Analysis Of ' Country Lovers ' By Nadine Gordiminer

The poems “Tableau” and “Incident” by Countee Cullen are about racism, but both have a different take on it. The African American author wrote in 1900’s , when racism was common and more acceptable. Cullen’s work became more popular during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s. Both poems are developed with different writing mechanics to convey a clear message to the reader or audience. Cullen uses figurative language and tone to develop the theme in each text.

It has been known throughout the years the class conflicts between people around the world and how it affects many, but during today's times it is not as bad as the times when racial segregation took place between South Africa’s white minority and non-white majority. Nadine Gordimer, is a born and raised South African novelist whose writings focused on exile and alienation. She wrote many novels and short stories that related to South Africa's unjust political situation between the whites and non-whites in the 1900’s. One of the short stories that she wrote is “Country Lovers” which portrays the life in South Africa during those times and how apartheid, a policy that controlled any type of relation between white and black South African’s endorsing racial segregation and racial discrimination against the blacks, ruled over the country. Class played a big role in this short story because the way the whites and non-whites were treated was very different and their opportunities were not equally shared. I believe the ideology of racism was why the non-white South Africans were treated so poorly. This all makes me aware of where I stand in acceptance by other of my social, economic, or political practices. I come to realize that things like this still happen today.

When comparing and contrasting the poem What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl by Patricia Smith with the short story Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer. The poem and the short story are both great examples of the difficulty of life between different ethnic backgrounds. The Poem What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl by Patricia Smith is more recent than the short story Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer they are written during different time frames and their stories are unique within their time frame.

The memoir “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston, was first published in 1928, and recounts the situation of racial discrimination and prejudice at the time in the United States. The author was born into an all-black community, but was later sent to a boarding school in Jacksonville, where she experienced “race” for the first time. Hurston not only informs the reader how she managed to stay true to herself and her race, but also inspires the reader to abandon any form of racism in their life. Especially by including Humor, Imagery, and Metaphors, the author makes her message very clear: Everyone is equal.

In the beginning of this essay, Hurston describes the superiority dynamic between herself and White Northerners passing through her hometown. Specifically, Hurston reflects that the passing white travelers only valued her as a source of amusement: “They liked to hear me speak pieces and sing and wanted to see me dance the parse-me-la.” (Hurston 42). Almost as if Hurston was a common servant; the passing white people would pay to see an innocent black girl dance and sing just as a king demands a show from his jester. Furthermore, Hurston’s youthful naivety in the racial hierarchy of Jim Crow America made her exploitation all the more grotesque. Hurston includes this reflection in her essay to show how black people were degraded by white society even as young children. Which creates the impression that the social hierarchy of races was thoroughly integrated into the lives of African Americans. Essentially, it was part of an African Americans social identity to be inferior due to their complexion.

Patricia Smith's "What its like to be a black girl is a breathtaking poem to read as it gives the real picture of what a black American girl who is faced by racial prejudice, inner struggles and slavery. This poem will be compared and contrasted with Nadine Gordimer's country lover which is also a heart-rending story about a young black skinned girl-Thebedi finding herself in love with a white skinned Afrikaner boy-Paula whose parents are the young girls' masters. She is also faced with slavery, prejudice, racism and pursuit for freedom (Brown, 2009). This paper will critically compare the two literary works in terms of content, style and form.

While reading literature, we manage to forget that they have true roots to what is being written and what they actually represent. When looking at the similarities of how literature is represented it obvious to see that there are certain socially constructed groups presented. Although these socially constructed groups do vary throughout literature, they still tend to be very similar. In Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use,” Lorraine Hansberry play “A Raisin in the Sun,” and Langston Hughes’s poems “Harlem” and “Theme for English B” they evaluate the social construction of African Americans. What makes these authors so alike is the similarities that they share; being that they were all born in the early 1900’s, are all of African American ethnicity, and acknowledge the social construct of African Americans in these works. Looking at each of these works of literature they represent the struggles that African Americans faced when trying to be seen as equal, by allowing these works to be shown in different insights towards the battles faced in their movement towards being seen as equal.

