How It Feels To Be Colored Me Analysis

1031 Words5 Pages
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. In the essay, “The Handicapped” the main character is discriminated against because of his disabilities. In all three autobiographical essays, the main characters are being discriminated…show more content…
The difference between these two works is that rather than concentrating on racial inequality, Hurston’s words celebrate her own uniqueness and individuality. Although she first realizes at the age of thirteen that she might be different, "I remember the very day I became colored.” she does not consider it a disadvantage, “But I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes.” Hurston is aware that there are cultural differences between the races. She illustrates this point while on a trip to a jazz club with a male friend. While the music stirs an internal frenzy in Hurston, she soon realizes that her white companion is sitting there calmly and can only comment that the music was merely good. Furthermore, Hurston is bothered by the fact that people are constantly reminding her that she is the granddaughter of slaves, but instead of stirring up bitter feelings, she chooses to look towards a future filled with endless
Open Document