Catherine Woodson Quotes

Lady Brett Ashley is heartbroken as her true love was killed in World War I. She is also promiscuous and parties non stop. She has short hair like a man and is still attractive to all the men in the book and many of them fall in love with her. Her looks and Jakes feeling towards her are shown in the quote “Brett was damned good-looking. She wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy’s.” Brett also does not seem to have any female friends and seems to only enjoy being around men. She is in love with Jake, the count and Mike Campbell all at once and they seem to not care about her sleeping around with other men. Lady Brett Ashley is also very unhappy throughout the story. “Oh, darling, I’ve been

My first impression of “Brown Girl Dreaming” was that it was going to be a story about a girl that always seems to be dreaming. The silhouette on the cover made me question if the girl was going to be alive at all, or die somewhere along the way. Within the first few pages there of this novel there is a rather extensive family tree. One of the first indications that this book took place a few decades ago was the size of the families. An average sized family, now a days is about 2-3 kids, whereas about 50 years ago it was 4-5 kids. In the back of the book there is a few pages of pictures of the family. In most of the pictures people are smiling and happy, except the Ibrys of South Carolina. The south was not a place to be for

People aren’t always who they seem to be. In ‘The Possibility of Evil,” by Shirley Jackson, this idea is explored in story form. One character, Miss Strangeworth, is the literary representation of this idea; She is polite and nice in person, but at the same time, she anonymously writes hurtful letters that spread false rumors to the whole town. Firstly, Miss Strangeworth’s character can be analyzed by considering what she says and does.

There are numerous works of literature that recount a story- a story from which inspiration flourishes, providing a source of liberating motivation to its audience, or a story that simply aspires to touch the hearts and souls of all of those who read it. One of the most prevalent themes in historical types of these kinds of literature is racism. In America specifically, African Americans endured racism heavily, especially in the South, and did not gain equal rights until the 1960s. In her renowned book The Color Purple, Alice Walker narrates the journey of an African American woman, Celie Johnson (Harris), who experiences racism, sexism, and enduring hardships throughout the course of her life; nonetheless, through the help of friends and

Miss Strangeworth Lots of people turn out to be something they aren’t. Shirley Jackson short story, “ The Possibility of Evil is an example that age don’t change the way you act and treat others. Miss Strangeworth is an old woman who is mean and judgemental to people. Miss Strangeworth can be analyzed by considering what does, what the narrator says about her, and how other characters interact with her.

The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers best conveys the character traits of courage, ambitiousness, and supporting family even when times appear to be distressful. This book takes you through African American history with the excitement and thrill of fiction. It allows you to witness the glory of African American evolution, from a period of slavery to modern day. The reader witnesses courage as African Americans try and fight for freedom and equality in an unforgiving society. African Americans try and defy the society’s perspective of them in an attempt to reach an optimal level of success. They work to divert from their typical expectations, and strive for success even when the possibilities are minimal. They strive to build a better living besides being maids and factory workers, and they attempt to remove every obstacle in their way of success. They desire to go above what is expected of them, so they can achieve at a prodigious level in a segregated society. Even as technology advances, the reader witnesses the character’s sense of community. They always believe that family is crucial to success even in times of distress. If they abandon their community, then they abandon the only people that support them. In this time period, their community was composed of the only people that cared about them. The African American society emulates these traits throughout this book, as the author inserts you into their fight for equity and freedom. The Glory Field takes

“If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.” - Jesse Jackson. In 1957, nine black students were chosen to integrate into Central High School, a completely white school mostly made up of segregationists. Throughout the next year, the main character, Melba Pattillo Beals, in her memoir, “Warriors Don’t Cry”, shows her difficult adventure in Central High, trying to survive from the malicious segregationists. Beals uses different forms of figurative languages, such as metaphors, similes, and irony to show her struggles, but also imagine a hopeful future later to come.

The short story, “Brownies” is written by author, ZZ Packer. It surrounds a group of African American Brownie girls in the fourth grade who journey to a campsite situated near the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, called Camp Crescendo. On the trip, they encounter another brownie group comprised of white girls, all of who are mentally handicapped. “Brownies” is told from a first person involved point of view, through a Brownie member from the African American troop, named Laurel. Because the story takes place in the 1960’s, ZZ Packer explores issues that are prevalent in that time period, such as racial segregation and prejudice.

