Looking At Womens Sexuality In Cane English Literature Essay

Looking At Womens Sexuality In Cane English Literature Essay The Harlem Renaissance was a time period when the African American art and culture started to thrive. This time period many African American people started feeling more assimilated with American culture then before. The migration from the suppressed south to the north is what ushered in the Harlem Renaissance period. This was also a time where African Americans had let down their inhibitions which in turn paved the way for the culture to come through. Still, many black people had to go through challenging times. Many of the southern blacks had to deal with racial beatings and lynching. The author who really drew a vivid picture of the lives of southern black people was Jean Toomer. Toomer wrote his famous novel Cane at the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance which further inspired other African American artist. In Cane, Toomer uses vibrant imagery of Georgia and symbolism to show the lives of southern black people. His stories Portrait in Georgia and Georgia Dusk mention lynchings th at white people use in attempt to show black people who the powerful race is. Other stories like Song of the Son and Cotton Song echo the past history of slavery. One prominent theme that seems to be relevant in Cane is sexuality, or more prominently black womens sexuality. In the first story Karintha, Toomer tells of a girl who Men had always wantedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦even as a child (Toomer 1). The lust of Karintha at a young age was one so tempting that even older men wished for youth so they would have a chance with her. This changes though when She played home with a small boy who was not afraid to do her bidding (Toomer 1). This line seems to imply that Karintha married a man who could provide certain things to her. Further lines that talk about the old men who remind Karintha of when they use to lust after her, mentions that she Smiles, and indulges them when she is in the mood for it, which supports the idea that Karintha has turned into a prostitute. This is also evident when Toomer explains: The attention given to Karintha was only used for her sexuality. Ultimately, the lust for Karintha dehumanized her existence and The soul of her was a growing thing ripened too soon (Toomer 2). This quote reinforces the idea of Karintha being a prostitute. From these actions it could also be implied that Karintha had a stillborn baby when Toomer writes But Karintha is a woman, and she has had a child. A child fell out of her womb onto a bed of pine-needles in the forest (Toomer 2). At the beginning of this story, Toomer shows the innocence of a young Karintha, he then contrasted that to an older used Karintha. Another story Carma is about a black woman who is strong as any man (Toomer 10). Carmas promiscuous sexuality is what ultimately lands her husband in a chain gang. The story goes on to explain that Carma has an extramarital affair She had others. No one blames her for that (Toomer 11). She might not be blamed for that, but she is blamed after her husband finds out about the affair. This leads to Carma shooting herself to gain more sympathy from him. This does nothing but anger her husband who states Twice deceived, and one deception proved the other, then kills a man next to him (Toomer 11). Toomer portrays Carma as somewhat of a she devil for her promiscuous sexuality that angers her husband who ends up serving his time. Toomer shows the opposite of the sexual promiscuity in the last two stories with Fern. Fern is a black woman whose body is sexualized by other men but she purposefully remains a virgin. While men thought that Ferns eyes said to them that she was easy, really she did not feel obliged to satisfy their needs. Men could not believe that she would not have them and A sort of superstition crept into their consciousness of her being somehow above them. Being above them meant that she was not to be approached by anyone. She became a virgin (Toomer 14). It the story it says that while being a virgin is normal, not wanting to reproduce is not and that black folks were made to mate (Toomer 15). It could be assumed that Fern is portrayed as a Madonna, which would coincide with a line in another one of Toomers stories that mentions a Negress who drew a portrait of a black Madonna on the courthouse wall (Toomer 21). After the narrator spend time with Fern, he breaks down the real Fern who ended up fainting in his arms. The men in the town hear about this and the narrator is given dirty looks because they felt he had in some way threatened their black Madonna. Toomer uses vivid images of the landscape in the story. At the end, he connects Fern with the detailed landscape. Toomers next story Esther, is a about a black girl who looks like a little white child (Toomer 20). Through the story Esther badly wants to associate herself to the black culture but finds it hard because she is lighter and her dad is the richest black person in town. Esther in not portrayed as a black temptress like in the other stories in Cane; she is considered not attractive. Esther dreams of being accepted into the black culture. In one, she dreams there is a fire in the town which could be seen as a metaphor for her desire. When the fire starts the women scoot in all directions leaving Esther with a baby who is Black, signed, woolly, tobacco-juice baby-ugly as sin. Once held to her breast, miraculous thing: its breath is sweet and its lips can nibble (Toomer 22). This can be interpreted as Esther thinking that she needs a dark skinned baby to feel less light skinned. While the people in her dream might see the baby as ugly, she sees it as her bond to darker skin, forgetting her own color. Esther knows that men do not notice her and even says I dont appeal to them. I wonder why (Toomer 22). This is when her obsession with a black man named Barlo begins because it helps her forget she is lighter. She wants to offer herself to Barlo so she will be able to conceive her dark skinned child she had dreamed of, thus becoming more darkened. When Barlo returns to town she seeks to meet him face to face to give her body to him which does not turn out well as he recognizes her lighter skin tone. With the failed disappointment Esther tells herself The thought comes suddenly, that conception with a drunken man must be a mighty sin (Toomer 25). Her dreams to reproduce with Barlo failed, she becomes completely disembodied. At the end of this story, the town disappears along with her dreams. While the men in African American culture tried so hard to get away from the view that white people had, believing black people to be over sexualized beings, Toomer portrayed his black women just as that. While there has been a social stigma surrounding the false belief that African American women are over sexualized, some of the stories such as Karintha, Carma, and Fern do nothing to discredit that belief. Granted, this was not a stronger theme in these stories that lynching or slavery was. That being said, the Harlem Renaissance period was a time when white people had started to notice African American art and Toomer tried to accurately display the real lives of African Americans in Cane.

