Summary Of Mommy What Does Nigger Mean

When we talk about preferences, it is important to observe if the other person is willing to be called that racist term. Naylor states, “I didn’t know what a nigger was, but I knew that whatever it meant, it was something he shouldn’t have called me” (Naylor 477). Naylor’s character is very biased. The analysis of her essay towards such racist terms is that you can’t call someone the word “nigger” if you don’t know him or her well enough. Even though in her family the racist term came up a lot, she

In the essay “Nigger: the meaning of a word” Gloria Naylor discusses the essence of a word and how it can mean different things to different people in a myriad of situations. Depending on race, gender, societal status and age Naylor outlines how a word like ‘nigger’ can have different meanings within one’s own environment. Naylor discusses how a word can go from having a positive to a negative connotation merely due to how it is spoken and by whom. Naylor shares a personal experience with her audience as she describes the first time she really “heard” the word ‘nigger’. A young white boy in her third grade class spit it in her

An instance of her exemplification is by calling someone a, "trifling nigger" (Naylor 2) is to say that person has a bad reputation of being drunk, foul or rude. Calling another person that name may be demeaning to their reputation but in no way does it discriminate against them racially. A second exemplifying definition is the possessive adjective use by a woman to her boyfriend or husband. When that woman calls her man “my nigger” (Naylor 2) it means a term of endearment or a compliment. By defining a word specifically one can alter the meaning and the reality of that word through language while excluding prejudice.

But [she] didn’t ‘hear’ it until it was said by a small pair of lips that had already learned it could be a way to humiliate [her]” (Naylor, 411). This not only supports the fact that the boy had been taught or heard this word by someone older like a parent, but it is also sad that a nine-year-old had to be taught that such a nasty, ugly word was created to make her and people like her feel ashamed and embarrassed to be black, or that are worth less as human beings, which is absolutely false. That is why slurs are created though, to make groups of people feel less “human”. This essay explored the most infamous slur against the black community. The fact that slurs like this are prevalent in today's society is extremely upsetting and wrong. There are plenty of racial slurs that are so casually used today, it makes one's stomach ache in distress. Ableist slurs are even less reprimanded, a high school student walking through the hall will hear the r-word too many times to count during the course of a day. Just as commonly used are homophobic and anti-LGBT slurs. A high school student will hear the f-slur and the q-slur plenty of times, and even more will “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay” be whipped from the mouth of students without a second thought. It’s disheartening.

Racism has become more and more outraged throughout the years, to where it has divided our country. It’s made us fear our authorities, our neighbors, and ‘brothers’. The excerpt in “The Fire This Time”, titled “White Rage” by Carol Anderson, shows the progress that hasn’t been made because of white rage. Racism is not a fresh topic, it has been around since the times of slavery, only now has it been ignited and is now more of a threat than anything else in this country. The new subtle form of racism should not be accepted in society because it is barbarous, immoral, and discriminatory.

Negroes do not like it in any book or play whatsoever, be the book or play ever so sympathetic in its treatment of the basic problems of the race. Even [if] the book or play is written by a Negro, they still [would] not like it” (Henry). In addition, John Wallace believes that the word “nigger” is so offensive that he rewrote the novel without the word “nigger.”

Wise’s examination of the inconspicuous character of racism 2.0 dovetails fittingly with our course’s recurring theme of institutionalized racism. In class lectures we have defined institutionalized racism as the discriminatory practices that have become regularized and routinized by state agencies, organizations, industries, or anywhere else in society. Although such practices might not be intentionally racist, they end up being racist nevertheless as consequence of the systematized and unspoken biases that have become increasingly convoluted and entrenched within society over time. It also doesn’t help white people to recognize these discriminatory practices considering they have been unconsciously tailored to be consistent with white perspective and mentality. In her article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peggy McIntosh examines not only how white folks often consider themselves to be a normative figure within society, but also how they are carefully taught not to recognize the advantages they gain from the disadvantages that impair people of color. In the article, McIntosh acknowledges the reality of her own white privilege and expresses, “In my class and place, I did not see myself as a racist because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth” (McIntosh 4). In fact, even if white folks do not believe themselves to

