The Horrors of Society Illustrated in ‘Telephone Conversation’ by Wole Soyinka and ‘Prayer Before Birth’ by Louis Macneice

Moving from a childlike bliss to an awakening of the world's prejudice, the author makes the words take on flesh. The story is made alive as she breathes life into a time that is unpleasant yet not void of hope. "The hush-hush magic time of frills and gifts and congratulations" disappeared when they were told the cold hard `truth' of their fate that some white man had already decided for them.

Richard Wright and Alain Locke’s critique on Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God reveal the common notion held by many of the time, and still today, that there is a right and wrong way for a black person to talk and to act. Wright’s point of view of clearly racially charged and coming from a place of ignorance and intolerance. While, Locke’s point is simply due to a lack of an ability to think out of the box and observe deeper meaning, perhaps due to internalized oppression and a fearful desire to talk and act just like a white man in order to be taken seriously. Wright’s argument that the novel has no central theme and is parallel to minstrel shows, and Locke’s belief that Hurston uses relatable language to avoid diving into mature writing, are inherently wrong and fueled by the very issues Hurston was trying to combat: racism and sexism.

This is explained by the reaction of each to a jazz orchestra at a Harlem night club. The music has a profoundly different effect on her than it does on a white person sitting next to her.

In Russel Banks “Black Man and White Woman in a Dark Green Rowboat” The author implies that dealing with an unexpected pregnancy may be a difficult and uncomfortable situation. This story discusses a couple that is dealing with a unique circumstance and they have to make a decision. As a reader, you won’t want to miss the tension of this interracial couple as they battle against the pressure of society. I will be discussing symbolism as well as setting throughout this entire essay. In the first section I will be addressing the surroundings; establish a foundation , and illuminate some background on this story. The next part of my essay will be focusing on the conflict and how the setting demonstrates the tension between the main characters. The final section will focus on the resolution, how the lack of change in the setting is symbolic, and has a deeper meaning.

Throughout the novel it is apparent that everyday instances of racism occur, causing people of color to feel outcasted. There are two very obvious occasions where this happened. In the first instance two African American woman are in a workspace of primarily all white co-workers. When a woman they worked with got these two names mixed up, it was stated that she had a “fifty-fifty chance of getting it right” insinuating that these two women are the only black ones working here. Later, the woman who had the mix-up with the names wrote an apology note; however, in the note she stated it was “our mistake” and seemingly put part of the blame on the to women. This is a primary example of how African Americans can be thrown against a white background making them seem different than everyone else.

The reader can analyse what he can see, but it is in the way that Ebony White speaks that adds to his personality. The textual representation of Ebony’s vernacular also separates him from his counter-part. In the taxi where Ebony and the Spirit meet, Ebony simply says ‘Yassuh!’ and in a later issue where The Spirit is absent, Ebony takes over and proclaims ‘Ah’ll take ovah de investagashun!’ . We can see that his language is broken and slangy, perhaps to show him less educated than the other characters and to emphasise his diverse origins. Frantz Fanon also forges this connection in passing, writing ‘Look at the children’s picture magazines: Out of every Negro mouth comes the ritual ‘Yassah, boss’ . This implies an apparent connection between the textual phrases of ‘Negro’s within comics and the creators understanding of the judgements of American society, where black Americans are commonly rendered moronic and of little wealth. From figure ii, we can see that Ebony takes control and pride at the chance to initiate the investigation, however it is the pictorial presentation of the villain’s visual reaction that says more than words. His expression initiates mockery and confusion as he towers over little Ebony; this strange inferior taking over from the mighty Spirit probably appears as an absurdity due to the nature of pre-existing prejudices. David Hayes also suggests a similar thought in Rethinking Ebony White; Race and Representation in Will Eisner’s The Spirit. He suggests due to his presentation and language, White is connected to a ‘coon’ stereotype that film scholar Donald Bogle described ‘present(ed) the Negro as amusement object and black buffoon’ . Thus, the pictorial portrayal of Ebony’s ballooned lips and wide eyes, his oversized bellboy uniform

Clearly, she has been bothered by his suggestion and resigns silently to her cabin. The mention of her silence is important, because it demonstrates that there is no one there with whom she is willing to share a reaction. The presentation of her as an isolated individual furthers the reader’s feeling of sympathy toward her and allows for women in her situation to identify with her felt isolation and ostracization. Du Bois finishes with her reaction, because it is the most powerful. Thus, the reaction of the Little Old Lady develops pathos in the reader and forces the reader to consider the deeper meaning of the colored man's story.