How to Write a Synthesis Essay :: Synthesis Essay

1. What is a synthesis? A synthesis is a written discussion incorporating support from several sources of differing views. This type of assignment requires that you examine a variety of sources and identify their relationship to your thesis. 2. Synthesis is used in: Analysis papers to examine related theories. For example a comparison between the theories of evolution or who shot JFK. Research papers to incorporate multiple sources. For example looking at economic and social effects of proposed legislation. Argument papers to compare differing views and support a coherent claim. For example, is Turn it in a violation of student’s rights? One side may argue that the company steals students’ papers while others claim that students agree to have their work archived. Business reports to examine differing ideas and blend into a coherent plan. For example, what are some of the plans to improve Toledo’s waterfront to attract more visitors and increase business opportunities? 3. Tips for an effective synthesis essay: Establish your purpose to shape the way you want to argue and form your thesis. The thesis is the main claim or idea of your essay. Select your sources and become familiar with them so that you can discuss them in relationship to your thesis and supporting argument(s). If you simply quote sources without evaluating them then the sources will control your paper and your audience will may misinterpret the information. Develop an organizational plan. Arrange more than just one source per point; multiple sources will increase your credibility. Look at how sources may agree or disagree with one another and evaluate which source has better logic or more credibility. Evaluate or interpret each source, then show the relationship between the sources and your thesis. Document each source; note the author and page number as well as listing the source on the Works Cited page to avoid plagiarism.

How is the atmosphere of evil achieved in Macbeth? Essay

† Fair is foul, and foul is fair; Hover through the fog and filthy air† (I,i,L-11-12) The witches immediately set the scene for the whole play with these two lines at the end of Scene One. They are describing a role-reversal where everything that was good is now evil, and everything that was evil has become good. These ‘creatures’ (for there is some doubt as to whether they are actually human) are responsible for much of the atmosphere that is created in the play as a whole). They are also one of the driving forces behind Macbeth’s ambition, because if they hadn’t told him that he’d â€Å"†¦be King hereafter† (I,iii, L-50) he would never have wanted to become King, or at least he would have waited his turn. The witches therefore gave him the initial spur to kill Duncan, and are the cause of unnatural effects that happen in the play. These are also a main factor in the atmosphere that is created. Ross talks to an Old Man in Act 2 about â€Å"†¦the heavens† being â€Å"†¦troubled with man’s act† and says that â€Å"by th’ clock ’tis day† (II,iv, L 6-7). He is explaining how the sky has been perpetually dark for as long as he (and the audience) can remember. The effect of the sky being dark on Shakespeare’s audience would be profound. Since they saw the whole of nature as created by God, an evil force overturning creation and the equilibrium of nature would undoubtedly shock and quieten the audience. Ross also describes inversions in the animal world. Ross’s first example is of â€Å"A falcon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  being â€Å"†¦hawked at, and killed† by a mousing owl (II,iv, L 12-13). He also tells how â€Å"Duncan’s horses†¦turned wild in nature†¦as they would make war with mankind†. Shakespeare here makes a reference to the â€Å"Chain of Being†, in which it was thought that all animals, humans, plants and objects had their place. The tales that Ross tells are all of creatures trying to move up in the Chain of Being. The owl is below the falcon in the Chain of Being, and so due to the supernatural, the owl wants to become greater and ‘usurp’ the falcon. The horses are trying to fight against humans. At the start of the play, Macbeth is a patriarchal figure. He’s a strong warrior who is also loyal to King Duncan. This all changes soon after he meets the witches. There was no way he would ever think about killing Duncan. Indeed, his wife has to use a strong argument to persuade him to go through with the murder. After he has gone through with it, after a short period of anxiety, and almost insanity, Macbeth does not hesitate when planning to â€Å"seize upon Fife† and â€Å"give to the edge o’ th’ the sword/His wife his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line† (IV,iii, L 151-153). This shows what a dramatic and startling effect the witches prophecies and Macbeth’s actions have had upon him. At the start of this essay I mentioned how the witches set the scene of the play. During the play, they also continue the evil and unsettling atmosphere by their numerous appearances with Macbeth, or on their own. One such scene is at the start of Act 4 when the witches all use powerful and descriptive language to disgust and amaze the audience. For example, all kinds of parts of all kinds of dissected animals are thrown into their â€Å"charmed pot†. They throw in the â€Å"wool of bat, and tongue of dog† and â€Å"eye of newt, toe of frog†. (IV,i, L 14-15). To Shakespeare’s audience this will have not only disgusted the audience but such witchcraft would have frightened them as well. The other theatrical tool that Shakespeare employs is to use strange and vivid characters to show how the evil has been absorbed into every living thing. I’ve already mentioned the witches, but nearly every character (except for the ‘non-evil’ people like Duncan) are affected in some way. Lady Macbeth is seen reading a letter in Act I Scene 5, and also talking to the evil spirits which she believes to be at play. This could show how she is affected in the play as a whole. Macbeth is also dramatically affected, as I have already mentioned. The Porter is another character who is in the play to both amuse and unnerve (two ideas seldom used together). He does this through his loud and aggressive soliloquy and his mentioning of satanic ideas.

Temperance And Prohibition Propaganda - 845 Words

Religion was the main reason behind Temperance and Prohibition movement. The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant revival that started around the1800’s in the United States. The revivals attracted hundreds of new followers to the Protestant denomination. Massachusetts passed a Temperance law in 1838. If the alcohol where in quantities less than 15 gallons it was banned, The Temperance law was repealed two years later. In 1846 Maine passed the one of the first state prohibition law . Many other states followed by the time the Civil War began in 1861. â€Å"The temperance movement of the 19th and early 20th century was an organized in effort to encourage moderation in the consumption of intoxicating liquors or press for complete abstinence†.†¦show more content†¦The 18th amendment was ratified on January 29,1919. The amendment went into effect about a year later, 33 states had already authorized their own prohibition legislation. The National Prohibition Act. Provided guidelines for the federal enforcement of prohibition. â€Å"Championed by representative Andrew Volstead of Mississippi as the Volstead Act†. Even after President Woodrow Willison veto, the Volstead Act was passed by congress. The act was passed o n October 28, 1919. It was up to the Treasury Department/ Internal Revenue Service IRS for the enforcement of the Volstead Act using Prohibition agents employed through the IRS. It was eventually transferred to the Justice Department. Most of the enforcers could be bribed by the bootleggers. The government had fewer than 1,600 low paid, poorly trained prohibition agents for the entire country. â€Å"The public reaction to the introduction of prohibition was mixed. Less than one hour after prohibition took effect six gunmen hijacked a train in Chicago and stole over $100,000 worth of whiskey that was marked for medicinal use†. Prohibition led to organized crime. speakeasies, bootleggers, bathtub gin, and â€Å"a national wildness called the roaring twenties. Prohibition turned the small gangs that existed in the early 20th century into the powerful mafias that are still around today. A huge public demand for alcohol, made a veryShow MoreRelatedEssay on Prohibition: A Call For Reformation928 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the late eighteenth century, reformers and politics debated the sale of alcohol for many reasons. Issues such as prohibition caused many individuals to engage in politics and propaganda sometimes took the focus off the real problems. President Cleveland won the election in 1884 for the Republican Party, it was said to have been because of a quote by a Republican clergyman. 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