The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf

Class discussions on feminism have hit on the issue of objectivity verses subjectivity. It is important to abandon one's own context of self when examining others. Their perspective is often much different based on their own personal experiences and beliefs. This issue is a common problem in "The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf." Not only do white Americans fail to practice this against Khadra and the Muslim community, but Khadra's family fails in return. Both parties involved seem to view the other group as the "others," which is an essential flaw in their pattern of thinking.

Khadra and her family often express negative views towards white Americans throughout the novel. Perhaps this is their way of reciprocating the negative actions they receive on a daily basis. However, their statements show how jumping to conclusions about "others" opens the door to ignorance. For example, the Shamy's believe that "Americans led shallow, wasteful, materialistic lives (68)." Furthermore, "Islam could solve many of their social ills (68)." This is an "us vs. them" mentality. A person from a Western background reading this book would probably disagree with this assessment. Most likely, these strong differences are due to the absence of Western culture in the Shamy home. As a result, they are uninformed and are not able to make an accurate judgement of white Americans.

While the Shamy's hold a negative attitude towards Western culture, they are surprised to see some of their preconceptions fail. Upon making the haj to Mecca, Khadra notices two whites on the plane. She consequently accuses them of planning to prey on Saudi oil (159). Wajdy clarifies this by saying that they were on the haj as well, to which the entire Shamy family is stunned to hear. This seemed to have an effect on Ebtehaj, who later defended Americans and their way of life (171). This shows the reader that although we may have preconceived notions about another group of people, it is important to look past them. You must see each person as an individual, not a member of a stereotype. This way we can more completely understand each other, with the goal of someday erasing prejudice and racism altogether.

Thoughts on "Kindred"

"Kindred" is an interesting example of a first-person American slavery narrative, due to the fact that it is told by a modern day black woman. This fact makes the narrative seem more real, and often shocking at times. Dana seems more like a real person to the reader than a story one would encounter during a history lesson. As a result, her story stands out and deserves attention. Dana's story shows the reader the hardships of slavery, both psychologically and physically; and how these hardships are not how modern day Americans picture them.

As Dana visits Rufus in the past she eventually becomes enslaved at the Weylin plantation. She almost does so without even noticing. At first it seems that Dana believes that the role of the slave is to merely do the chores of the house and be respectful of the masters, but as she spends time with the Weylin's she learns otherwise. Upon watching Wyelin beat a slave for talking back, Dana realizes the situation she is in. "The whipping served its purpose as far as I was concerned. It scared me, made me wonder how long it would be before I made a mistake that would give someone reason to whip me (92)." As time wears on Dana is subjected to verbal abuse at the hands of Mrs. Weylin (93) and is worked harder and harder. While her workload increases, her list of rights decreases. For example, Dana is forced to read to Rufus, but she is not allowed to read for herself (97). The realization that she is a piece of property rather than a human being finally settles in when she is whipped by Mr. Weylin for teaching Nigel how to read (107).

At this point, Dana realizes her misconceptions about the life of a slave. She had been beaten for something so implicit in today's society, that of teaching another human being how to read. Before going into slavery the idea seemed interesting to her, as long as her stay on the plantation was temporary. Perhaps, Dana had no idea what slavery was about. Before knowing slavery first-hand, she once described the labor agency she worked for as a slave market (52). Now she knew the devastating restrictions placed upon the people brought into slavery. If you went against the master's orders, just once, you paid severe consequences. There was no relationship with the white man as a slave, only total authoritarian rule. As time wears on, each trip to the Wyelin home becomes increasingly harder on Dana, both physically and mentally. She struggles with getting whipped and beaten by her masters, as well as the cycle of lies and betrayal committed by Rufus. Slavery is real to Dana by this point, and it is more than she ever could have prepared herself for.

It is hard to picture a time in America in which these terrible things happened on a regular basis. We learn about slavery in school and read about it in books, but we never truly see the effects slavery had on this country. Dana, however, had the opportunity to see, and feel, slavery first hand. Her sacrifice allowed us to see the horrible things prejudice, racism, and discrimination can lead to. Dana's story was not told in vein, though. We can use this story to structure our actions on a daily basis in today's world based on what the past has taught us.

Analysis of "The Bluest Eye"

The story told by Toni Morrison in "The Bluest Eye" is a collection of experiences of several different characters. Much like the Dick and Jane narrative at the beginning of the novel, these individual experiences seem to jump from topic to topic without much of an explanation. Also, the overall feel of the novel, like the beginning narrative, is disturbing as a whole. The purpose of the Dick and Jane reference at the beginning of the book is to foreshadow the tone of the story. Therefore, the question must be asked: What are the disturbing qualities of "The Bluest Eye"? While several things take place that can be considered disturbing to the reader, I believe that the difference in which whites and blacks are portrayed is most disturbing.

Throughout the novel, Morrison seems to place White America on a pedestal above all other races. For instance, many of the characters saw white as beautiful and black as ugly. A good example of this can be seen in the description of Maureen Peal, who was a light skinned African American girl new to school. "She enchanted the entire school...Black boys didn't trip her in the halls; white boys didn't stone her, white girls didn't suck their teeth when she was assigned to be their work partners; black girls stepped aside when she wanted to use the sink in the girls' toilet, and their eyes genuflected under sliding lids (62)." This description of Maureen almost depicts her as having as much respect as a white girl, during a time in which discrimination was rampant. Another instance in which white skin seems favorable is Pauline Breedlove's affectionate behavior towards the daughter of the white family in which she kept house (109). It also seems worth noting that having "white blood" in your family history is quite important. "He (Soaphead Church) had been reared in a family proud of its academic accomplishments and its mixed blood - in fact, they believed the former was based on the latter (167)." Over and over, Morrison seems to overemphasize white beauty while ignoring the beautiful qualities of African Americans. What message, if any, is she trying to send to the reader?

I believe that Morrison shows this dichotomy between blacks and whites in order to point out the absurdity of discrimination and racism. How can one race adore itself so much that it completely rejects all other standards of beauty? Morrison shows the reader what the world may look like if social injustices go unchecked. It is a strange world to us now, but might not have been during the time she wrote this book. The important message is this: take pride in your heritage and individuality. Find the beauty in yourself, others like you, and the world around you.