The early 1900s was a very challenging time for Negroes especially young women who developed issues in regards to their identities. Their concerns stemmed from their skin colors. Either they were fair skinned due mixed heritage or just dark skinned. Young African American women experienced issues with racial identity which caused them to be in a constant struggle that prohibits them from loving themselves and the skin they are in. The purpose of this paper is to examine those issues in the context of selected creative literature. I will be discussing the various aspects of them and to aid in my analysis, I will be utilizing the works of Nella Larsen from The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, Jessie Bennett Redmond Fauset,

In the midst of the most progressive era in the history of the United States, people seem to be choosing to compare their current situation with the one in the 1930’s, where most African Americans were dehumanized. Women and Blacks have had a history of patronization which is displayed throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Even though there are some disagreements in certain subject matter between the races today, relations and ideals of injustice have evolved.

Race has been a sensitive topic in the United States of America since the founding of the country. The historical disparity between Blacks and their White counterparts can been seen through not only the South, but also throughout America. Flannery O’Connor, often considered one of the great Southern authors of her time, implemented an artistic writing style which gave her writing a unique Southern gothic appeal that previous novels and stories did not possess. Born in Savannah, Georgia, Flannery O’Connor grew up in a turbulent time regrading race relations. Living most of her life in predominantly white Georgia, it was not until later on in her life that race truly began to impact O’Connor’s life. In 1954, the Supreme Court Case Brown v. Board of Education altered the world that O’Connor lived in. Following the ruling, segregation was banned throughout the United States of America and integration programs were initiated. Suddenly, even extremely segregated states like Georgia were forced to integrate Blacks. This life-altering decision occurred towards the end of O’Connor’s short life, but is still evidenced throughout her writings. And while O’Connor never directly states her stances on race, segregation, and integration; her views can be inferred throughout her writing. Short stories such as “Everything That Rises Must Converge” and “An Artificial Nigger” give clues as to race relations of the time period and O’Connor’s perspectives on the matter.

Tunc also notes that traces of racism can still be found in Southern literature. Even though civil rights were being encouraged, some individuals still held onto their Old Southern beliefs. Examples of these traits can be found in the works of Southern authors. In Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat”, Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”, and Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby”, the authors use racism as a defining point in their short stories. Each of the authors draw attention to the separation and the lingering hostility between the African American and Caucasian communities.

Race and social class have always proven to be a way of dividing up society. Humans naturally want the most extravagant things and strive for the best. When we are not able to achieve this we often discriminate against those whom are better off from a financial standpoint, or simply from a racial standpoint. When these aspects are focused on explicitly with hatred more towards the racial aspect, racism is formed. Racism has proven to provoke inhumane characteristics out of Americans abroad but especially southerners whom majority despised African Americans. In Eudora Welty’s short story “Where is the Voice Coming From?” the author introduces a lower class southerner and an upper class African American in Thermopylae to represent extreme racism

The “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave” currently has a lot of issues concerning economics, education, etc. However, it is not to forget how much pain and hurt some people have to go through living in the United States because they are either black, natives or even women. In both short stories “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin and “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer, the authors show us the awful consequences of institutional racism and sexism through the use of setting, characterization and simile.

In the poem, The Love song, written by T.S. Elliot, J Alfred Prufrock is a man who is very lonely and insecure. He goes throughout his life wishing for a change, but never stepping up to the plate and actually making a change. The title of the poem portrays to the reader that the poem is going to be full of love and romance. The reader soon found out later that the poem is just the opposite from the title, a sad, lonesome man who is not only lacking love, but also lacking self confidence and self esteem.

Discrimination and racism is always an issue, but the hardship these women had to face and suffer is something that is still being discussed. Understanding the fear, struggle and hardship that women of color went through during this time period is very important. Both “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer and “The Welcome Table” by Alice Walker discuss race and the struggle with trying to be accepted in society.