooling around with his wife. The head keeps appearing therefore to show anger, disappointment and regret. In fact the head keeps bobbing to show all this emotions together.
The song can also be taken to depict the nature of the society at that time and age the title goes like Il be glad when you are dead you rascal you, it reads of anger and disappointment. The song then goes to describe a situation while an animationcartoon keeps performing as the song continues. The cartoon shows us the clear picture of a society that is distorted, by distorted I mean confused and infiltrated by everything that is wrong, it is a society where friends will sleep with their friends wives or spouses just because they can, a society that is mainly ruled by anger and desperation why else would some ones wife sleep with the husbands best friend if not to seek attention. The performance therefore questions the morals of the society at that particular point in time. It can also be described as the performers state of mind at that point in time his friend had betrayed his trust, he is a dog.
All in all it was a much appreciated performance that has been valued over time it portrayed a lot of emotions within a single performance.
2. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. The passage is found in DuBois The Souls of Black Folk p.g 12. The statement shows the contempt in a young mans soul it portrays the hate he feels for being perceived as different by the society around him.
3. Nother thing. Ah hates tuh see folks lak me and you mixed up wid em. Us oughta class off. The statement has been derived from the book Their Eyes were Watching God by Hurston and Pinkney p.g. 169. It depicts the hate of a colored woman towards the black race. The woman dislikes the color saying that she has class unlike the black folk.
4. I am an ordinarily successful white man who has made a little money. They are men who are making history and a race. I, too, might have taken part in a work so glorious. The passage is from The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man p.g 93 by James Weldon. The statement depicts a choice made by the character the choice made is some what less compared to what he might have chosen that other men chose. Though it is a good choice, the character wishes he had more.
5. The songs are indeed the siftings of centuries the music is far more ancient than the words, and in it we can trace here and there signs of development. The statement is found on page 164 of DuBois The Souls of Black Folk. The passage shows the importance of music to the black folk the songs they sung showed their despair, sorrow and pain experienced over time. In their music one could see their souls, it was moving.
6. So this was a marriage She had been summoned to behold a revelation. Then she felt a pain remorseless sweet that left her limp and languid. Extracted from Hurston Pinkneys Their Eyes were Watching God p.g. 15. The statement depicts a young womans understanding of life and the mysteries of life all around her. It shows the revelation of something of importance to this character.
7. And neither world thought the other worlds thought, save with a vague unrest. Extracted form DuBois The Soul of Black Folk, p.g. 151. The statement shows deep seated differences between two worlds, a black world and a white world. Both societies exist together but share different opinions about each other. It is this thought and opinions that the two worlds dont want to think about lest it affects their own thoughts and dreams of the future.
8. I believe it to be a fact that the colored people of this country know and understand the white people better than the white people know and understand them. The passage has been borrowed form James Weldons The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man p.g. 12. The statement shows us the mind of a colored man as he made his way through life he is considered neither black or white and therefore his thoughts are his own. The white man in particular found these coloreds hard to comprehend they often kept to themselves never divulging their thought for fear of being sidelined by either race.
9. The day of the gun, and the bloody body, and the courthouse came and commenced to sing a sobbing sigh out of every corner in the room out of each and every chair and thing. Commenced to sing, commenced to sob and sigh, singing and sobbing. The passage can be found on page 231 of Hurston and Pinkneys Their Eyes were Watching God. The passage depicts the thought of a young womans love. Either the husband or lover is gone. The process was painful and sad but she is determined to keep him alive in her thoughts he will always be around that way.
10. Would America have been America without her Negro people The passage is from DuBois The Soul of Black Folk p.g. 170. A question that questions the existence of the great America if the BlackNegro failed to reach the America when they did, the negroblack people have definitely contributed a lot to the development of the nations as seen in the passage. But still the Negro is being persecuted and treated with disdain they are unappreciated.
Section II
I
Janie is the daughter of a slave who abandoned her as a child she was consequently brought up with her grandmother Nanny. Nanny had great hopes for Janie and therefore when she came of age, Nanny arranged for her to be married to Logan Killicks a farmer looking for a wife as a helper in the farm. Janie on the other hand has a different idea of marriage this is depicted and shown when she describes her experience under the pear tree one summer, she saw the bees pollinating the pear tree and the experience to her was revealing. To her the tree shivered it supposed with the pleasure of love this natural process to her was how marriage should be a union between two people who are in love.
