Literary Analysis
Literary Analysis
Stephanie Butler
ENG 125 Introduction to Literature
1-12-15
There are many types of prejudice in our world, but in the two literary works “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer and “What it’s like to be a black girl” by Patricia Smith, racism is the prejudice that the characters are battling with. Unfortunately racism is a global problem, but these stories discuss racism in America. These writers have used their ability to write to discuss these problems by short story and poem. Many literary devices can be found in both of these works, but I will discuss point of view, symbolism, climax, theme, mood, and imagery. Literary devices enhance the reading experience and the underlying meaning of a story. The conflict in common in "Country Lovers" by Nadine Gordimer and "What it's like to be a black girl" by Patricia Smith is Individual versus society because the characters in both literary works are struggling with racism in their society.
According to Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature, a conflict is “the opposition of persons or forces upon which the dramatic action depends”. (Merriam-Webster, 1995) The conflict that will be discussed is Individual versus Society. This conflict is when a character has an issue with a social or moral problem. Racism is an individual versus society conflict. In the short story, “Country Lovers”, a young white man and a young black woman are in love in a society that is not accepting of mixed relationships. In this era, even the poorest white person was more respected than any black person. The friends are forced to meet in secret because it was not socially acceptable to be together. In the story the relationship between blacks and whites are described “so that by the time early adolescence is reached, the black children are making along with the bodily changes common to all, an easy transition to adult forms of address, beginning to call their old playmates missus and baasie little
Stephanie Butler
ENG 125 Introduction to Literature
1-12-15
There are many types of prejudice in our world, but in the two literary works “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer and “What it’s like to be a black girl” by Patricia Smith, racism is the prejudice that the characters are battling with. Unfortunately racism is a global problem, but these stories discuss racism in America. These writers have used their ability to write to discuss these problems by short story and poem. Many literary devices can be found in both of these works, but I will discuss point of view, symbolism, climax, theme, mood, and imagery. Literary devices enhance the reading experience and the underlying meaning of a story. The conflict in common in "Country Lovers" by Nadine Gordimer and "What it's like to be a black girl" by Patricia Smith is Individual versus society because the characters in both literary works are struggling with racism in their society.
According to Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature, a conflict is “the opposition of persons or forces upon which the dramatic action depends”. (Merriam-Webster, 1995) The conflict that will be discussed is Individual versus Society. This conflict is when a character has an issue with a social or moral problem. Racism is an individual versus society conflict. In the short story, “Country Lovers”, a young white man and a young black woman are in love in a society that is not accepting of mixed relationships. In this era, even the poorest white person was more respected than any black person. The friends are forced to meet in secret because it was not socially acceptable to be together. In the story the relationship between blacks and whites are described “so that by the time early adolescence is reached, the black children are making along with the bodily changes common to all, an easy transition to adult forms of address, beginning to call their old playmates missus and baasie little