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Trauma In Beloved

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  Beloved , a novel written by Tony Morrison and published in 1987, follows the story of a family of fromer slaves who live in a house haunted by a spirit named Beloved. The story was inspired by the life of Margaret Garner. Garner was a slave in kentucky that escaped from slavery and fled to Ohio in the mid 1800’s. There, she was caught by slave catchers and, in an attempt to save her young children from the horrors of life as a slave, ended up trying to kill them. Beloved provides a nuanced depiction of the trauma that families affected by slavery experience through each of the characters we meet throughout the novel. The trauma that each character in Beloved experiences is, in some way or another, a result of their lives as slaves. However, despite their trauma stemming from the same experience, each of the characters has experienced that trauma differently. This is why although Paul D and Sethe both have trauma from their lives as slaves, they experience and process it differently.
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Gender Roles and Feminism in "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

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 Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston and published in 1937, follows the life of a young woman named Janie. Throughout the novel we witness Janie search for love and, in turn, develop her individuality. In the book Janie is expected to live her life in accordance with traditional values and how others expect her to. Hurston's depictions of the various relationships that Janie experiences provides a critique of gender roles in society. Mr. Killicks and Jody do not see Janie as her own person, but instead as an extension of themselves. To these men, Janie is only defined by her relationship with them. In these relationships Janie is held to strict standards, expected to act submissive, obedient, and silent. This is seen in Jody's treatment of Janie. When Jody becomes mayor of Eatonville and buys the store he boosts Janie's social standing, seemingly giving her status and a sort of independence. However, this is a facade, as Jody takes away Janie’s power
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Invisible Man and Racism in Academia

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     In the beginning of Invisible Man we see the life of the narrator during his time in university, where he faces a subtle, almost deceiving form of racism that is often seen in academia. Characters like Mr. Norton provide examples of the types of racists that exist in educational institutions. And Mr. Norton isn’t just a made up person in a novel, in fact, there are many Mr. Norton’s in the real world. Racism in academic settings runs rampant, and Invisible Man shows just how deceiving higher education can be when it comes to racial issues.  Throughout his interactions with the narrator Mr. Norton shows that he has little respect for black people, infantilizing them and acting like he is their god, and never truly making an effort to see them as individuals and acknowledge their struggles (as opposed to one group with the same life experience, ideas, values, etc.).  It is through his generalization of the black community and failure to acknowledge the severity of the discriminatio
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Saturdays are for the Boys… and the Brotherhood?

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  Invisible Man warns of the dangers that stereotypes pose for marginalized groups through its portrayal of the main character's struggle with his identity. The novel starts off with the narrator retelling his youth, when he was living in the south and desperate for white validation. However, midway through the book, the narrator moves to New York, where he becomes a part of a progressive organization called the Brotherhood. There, he starts to question the systems of oppression put in place by white people and slowly becomes radicalized. The Brotherhood advocates for social change and preaches about racial equality but fails to properly advocate for the equality of women. The Brotherhood, as the name suggests, is a boys’ club. The Brotherhood's misrepresentation of women's struggles, otherwise referred to as the “woman question,” begins in chapter 18, where the narrator is given an assignment to go downtown and speak on gender equality. The narrator, a man, has been sent d
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Power: Real or an Illusion?

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  Upon reading Invisible Man , I found myself questioning whether or not the level of power and success that the narrator so desperately strives for is truly achievable. In its first few chapters, Invisible Man depicts the narrator in his youth, a man whose identity is completely defined by white validation and who is desperate to attain power under an oppressive, white society. However, one thing that the narrator does not realize is that the “authority” that he has worked for his whole life isn't true power, as it has been molded by white society to make black people complacent in the oppression of the very marginalized group that they are a part of. This “power” is limited, made to keep black people in “their place,” subordinate to white people, and works to prevent the origination and spread of ideology that threatens the legitimacy of a white-supremacist society. Invisible Man shows the distorted version of power that black people are able to attain under a racist society. M
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The Dangers of the “Woke, White Leftist” as Seen in Native Son

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  In Native Son we are presented with a seemingly new, dangerous form of white person; The “woke” leftist, as seen in the character of Mary Dalton. Mary identifies herself as a communist, cares about social issues, and is interested in improving the lives of black Americans, but fails to include one important thing in her activism; understanding of those who she is trying to help. This shortcoming in her activism is something that many white activists lack, and Native Son warns us of how dangerous this can be. We see each of Mary’s attempts at activism in her interactions with Bigger, as well as how they end up endangering or worsening things for him.      Mary first meets Bigger in the middle of his job interview with Mr. Dalton, immediately asking him if he belongs to a union, something that was very frowned upon by possible employers back then and could have cost him his job, which Bigger acknowledges, saying “She's making me lose my job! He thought. Goddamn! He knew nothing ab
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