Consequently she eloped with Joe Starks to Eatonville a sleepy town with no ambition whatsoever. Starks consequently bought some land and using the locals build a store through which he ran a small business. This made him very popular his store front was the venue of many social contribution, many of which Janie was forbidden from participating. This did make Janie very happy Joe Starks wanted to use her image as the perfect wife to gain favor from the people who had elected him as mayor of the sleepy town. Joe Starks kept Janie as a trophy wife instead of a wife to love and cherish, from the book Starks must have been a very strict man. Janie consequently found herself in a situation that she could do little about and she hated it. Her experiences in life and her perceptions were completely contradicted she did not love Joe Starks but she believed in the sanctity of marriage and would not be found going against that union.
Joe Starks eventually made a name for himself and apparently a lot of money but all those did not stop the inevitable as Joe Starks eventually dies leaving Janie a fortune. She was alone again. She needed to find herself her true feeling and believes this to Janie was her ultimate goal it was the place she had longed to reach all her life ever since she experience the pear tree pollination, it was there. After turning down a lot of suitors she eventually fell for Tea Cakes Vergible Woods, after he played for a song over the harmonica. This signified a man who will adore her for her and always treat her right. Therefore Janie decides to sell of everything that she owned and move to Jacksonville with her new found love. They get married and start their lives together. The marriage is defined as one that had its own ups and downs but it was full of love Janie had found what she wanted in life she was finally there.
Their troubles seem to have no end. While in Jacksonville, the Okeechobee hurricane strike land and threatens everything within sight. Janie is trapped and Tea Cakes goes to her rescue which he managed but to a great harm he is bitten by a rabid dog and he gets infected. Despite all efforts to control the situation it gets worse and Woods tries to kill his wife Janie fortunately she beats him to the act and kills him using a rifle a tragic end to a great love. This shows that when it come down to it practicability come to the forefront. She had to choose between her life or the life of her husband who was rabid she chose hers because it was hers. She gets persecuted for this action and the town condemns her. The men support Tea Cakes and want her sentenced for defending herself the women support her for obvious reasons. Fortunately Janie gets acquitted and the whole town forgives her but she decides to move back to Eatonville and continue her life.
II
Louise Armstrongs performance of Jazz you rascal you in the animation of Betty Boop is considered both astonishing and inspirational. To begin with the songs relation with the comicalanimation depiction has been considered as both weird and to an extent revolution. Weird because the song was being sung during the animation of the cartoon where the characters are running from African natives while Armstrongs head keeps appearing at various points and circumstances. The performance was great as the song has been among the most appreciated pieces from the Jazz artist.
The animation depicts the thoughts of the aggravated man who took in another who was pretending to be his friend only for him to discover that he was wooing his wife behind his back. The character of Armstrong in the animation therefore appears in different situations to show that the friend has been cornered by Armstrong and is being forced to leave his wife alone and to leave and never come back better still the Armstrong character sings that he will be tickled to laughter if the friend died. The relevance of the song and Armstrong character in this situation is to show that one should not expect much out of a situation. It also tells us not to trust anybody because it is the same people who will end up betraying our trust therefore affecting our whole being.
The character of Armstrong is also used to show anger and disappointment it even shows a bit of regret Boy, I brought you into my home you wouldnt leave my wife alone Ill be glad when youre dead, you rascal, you. The character regrets why he even brought his friend into his house in the first place. They were friends and he trusted him to behave himself around his family only to discover that he was fooling around with his wife. The head keeps appearing therefore to show anger, disappointment and regret. In fact the head keeps bobbing to show all this emotions together.
The song can also be taken to depict the nature of the society at that time and age the title goes like Il be glad when you are dead you rascal you, it reads of anger and disappointment. The song then goes to describe a situation while an animationcartoon keeps performing as the song continues. The cartoon shows us the clear picture of a society that is distorted, by distorted I mean confused and infiltrated by everything that is wrong, it is a society where friends will sleep with their friends wives or spouses just because they can, a society that is mainly ruled by anger and desperation why else would some ones wife sleep with the husbands best friend if not to seek attention. The performance therefore questions the morals of the society at that particular point in time. It can also be described as the performers state of mind at that point in time his friend had betrayed his trust, he is a dog.
All in all it was a much appreciated performance that has been valued over time it portrayed a lot of emotions within a single performance.
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