Diversity

Diversity Ranita Wallace Olabisi Aldenekan ENG 125 Introduction to Literature March 25, 2013 How does diversity compare with the racial status between the literary poems' Diversity poems are used to portray the slavery times, in which most people try to avoid. How can we be able to understand when the diverse concept is being used within poems' In the literary works of two short stories. I have chosen to write about two great stories that contain diversity and racial remarks. These passages are written by two different authors in which have the same reasoning to write their story. The first story that I would like to bring to attention is written by Nadine Gordimer, 1975. It take place in South Africa, with a white male and black female. In which they had a secretive love .This story has a way of changing the attitudes on the way people think on interracial relationships. Many people have different perspectives in the way this can go but the way I see this story the theme takes place in late slavery times. In which they were allowed to have interaction with one another. This story has so much detail, I am able to walk with them to the water and see their love for one another. I think the way this story can be portrayed could be a sad love story that has to have a sad part because what if this is real and more than likely back in slavery days this act was not permitted. Interracial love was forbidden, this was an act of heart full love. The second poem that I have compared “Country Lovers” to was written by What It's Like to Be a Black Girl (For Those of You Who Aren't) Patricia Smith (1991). The story takes place with a young black girl similar to the character in the story “Country Lovers”. Although one of the stories has love hold their characters together. The short story has mental images that the reader is able to put him or herself into the life of a young black girl. Comparing these two different stories was not difficult, because the stories possessed the same motive. The message of the two readings is very diverse and simple. Both of the characters are able to show who they are within the story. Both are young black females in which they do not understand themselves just yet. The main character in the story “Country Lovers” goes by the name Thebedi, she has befriended a white male and does not want to understand the racial conflicts between the two. In which she has proven herself to be the protagonist of the story her idea of love towards another race has actions that she must face. There is a second character in this story he goes by the name of Paulus. He is clearly the antagonist in this story. He has as very keen way of thinking he knows that this interracial relationship must come to an end. Thebedi has shown that she is very in love she has great understanding and respect for Paulus. While they are growing to discover who they are their love is getting stronger. As days go by they are able to connect in ways that most individuals were not allowed to. I can greatly put m self into the situation that she has come to be in, waiting on the innocent friendship every chance she gets. I can’t say that I have seen this action because I am not living in those times, but as we all know it still lingers. They were not afraid of one another, they had known one another always; he did with her what he had done that time in the storeroom at the wedding, and this time it was so lovely, so lovely, he was surprised . . . and she was surprised by it, too—he could see in her dark face that was part of the shade, with her big dark eyes, shiny as soft water, watching him attentively:,(Gordimer, 1975). They had such innocent love to them, no harm could be done. Gordimer is able to show the reader that this interracial love had no boundaries’ and a lot of courage. I able to see the tone that the author is trying to show. He is allowing the reader to be in the shoes of someone that has no way out. He tries to set the tone by saying she was not crying and showed no emotion. He approaches the subject be both parties not saying anything but knowing what has to be done. I know this sound harsh but in those times interracial relationships were not permitted. I was able to see the pain from Paulus and Thebedi. I saw how he had love for her and their child, in which a few had knew that this baby was not fully dark skin like the married couple. The mood is set with love in the air, I am able to feel myself in their situation. Later in the story I am able to see how their love is still strong, the author has stated that they laid together till it was time for her to leave. In the morning they had leave each other with wondering when the next occasion may be. Having such heart in this distant relationship allows the reader to be at one with the character, because I am able to have that wait of knowing there will be a next time. The story/poem for “What it’s like to be a black girl”. This is a nine year old girl that does not yet know who she is. She is longing to be someone whom she is not. This character has portrayed herself as a young female in a diverse neighborhood of blacks and whites. She shows that she would rather be a young white female. She states in the poem that she does not like her appearance “It's popping a bleached white mop head over the kinks of your hair and primping in front of mirrors that deny your reflection”.(Smith, 1991). She does not want to be black she has all these things around her that makes her want the white look of a white female. The protagonist in this poem would be the nine year old girl her wanting to be white would be the antagonist. Proving that there can be a diversity status that some people want. The fact that both the females are black and have some kind of wish to have some sort of white around them or even be white. Comparing both of these stories, I was able to do so because there is a connection between the two. For an example of one connection is that both main characters are young black female whom want to be someone they are not. Although there age may be different they have made it to where no one knows their desires for the diverse look of the opposite race. There are many literary terms in both of these short stories/poem, such as tone, symbolism, and mood. I was able to see the mood through the characters eyes. A mood of energetic striving and willingness to endure difficulties and risks in the melioristic effort to improve experience. (Shusterman, p3) The tone was set as a love that was so special that it had to end. The mood that the author has created has brought tears to my eyes. I had not expected that there would be an infant involved with death. For the characters in this story they have showed real feelings towards each other. Also symbolism is being used in this story because the feelings that were being shown was through items given in the place of love and words. The poem written by Patricia Smith, entitled “What it’s like to be a black girl” has so much refection of being a young black girl probably living in a very diverse group of children in which she may or may not have been out casted from the groups of children. This poem has many of styles as the short story the “Country Lover’s”. Such as tone, her attitude has shown that she may want to be white but she does not care for anyone to know what she is thinking. The girl in some ways acts like the character Thebidi in the Country Lovers short story because she basically has a desire to be with white people or even be around some who is not black to make herself feel good about the situation. How does diversity compare with the racial status between the literary poems' Diversity poems are used to portray the slavery times, in which most people try to avoid. How can we be able to understand when the diverse concept is being used within poems' Diversity compares the two short story/poem together because I was able to feel the racial conflict between the two black girls in each reading. Although they had their own problems of color they both had to deal with them in their own way. To be a color that can be picked out because the texture of hair or the color of our skin has become to be diverse within in most people today. Being white in the times of these two girl was the thing to be like a fancy trend. The status that can be compared in the two literary works is that both girls longed for diversity. They had this secret desire to be another color just to make life simple. Being another color should not be the answer but in some cases such as country lovers if the girl would have been white would the baby have to die! I think that the two stories have a plan in mind. Their plan is to be able to tell readers how it probably was during the late years of segregation and racial bias toward black Americans. These stories are compared as Characterization because the writers from both pieces of literature were able to show the reader the individuality of the two girls. Conflict is one important term being used in these short stories for example both girl are faced in a racial situation of not wanting to be who they are and making it seem to be okay of their actions. One good term of these passages would be mood, the mood of both characters are able to be understood and felt. The writers of both short story/poem are very detailed about the feeling and the thoughts of both protagonist characters. I have proved that both of these short story and poem are related in because of all the evidence is there to be read! REFERENCES: https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG125.10.2/sections/h3.2 New Literary History: A Journey of Theory and Interpretation, Richard Shusterman, 1800-1899 ------------------------------------------------- What It's Like to Be a Black Girl (For Those of You Who Aren't) Patricia Smith (1991) ------------------------------------------------- Country Lovers Nadine Gordimer (1975)