How It Feels To Be Colored Me (Zora Neale Hurston) Analysis

In the essay, How It Feels To Be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston, the author tells an autobiographical story regarding her realization that her color would make others attempt to make her feel different or less than. Hurston, an American civil rights activist, novelist and Columbia university alumni, writes this piece in hopes of getting people to understand that your race should not define who you are. She describes a younger version of herself growing up in “an exclusively colored” (Hurston 114) community in Florida. It’s here that Hurston’s splendid use of imagery comes in as she paints the perfect picture of her childhood, sitting on her neighborhood gate-post welcoming everyone who passed. While many hid in their homes watching from the creases in their blinds as white people passed, Hurston explains how she saw no difference between whites and colored, she only saw people and welcomed everyone the same. The way she described her neighbors and environment help readers understand the tension and skepticism between these two races during this time. She goes on to explain that when she was thirteen years old she had to move to Jacksonville, Florida and all of a sudden she “was now a little colored girl” (Hurston 115). Hurston uses a unique style of diction that helps the reader connect to her childhood self even further. She even describes her life as “helter-skelter skirmish” (Hurston 115), but refuses to accept that it is any less than anyone else’s simply due to the pigment of her skin. It becomes fairly clear that she is speaking to African Americans as she often brings up that fact that they use their ancestry, the way they are sometimes treated and simply their color to determine their emotions and their ability in life. However, she always corresponds those notions with her own thoughts and motivations convinced that color will not steer her life. Her use of diction, imagery and connections to her personal mindset all contribute to her success in conveying her purpose.

"The Skin You're In"

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Bop (Langston Hughes) Analysis

The premise of Bop is that human beings are often sculpted by their racial struggles. The essay was crafted by Langston Hughes, a historical poet, novelist and playwright who had a huge impact on people as his writing made him the leading voice of the 1920's Harlem Renaissance. The story takes place in an urban area on the stoop of an apartment as the narrator and another man, Simple, listen to be-bop music and spark a discussion about exactly what it is trying to convey. It was the late 1940’s, a time when be-bop and jazz were generally popular. Hughes uses Simple to explain that be-bop isn’t just a variety of crazy noises and random words, it’s a release of intense emotion black people have kept bottled up about unfair treatment and abuse from whites. Hughes is able to effectively make his point clear by giving the character, Simple, a strong voice on the topic. While the narrator does not understand the difference between “re-bop” and “be-bop”, Simple has no problem distinguishing the two apart. His passion toward the topic is definitely expressed as he explains to the narrator that re-bop is merely a knockoff created by white people, of the true, soulful, intense outbreak of emotion converted into music known as be-bop. The settings and characters really help solidify Hughes point. The way that they speak to one another, causal, but firm on their stances toward the topic, make it feel real and help the reader understand how racial struggles can greatly effect a person’s actions and opinions. This expression is even taken a step further as Hughes allows Simple to put ourselves in his shoes and see what it was like being an African American in that day and age. Simple describes an average situation where he may be in a certain area and run into a few police officers. He explains that they would question him simply due to his race, he would have to answer, and he states “…if my answers to not satisfy them, BOP!” (Hughes 191), trying to express that they would beat him. Hughes successfully conveys his purpose by allowing the characters to speak their minds as well as their experiences and by additionally creating a realistic environment and mindset.

 

 

"Release"
Image Source: Positive Music Imperative

Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying (Adrienne Rich) Analysis

Adrienne Rich is a world renowned poet, critic and scholar. She is also a feminist who has made huge leaps and bounds for the women's movement. In her famous essay Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying, she aims to make it clear that the possibilities of a relationship built on truth are endless but often lies are produced to avoid complexity. She speaks mainly to women, who feel their only source of power in their relationships are developed through lying. To convey her message, Rich makes this essay especially enjoyable by depicting exactly why it is women tell lies in certain situations. She describes a feeling of emptiness and nothingness in one’s life called “the void” (Rich 415). She goes on to explain that women are accustomed to lie in order to avoid facing this void and their own feelings of self-mediocrity. This section was very relatable as everyone has lied, and it usually is to avoid facing the fear that one’s “own truths are not good enough” (Rich 415). However, she makes it clear that by throwing more lies into “the void” women are defeating their ability to evolve both themselves and their relationships. They lie about who they are and what they can do instead of telling the truth and encouraging themselves to grow into that person. Rich also delved into the topic of sexuality for women and produced an argument about why lies are usually so embedded in this. She explains that most lesbians are so afraid of heterosexual institution in society labeling them “a pervert, a criminal, a sick or dangerous woman…” (Rich 415), that they turn to lying about it as it seems like “an easy way to avoid conflict or complication” (Rich 415). Rich then connects the struggle to be honest about “erotic feelings toward women” (Rich 415) to her own life stating she has “lived half a lifetime in the lie of that denial” (Rich 415). She conveyed how lies like these to people who we believe have power over us spill over into our relationships with those who don’t and hinder women from having honest, highly developed relationships. The way that Rich sets up her essay in a format which introduces a certain type of lying (romantic relationship, sexuality, personal relationship, etc…), then explains why it is done and how it is ineffective toward the evolution of healthy relationships, successfully gets her point across. She shows that lying is an easy way to escape dealing with a complex situation as the whole point is to “make everything simpler” (Rich 413). However, it ends up only creating a bigger void. She did a stellar job showing her purpose by both connecting the reader to the liar’s thoughts and emotions through relatable examples and sharing personal struggles and triumphs.

"Lying is the quickest way to ruin a beautiful relationship" -Anonymous

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