This powerful memoir is a testament to the potential love and determination that can be exhibited despite being on the cusp of a nation's racial conflicts and confusions, one that lifts a young person above

Imagine you had to fight a war against a formidable army that outnumbered you tenfold; you had very few friends and hardly any weapons at which you could use. This is a great analogy for Melba Patillo Beals’ battle for integration into Central High School, but Melba’s army composed of segregationist and students whose mission was to keep her out of the school. Upon her shoulders Melba carried the responsibility of being one of the first African Americans to integrate a high school in Arkansas, a feat that could only be accomplished by an individual with a strong inner character. In “Warriors Don’t Cry”, Melba Patillo Beals presents the idea that both independence and despondency are necessary character traits in her fight for freedom and equality.

Reading is a crucial part of my academic life, it is a subject that is used multiple times throughout my life. Among the many genres that I have explored, suspense, adventures, and mysteries are my favored because they catch my attention and make me wonder what happens next. Two books that fit these qualities are Alan Gratz’s young adult novel “Code of Honor” and Mildred Taylor’s historical novel “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry”. In the novel Code of Honor, Kamran Smith has it all; a beautiful girlfriend, he is his school’s football star and his best friend got them free tickets to the Super Bowl but his life takes a sharp turn for the worse. Kamran’s older brother, Darius, who fought in the US Army in Afghanistan, is accused a terrorist. He is seen on video bombing the US Embassy in Turkey. Important themes the novel conveys are brotherhood and loyalty. Kamran displays these themes by believing that Darius is innocent. This book has personally affected my life by strengthening my brotherhood and loyalty. I now have a stronger relationship with my brother and we are more loyal to one another. In the novel, Roll of Thunder, one African American family, the Logans, fight to stay strong in the face of brutal racist attacks, illness, poverty, and betrayal in the deep South of the 1930s. The main character and narrator, Cassie Logan, speculates many events during her childhood which takes place in the time of the Jim Crow era. This book has affected me on a personal level because I

Richard Wright’s “Native Son” Bigger shows us the short end of the stick of how it feels to be seen as a second-class citizen for being black. His speech talking about how he feels like a prisoner in this world just because he is black. (Wright P.17) This prison pain of Bigger in Wright’s novel shows how the negative effects of fear and discrimination affect minorities in our society. This discrimination just for existence is mirrored in the “Diary of Anne Frank” and “The Color of Water”. In the Diary of Anne Frank, spends two years of her life in an attic with her family and other Jewish people, hiding from the government trying to capture them just because they are Jewish. In “The Color of Water” Ruth McBride describes how the KKK was a huge part of her hometown. That whenever a car full of white hoods drove past, any African Americans in the store would run home, Ruth did the same thing, knowing her family was also in danger. (McBride P.58)

“Brownies” is a short story written by author, ZZ Packer, which takes place at Camp Crescendo, a summer camp near the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. The story surrounds a group of African American Brownie girls, in the fourth grade, who journey to this campsite for a camping experience. On the trip, they encounter another brownie group comprised of white girls, all of who are mentally handicapped. “Brownies” is told from a first person involved point of view, through a fellow Brownie member from the African American troop, named Laurel. Because the story takes place in the 1960’s, ZZ Packer explores issues that are prevalent in that time period, such as racial segregation, prejudice and ignorance.

According to Frederick Douglass, “it was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery, through which I was about to pass. It was a most terrible spectacle. I wish I could commit to paper the feelings with which I beheld it (p.4).” Frederick Douglass and Toni Morrison literatures examine the stigma of slavery, and the perceptions of its dangers. They illustrate what life was like and the mental as well social impact it had on enslaved African-Americans and their life after gaining freedom. Richard Wright convinces his audience in Black Boy that he was tired of the limitations and outcries in the South “I was not leaving the South to forget the South, but so that some day I might understand it, might come to know what its rigors had done to me, its children (284).” Alice Walker obtains her readers attention by transforming young women into their own characters with a voice using spiritual guidance. In Native Son, Bigger has achieved is lost after being apprehended and brought into captivity, as he transitions back into silence and passivity and begins to recover only in his final confrontation, whereas Douglass in the same prevailing convention, only heals after the regaining of his freedom. Through these literatures, and many others, African-Americans find multiple ways to alleviate and recover from the intensity of undesired bondage and bigotry.

The novel The Book of Negroes, written by Lawrence Hill portrays the life of a young African girl and the hardship she faces while having to endure slavery. The protagonist, Aminata Diallo, is able to succeed when confronted with difficulties due to her ability to see the optimistic approach in every situation. Throughout her journey from a youth to an adult Aminata has encountered many obstacles that have scarred her with shattering memories. She has travelled over the harsh sea numerous times throughout her life and was able to sustain herself through her optimistic approach at life, which drives her desire to survive. Aminata’s journey over the ocean is a major symbolism of her optimism. Aminata uses optimism to cope with difficult events