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I have a dream

“Like the good Reverend King I too “have a dream,” But when I wake up I forget it and Remember I’m running late for work.” The final words of R ö lf Kaufman linger in the reader’s ears as they finish the novel. Gunnar’s father who has not played a significant role in his son’s life, or his audience’s experience, for that matter, ends the novel so dramatically, leaving the reader with a vague understanding of Beatty’s thesis. The Kaufmann family history is excessively degrading but when told by Gunnar, has several humorous aspects that may cause the reader to laugh. Laughter is an important theme of the novel, and the question of whether Gunnar has continued the role as an entertainer as his family lineage has predestined him to is prevalent throughout the novel. Now it appears that for the first time, the audience has an inside look into his father’s thoughts. His father works for the LAPD as a police officer but also poses as a sort of reference for identifying criminal
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Scoby's Gift

“I’m no fucking Tiki doll, no fucking icon. (…) It’s not fair. I wasn’t born to make them happy.” During Scoby’s meltdown, he recounts all the times he has been revered as a god, by his fans. However, Nick doesn’t want the pressure and he does not appreciate being a sort of mascot, barely acknowledged as human. The burden of perfection isn’t necessarily what causes him to crack, rather he fears the consequences of his “gift”. As Gunnar puts it, “The worst thing he can do is perform well. Because then there is no turning back.” Especially for African Americans, if they are exceptional in some way, they are used as part of a show or entertainment. Similarly, Gunnar’s role at his old school was the funny, cool, black guy, and although he may not have been the butt of the joke, like his father, he was still there to entertain. The White Boy Shuffle reminded me of the film Do the Right Thing , which we have been discussing in Race, Class, Gender. Especially relating to Scoby’s talent,
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Trauma and Forgiveness

Toni Morrison’s Beloved is told from various character perspectives, but one prominent character does not share his view with the audience. Although Halle is arguably a main character of the novel, the reader only knows about him from the “rememories” of Paul D. and Sethe. This may be, because he is dead, or likely to be dead as the reader, Sethe, and Baby Suggs presume. The deceased do not share their thoughts with the reader, although their actions might be interpreted, for example, Beloved certainly shares some of her emotions with the reader, through her actions while haunting 124. However, Beloved is a special case, as she has been reincarnated in some unimaginable way. “Rememory” is an incredibly important term and expression of this novel, as they not only provide vivid insights on the past but can also change in the present. Not only does Paul D. change the environment Sethe lives in, in the present, but he also changes her entire perspective on the past. In a sense, Paul
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The Courtroom

The four-page court scene in Their Eyes Were Watching God is in stark contrast to Bigger’s trial in Wright’s Native Son. While this particular scene seems almost insignificant to Hurston’s overall plot, it is arguably the most essential chapter of Wright’s work. In Wright’s critique of Hurston’s work, he argues that she does not address any social issues, and read at face value, there might be some truth to the statement. Janie lives in an all African American community and race does not play an important role at the start of the novel. Race is arguably not the main discussion point in the courtroom scene either, although there are quite a few instances where Hurston points out the discriminatory aspects of the court system, as “all of the colored people were standing up in the back of the courtroom,” unable to participate as “Mr. Prescott glared at the back of the house”. The trial by a jury of “peers” are all white men and Janie didn’t understand why “twelve strange men who didn
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Janie's Hair

Although we have only covered the first couple chapters of the novel their eyes were watching god , it is apparent that metaphors and figurative language play an essential role in the narration of the story. Not only does the narrator use allegory throughout this tale, but the dialogue incorporates a lyrical tone to a point where it seems quite unnatural. Janie Crawford’s hair is one of her most defining physical characteristics and can also be viewed as a metaphor throughout the novel. Janie’s hair is straight, which is usually a trait of Caucasian hair, specifically reminding the reader that Janie Crawford’s father and grandfather were white, which may be important for the further reading of the text. Janie doesn’t know much about her parents, as she was raised primarily by her grandmother. However, the reader is given many contextual clues as to her parent’s relationship. Nanny Crawford was originally a domestic slave and was raped by her owner. His wife became jealous of her an
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Insanity or Clarity?

Insanity – the state of being seriously mentally ill; madness. Throughout Invisible Man , the reader encounters several characters who are defined by this description. Ellison also allows his audience to question the Narrator’s sanity, as the dreamlike visions of his life leave us questioning his reliability and rationale. As the Narrator tells his story, he describes several characters as being mentally unstable, starting with his grandfather. When he spoke of undermining white society, the parents removed the children from the room and drew the blinds, calling him crazy. The grandfather had never spoken of such things before and obviously they were shocked that he would hold such a viewpoint, but that doesn’t explain their overly drastic actions. The vet is another example of this same occurrence. The narrator and his family react the way they do because they know that these “insane” people are correct. Especially for the narrator, however, this is something that is almost impossib
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Mr. Norton’s Destiny

In class, we discussed how Mr. Norton and Mr. Dalton represent similar stock characters in the two novels. They believe they are contributing to Bigger’s and the Narrator’s “people” while they are practically doing the opposite. In Ellison’s Invisible Man, Mr. Norton is portrayed as a type of white god, who graces the campus with his presence, once or twice per year. He comes “bearing gifts” when he visits, as he is a wealthy donor and important contributor, and the Narrator compares him to St. Nicholas. As the reader learns in later chapters, it is of the utmost importance that these wealthy benefactors only see what they are meant to, never truly learning about the surrounding environment of the campus. The narrator, oblivious to this implicit rule, breaks it, in every way possible.             “Will you promise to tell me my fate?” asked Norton. The narrator totally baffled by the question is surprised that he would ask such a thing. Why would it be important to Norton that th
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