Prejudice In Literature Essays - Guggenheim Fellows,

Prejudice In Literature Toni Morrison's, The Bluest Eye, Alice Walker's , The Color Purple , and Richard Wright's autobiography , Black Boy , all represent prejudicy . The preceding novels show the characters were typical victims, not understading the division of power amongst races. The Bluest Eye , a heart breaking story of a little back girl living in Lorain, Ohio during the 1930's, manifest the longing of Pecola Breedlove's obsession for love. In order to achieve love she would have to deny herself of her true identity and surrender to what is thought to be beautiful and superior: little white girls "gifted" with blond hair and blue eyes. The novel procalaims the nation's love for little white girls. Sadly, Pecola wishes every night to abolish her ugliness: her blackness. If she could only become "beautiful" she would be loved , rather then become the subject of hatred ranging fom people like her mother tro her teachers to her classmates. Recounting the story of a black girl's hardship's in the world of prejudice, Alice Walker's , The Color Purple presents a moving story of love, ill-treatment, and growth. Celie, the main character, advances toward inner growth changing from a abused and submissive wife to an independent and confident black women. The story is written in Celie's journal addressed to God. This is because the only person she thinks she can trust is God I with her secrets. From Celie's journal the reader finds out about other characters in the novel such as Alfonso, Mr._____, Shug, Nettie, and Harpo. The theme of the novel is straightforward and simple. Like many of the other novels devoted to the mistreatment of blacks and black women especially. Much of the novel reflect points in the authors life. The novel is derived from Alice Walker's own personal experience, growing up in the rural south as an abused and uneducated child. Black Boy is an autobiography about Richard Wright. He was born in the rural Mississippi, the grandson of slaves. Richard Wright overcame every social obstacle including poverty, racism and limited education to achieve the regonition as the creator of America's most powerful literature. Black Boy, Richard Wright's autobiography, covers his childhood and early adulthood. It opens with four-year-old Richard's rebellion against authority. In order to occupy his time Richard accidently burns down his grandfathers house. "My idea was growing. Now I was wondering how the long fluffy curatians would look if I held the burning straws under them( pg 11)." All throughout the entire novel Richard has some type of hunger. His hunger gets him into trouble. At the time, Richard was and resentful of his mother's command of silence. After his mother determined that he was unharmed, she beat him so badly that he lost consciousness. When Richard and his brother were very young, Nathan Wright, their father, a sharecropper , abandoned the family, plunging them into poverty. Richard's constant hunger made him extremely bitter toward his father. Over the next few years, Ella, Richard's mother, would desperately attempt to feed, clothe, and shelter her children. Her long hours of work often meant leaving her children with little supervision. When Richard was six years old, he began begging drinks in a nearby saloon where the customers plied him with nickels if he would repeat various curse words and offensive phrases. When beatings didn't work helpfully with his growing obsession with alcohol, Ella engaged the babysitting services of an older black woman in the neighborhood who watched every move. Ella moved in with her sister, Maggie, and Maggie's husband, Silas Hoskins. Hoskins was the owner of a successful saloon, so there was always more than enough food to eat. Nevertheless, Richard was unable to lose the fear that his hunger would return anew, so he hoarded food all over the house. Unfortunately, the newly found stableness was not destined to last. The local whites were jealous of Hoskins's profitable business, so they murdered him and threatened to kill the rest of his family. Maggie and Ella fled with the two boys to live in another town. Maggie and Ella's combined wages proved adequate to feed and clothe Richard and his brother, but Maggie became involved with "Professor" Matthews, a wanted man. Matthews, being a wanted man gave the children valued things and a puppy.Shortly after Richard desired to sell the dog for money to sooth his hunger. The lady only having 97 cents was denied new ownership of the puppy. A week later the dog was run over and killed. Ella and the children fled to