The author portrays a lot of symbolism with black/white. This symbolizes the color of skin of racial disagreement at the time.

2, pp. 358). When people reminded her that she is the granddaughter of slaves, it doesn’t sadden her. She acknowledges that slavery is a part of the past and “slavery is the price I paid for civilization” (Hurston, vol. 2, pp. 359). Zora now saw herself differently amongst a sea of white peoples; prior to now she was unaware of any differences. However, even feeling colored she finds herself; the negative doesn’t define her. She doesn’t see the difference she just sees the contrast of color. She notices a contract while at a jazz club with a white male nearby. She becomes consumed by the music from the band and in her head she is in the South African jungle doing a deer dance hunting for prey. The orchestra finishes the song and the white male sitting near only acknowledges it was good music. The song hadn’t touched him like it had her. He only heard the song that she could feel in her bones and that is when she notices the contrast between them. “He is so pale with his whiteness then and I am so colored” (Hurston, vol.2, pp. 359).

Ever since December 6th 1865, the day that the 13th Amendment of the constitution was ratified, we have started to see change in what the color of someone’s skin means. Back in a time where people used to buy and sell each other people took the color of someone’s skin as meaning everything. In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God we see the color of someone’s skin have a very impact on the entire book. Throughout her novel Hurston exemplifies the idea of race through symbols and the way she describes her character’s actions. In the afterword of the novel Alice Walker describes Hurston as “our prime symbol of ‘racial’ health- a sense of black people as complete, complex, undiminished human beings”. In Their Eyes Were Watching

Considering the poets past experiences with racism the poem is told in an objective view and could be described as her giving an inspirational pep-talk to her readers. For the most part, the poet’s word choice is concrete and the poem is free of clichés. Also, the diction that

Her intention can also be seen in the way she argues. In the second segment she uses a lot of pathos, and the language is rather brutal, as it describes very direct the lynching of the black people, and it’s very clear to the reader where her feelings for racisms lays.

Anne was immediately confused by their presence because they seemed to be just like her except for skin color. On one occasion all the children were playing together in the lobby of a movie theater. Anne was with some local white children playing, but when it was time to enter the movie lobby the white children went in one direction and Anne went in after her friends. Her disapproving mother quickly stopped Anne and they left the theater. Before this instance Anne had never considered the coincidence that all the white children watched the movie from the bottom terrace and all the African America children from the top terrace. While thinking about the difference Anne realized that the bottom terrace and side entrance was much more luxurious than the raggedy top terrace, where she and her mother usually sat (38-2). After this the difference in skin color became much more apparent to her in everyday life. Anne was motivated to find the answers as to why she was treated differently because of the color of her skin.

The man says something that the narrator does not like and tries to force an apology out of the man. This is what initiates the first part of racism and the thought of being invisible in the novel. The narrator endures the different types of racism through the different places he visits. Everyone expects something different of him and other African-Americans. This is how he tries finding his inner self and it just confuses him more because everyone wants something different. Another example of this is when the narrator is working for Liberty Paints in New York. The work force is primarily blacks, but the final product is white. This is ironic because their slogan is “If it’s Optic White, it’s the Right White.” There is also a sign outside of the building that reads “Keep America pure with Liberty Paints.” This is a form of racism in itself because they only produce white paint, and they say that they are keeping America pure. ”Our white is so white you can paint a chunka coal and you’d have to crack it open with a sledge hammer to prove it wasn’t white clear through” (Ellison 217). This is said by Lucius Brockway, an engineer at Liberty Paints. This can be seen as an extended metaphor between the paint making process that requires a black chemical to be added, and the whites vs. blacks at the company itself. The company seems to have primarily black workers producing the paint, but this quote goes to show that white is overpowering and that

Colonial Life in Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood and Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman