Sunday, March 21, 2010
Tradition and Identity Reevaluated
One of the prominent trends in modern and contemporary southern writing is the challenging and repudiation of tradition and the concomitant reevaluation of personal identity. Focusing on one of the following texts—the excerpts from Walker’s “Everyday Use,” Wright's “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow,”or Ransom’s “Old Mansion, indicate how the author challenges southern tradition and rescripts the notion of southern identity in the process. Limit your response to 250 words and sign your name. All responses must be posted by 9 am on Thursday, March 25, 2010.
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Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" challenges southern tradition by having a young African American girl,Dee, start do things differently than they had been traditionally done in her family. Dee began to branch out starting at a young age as Walker says, "At sixteen she had a style of her own: and knew what style was" (1019). Later on she even changes her name from Dee to Wangero. Walker even uses a character named Hakim-a-barber to demonstrate how people were beginning to change and have different ideals. Walker uses these characters to represent how African Americans were starting to show the new development of black culture.
ReplyDeleteBrian Ricks
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ReplyDeleteIn Wright's "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow", the southern tradition of writing was challenged quite a bit. THe narrator was a negro male and he went on to give great detail of what happened to him as a child and as he got older and entered the work field. He spoke of how he was not affected by the fact that he lived in a cinder neighborhood and the whites lived on the side of town with shrubs and trees. He felt as a child it was no big deal until the white boys had fought him with beer bottles while he and his friends had cinders. He had to deal with horrible working conditions growing up and the mistreatment of he and his peers. The greatest change in this piece of work is that Richard was able to speak of how he truly felt and showed how wrong the whites' perspective truly was which is much different than what we have read in other texts. It was the beginning of a new era in writing. It gave the colored man(and woman) a voice.
ReplyDeletePaige Coleman
Growing up and living in the south during the Jim Crow era forced African-Americans to learn how to survive. Adapting to their circumstances is a key theme of this piece. It amazes me even with my knowledge of that era that some of the monstrosities described in this writing happened. The cruelties and tortures that blacks were forced to suffer and endure through were so blatant and purposeful, and it is interesting to see the reaction from this author’s perspective. I think that what challenges the status quo of that time in this piece is that we are able to see this author’s true feelings. In that time, blacks weren’t considered human, or at least without feelings. They were not allowed to show feelings except for humility and subservience. This work most definitely breaks that tradition and casts a very different picture of the Jim Crow era than whites would typically like to believe.
ReplyDeleteAndy Woods
In Wright's "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow" Wright depicts his struggles though early childhood and the advice his mother gave him on assimilating into the culture of the world he grew up in. This advice, at least on a pseudo-intellectual position contributed to the welfare of his well being. This notion questions ore rather pokes moral judgment at the common belief of black's interpretation of their upbringing during this time in history in which their culture oppressed their style of living. Wright's contribution to this shows a more real side to the implications of life under the Jim Crow laws and its affect on the upbringings or black during the time.
ReplyDeleteWith everyday use Walker challenges traditional southern views a few different ways. One of the easier one to pick out is that Dee had changed her named. It was a name her mother gave her in naming her after her Aunt big Dee and a name that had been in her family forever. Another key point that challenges southern tradition is that Dee came home with a man the mother had never heard about. It even says after the mother learns how to say both of their names “They didn’t tell me, and I didn’t ask, whether Wangero had really gone and married him.” It is well established that Dee is every different from her family by the time you even meet her, with her having a style of her own and that style is what conflicts with the family and southern tradition. We learn later on that Dee only came home for things that she wanted to use in her own home, the man thing being it needed artist style and heritage. Dee was able to get two things she wanted but it is the quilts that she really wants and already thinks are hers that cause the conflict. Dee is new school and thinks the quilts should be hung on display with care to show off her heritage. Her mother and Maggie are old school, know how to quilt and want to give them everyday use like they are intend for.
ReplyDeleteMike Goins
In "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker black southern tradition is being challenged with the character Dee. In the beginning of the story Dee's mom talks about how her daughter does not consider her pretty because she is "big boned" and she is built to work like a man. This shows how the the traditional black woman's beauty has changed. Dee represents the modern black woman's beauty. She is a dainty kind of beautiful with nice hair and a full figure. Her mom describes her as havng a style of her own.
ReplyDeleteLiving in the south for African-Americans was no easy task. They were required to work the field from sun up to sun down every day without a break. It was back breaking work which even the strongest of men would eventually fall to fatigue. Even after putting in a full day’s work under the blistering son, they still were in fear of their masters beating them. The abuse they grew up in was unimaginable, and they knew nothing of another life where theses atrocities were not common. Growing up, children realize the way they are treated is wrong, but the adults do not back up their theories and instead tell them it is just the way life is for African-Americans at the time. African-Americans at the time grew up in a world when they were less than human. They are born thinking they have more sense of purpose in the world but time after time the white man will perform actions that will set a young African-American in his place. The author of this piece was extremely brave writing this piece. At the time, African-Americans were not to have an opinion about any matter of significance. This piece shows African-Americans knew what was right and wrong but were silenced with the threat of death or violence if they spoke up.
ReplyDelete-Scott Wilson
"The Ethics of Living Jim Crow," Wright challenges the very essence that was southern writing simply by having an African American narrator who was intelligent. Not only does Wright provide an honest, unbiased aspect of the trials and tribulations that an African American endured in and outside of the work force, but it also give the African Americans a voice when they used to not have one in literature. It is also clear that author's opinions on slavery and racism could come through in their writing unlike ever before. It may be a testament to society that a voice against segregation is not only tolerated, but accepted.
ReplyDelete-Megan Perry
In Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” southern tradition is challenged in a few ways. The character Dee is the main way the status quo for the south is challenged. She never really fit in with the lifestyle her mother had and even at a young age Dee had a style that was her very own. She went away to school in Augusta, once her mother had the money to send her. During this time it was not typical for African American women to attend college. They usually stayed with their families and went to work doing hard labor. Dee shows the new ways of thinking and she cannot remember her heritage of where she came from. She changes her name from Dee to Wangero because she felt being named after her relatives was oppressing to her. She wanted material goods to put on display to show off her heritage, but the items she wanted were meant for everyday use. Dee did not understand this and was unable to make quilts or use the churn like her mother and sister Maggie could. Dee definitely shows the new side of the African American woman because she was not the “normal” woman for her time and how things were beginning to change.
ReplyDeleteHeather Mitchell
Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" challenged southern tradition in a strange way. Dee is a young African American girl who defies tradition. One of her bigger acts against the norm is when she changes her name from Dee to Wangero. This is not a common name and kind of stands out. Also she leaves her home and goes off to college which is not common for a young African American female. Dee is not the typical girl who grows up learning how to do things around the house. She wants to be different and go against the current. Changing her name was another act that defied standard tradition. Normally you were given a name and it stuck with you, but Dee decides she needs to break away from tradition and do what she wants.
ReplyDeleteAustin Wilson
In “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow,” Wright is forced to grow up at a young age and face the harsh realities of the Jim Crow era. He is constantly learning to adapt to the views that white people had of African Americans and to the different situations that he experiences. Wrights continuous commentary of each situation he experiences allows the reader to see his point of view and how he viewed the treatment of African Americans. The reader is allowed to see just how awful the treatment of African Americans really is. Wright also adds remarks and comments which gives the reader an insight to their views and understands of the Jim Crow laws. The insight that an African American author gives to the text is important because during the time that this work was written, many African Americans did not have a say or influence in southern literature. This insight paves the way for rethinking of southern tradition.
ReplyDeleteKristen Whitaker
Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use,” addresses the challenging and repudiation of tradition and the concomitant reevaluation of personal identity through a character named Dee. Dee “is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure,” Dee went away to school and had a since of confidence that Maggie did not, “She was determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts.” Alice Walker makes it clear that Dee is her own person, and she has not allowed her environment to make her, rather she is striving to make her environment. Dee even changes her name from Dee to Wangero, to dissociate herself from her past and any association of slavery. Walker challenges southern tradition because she allows the character Dee to be who and what she wants to be and doesn’t force her to conform to the norm, or what is accepted to be right, She gives Dee a voice, a confidence and a personality that was not traditionally expected, helping to shine a new light on African American culture and the movement to self- worth and individuality.
ReplyDeleteFaran Brady
In Alice Walker’s everyday use the character Dee challenges the traditional values of southern identity in several ways. She thinks she is getting in touch with her true identity by getting in touch with her African roots. She dresses in African clothes, wears her hair in an African way and even went as far as changing her name. But Dee is not African; she has never even been to Africa. In reality she is disowning her true identity. By changing her name and acting like her mother and sister live in some sort of museum she is trying to hide who she really is.
ReplyDelete-Alex fisher