I am no longer a child with eyes that do not regard for the disease in this world. I know what people have passed to their children, and what they will pass to their children. I have heard it from the mouths of my classmates and random strangers walking down the street. It is the Maycomb county disease and it still thrives today. It wasn't long ago that my eyes opened and my ears listened to the vulgar statement that passed me every day going down the halls and whispered around in class. I lived in a very small town and I was the only mixed kid in my grade. It was an ordinary day in English class until I walked in the door. Right in the middle of the white board in big block letters was the word, “NIGGER”. I took my normal seat and

In the article “ The Meanings of a Word,” Gloria Naylor discusses how a word can be affected to people and a word can be meant in different things and situations. Naylor wrote about her own experiences in the article and she wants to educate her audience to understand that a word can go from positive to negative. She also gives audiences a background of her family. She is an African American, who grew up with a large family in Harlem, New York, and she identifies her family as working class. Naylor’s family works in factories, laundries, and shipyard. Since she lives in a large family, her family refuses to let the children hear about any topics about sexual misconduct and death, but everything else is fine. First, she started off with her

The reflection of this paper has both discrimination and racism issues. In reading the article an 11- year-old black boy is called a nigger by a 5-year-old white child. As I see it, both boys are children. The black boy feels discriminated because the white boy has no respect and calls him a nigger. The 11-year-old takes to the discrimination and racism slur calling him nigger because he has been called it before but not from a child.

The author Gloria Naylor, wrote “Meanings of a Word” in an illustrated and descriptive manner with a gifted influential tone. In this reading, Gloria Naylor articulates in a descriptive manner multiple means of the word nigger. Gloria Naylor’s definitions of the word nigger, was planted like a seed at an early age, 3rd grade I believe, through her mother’s explanation, and by listening to her large extended family, neighbors and tenants who used this word copiously in her presence. For a brief moment, through her use of her influential tone, I began believing in the multiple means of the word nigger and was storing them in my memory. As I got closer to the end, I came to the realization that this piece was written based Gloria Naylor reality,

A new generation means new technology, new fashion trends, and even new slang or words come out every so often, but one thing that has stayed continuous throughout history is racism. Whether you have seen it, heard it, or even have had firsthand experience with it, racism is practically everywhere. Over the years the definition of racism has evolved, but a standard idea of it would be a, “prejudice that asserts that members of one race are inferior to another, thus making them less worthy of fair treatment.” (Carl, p. 41) Sadly, racism has become a social norm for this generation. Whether it is intentional or not, it occurs daily and is a huge reoccurring problem. Racism not only targets and affects African Americans, but it also occurs to

Starting the reading by Frantz Fanon “The Fact of Blackness”, the opening phrase of the reading “Dirty nigger” stunned me. The following word “simply” referring to the word “negro” that is used as an insult towards African Americans interested me because referring to such a negative word by saying “simply” was odd for me. Reading through this text allowed me to put myself in the position of a what it was like to be black person. Fanon included descriptive sentences such as “I had to meet the white man’s eyes. An unfamiliar weight burdened me. The real world challenged my claims” (258). Through this description, I was able to feel the “weight” that had burdened the man. Fanon’s “the fact of blackness” focuses on the issue of race and identity. The white race has always

Throughout the earliest half of the twentieth century, the American way of life was marred with racial prejudices and acts of discrimination towards the African Americans people and their culture. Not only were people of color demonized simply on the color of their skin, but they were also made out to be a lesser human being when compared to those of more “wholesome” ethnic backgrounds. The fact of the matter is, racism itself is a very complex issue to discuss and analyze. In some cases, it is a deep seeded ideal that people always believe and always display. Even though the African American community has made significant contribution to society as a whole, that there are still narrow-viewed people that wholeheartedly

When I was in seventh grade, I was almost arrested. It feels shameful to even type those words but I, the teacher’s pet, was almost arrested in seventh grade. One day in gym class, a girl named “Lacey” called me a “nigger.” I cannot remember what I said to Lacey, but I am sure I was loud and angry. In my household we never used that word. My grandfather was born in 1920s Florida and my grandmother was born in 1950s Georgia. They both told us that “nigger” was the last word some of their neighbors heard as they were killed. Although I never had those experiences, that word is emotionally charged for me.