Country Lovers VS the Welcome Table Shantel Rider ENG125: Introduction to Literature Nathan Pritts October 1, 2012 Country Lovers VS the Welcome Table “Country Lovers” and “the Welcome Table” both deal with interracial problems. In “Country Lovers” the two young lovers are forbidden to see and be with each other because they are of different races. In “the Welcome Table” the little old lady is kicked out of church because she is black and it is a white church. I feel that both stories themes are shame and selfishness. In “Country Lovers” Thebedi and Paulus are sneaking around and get pregnant and do not think of the consequences and Paulus kills the baby when he finds out Thebedi has given birth to a baby and sees that it is light skin.
Any nature of discrimination is unlawful and violates our civil rights and our liberty of privacy. Today’s new concerns are gay rights. Many people are quiet about their sexuality not only because of what others will say but also the consequences they may face with their jobs and American laws. Yoshino gives an example of a young woman who asked for some time away from work for her honeymoon. Most individuals would have no problem with this and her boss did not either until it came to his knowledge that she married another woman.
When growing up, we did not speak in a negative way regarding other cultures. So, when things were directed towards me regarding my interracial relationship, it hurt me deeply to think my family did not approve. I was also told by my parents that I would be disowned if I continued to date a white man and would be cut out of their lives. My sisters did not understand why I preferred to date a white man and thought I must be depressed. My sisters also thought I needed counseling and needed to meet men of my race.
People said her meetings were disorderly, but she said she was following God. Mostly because she was being more than a wife and mother and going above her place as a woman, the church banished her. The church leadership was getting upset because she had said that certain pastors were wrong and that people should live only
Her father threatens to kill her just for kissing a black man. This shows how, one, Tom Robinson is completely alienated from the white society, and two, how Mayella is alienated for having romantic feelings for a black man. The final example in the book of characters being alienated is Dolphus Raymond. Scout and Dill have a telling encounter with Dolphus Raymond in Chapter 19. Dolphus alienates himself on purpose from society, as the kids learn in their encounter.
Racism and Interracial Relationships in “Desiree’s Baby” Written by Kate Chopin, “Desiree’s Baby” is a tragic but yet ironic love story that captures the reader’s attention, forcing them to question the shift in tone from happiness to tragedy. Set in Louisiana when slavery was not yet abolished, it focuses on the unequal feelings towards blacks and whites. Throughout the story, Chopin emphasizes the importance of racial purity within the lineage of a family. A woman of unknown origin, Desiree, is married to Armand, a wealthy slave owner. She bears his child whose skin seem to become darker months after the birth.
During Lily’s first spiritual encounter, she reached out her hand to touch the black Mary, but August stopped playing the cello abruptly. Lily knew it was because of her color. In addition, Lily was being faced with racism from other white people in Tiburon. “‘You’re staying in her house?’ she said” (p.157). Miss Lacy, Clayton Forrest’s secretary was appalled at the thought of a white girl staying with black women, referring to August as her.
Self-love and racism play a very important role in Zora Neale Hurston's “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” The theme of love with her Granny was force upon Janie and finding love within her was described as a pear tree and the horizon. Janie spent her days looking for passionate love in three different marriages. With the character of Mrs. Turner, she shows how everyone is racist in the world, and she is black herself but don’t want to realize it because she’s biracial. Hurston’s theme of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” was based on the Harlem Renaissance and was shown dramatically throughout of the book. First, the theme of love with her Granny was force upon Janie and finding love within her was described as a pear tree and the horizon.
Discrimination The existence of discrimination has and always will be a prevalent topic in our society. The protagonists in the stories “The Handicapped” by Randolph Bourne, “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow” by Richard Wright and “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston are all victims of some form of discrimination. There are many reasons that an individual might experience bias. Discrimination can be based on one’s race, religious affiliation, appearance or sexual orientation. In the essays “Ethics of Living Jim Crow” and “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” both of the main characters are discriminated against because of their race.
“Popular culture can sometimes quicken this silent transformation, because the atmosphere it creates and racist messages are so prevalent that they are difficult to ignore. Therefore, African- Americans are especially vulnerable to the messages conveyed by popular culture that white beauty will inevitably dominate people’s life.” She idolizes Shirley Temple unlike Claudia who despises Shirley. “Younger than both Frieda and Pecola, I had not yet arrived at the turning point in the development of my psyche which allowed me to love her. What I felt at the time was unsullied hatred” (Morrison pg.19). Claudia is too young to understand what is about Shirley that makes her beautiful and Claudia not.