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Comparing The Street And Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

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Although alike in their depiction of the racial injustice experienced by African Americans in United States society, The Street and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl differ in terms of the existential methods attached to the narratives of the protagonists, and the relationship between the employment of these methods and the experiences of these characters and their community. Lutie Johnson, the protagonist of The Street, employs "positive thinking" to escape challenging situations, and as she is able to persevere in several of these situations, this strategy is objectively effective. Nevertheless, in contrast to Harriet Jacob’s existential approach, the solutions provided by Lutie’s positive thinking are superficial and pragmatic. This …show more content…

As proven by her observations throughout the book, she was aware of the systematic injustice endured by African Americans in the United States. She was aware that the materialistic goals she desired were more attainable for a segment of society to which she did not belong. However, on page 334, she candidly presents the painful reality of the naturalist world in Ann Petry's The Street. Despite living in two different periods and areas in American History – Harlem in the World War II era and the South in the pre Civil War era, Lutie Johnson and Harriet Jacob endured environmental conditions that were designed to be discriminatory towards their race. Both characters experienced racial injustice which resulted in a sense of shame. While Lutie felt social shame, Harriet felt moral shame because she was a slave in a society that constantly highlighted her inferior position within its culture. Additionally, her existential attitude, which is grounded in hope, is inextricably linked to the moral principles she absorbed from her family – specifically, her

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