Narrative Strategy in Hurstons Sweat :: Hurston Sweat Essays

Narrative Strategy in Hurston's Sweat The narrative strategy and point of view in Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat" mold the reader's understanding of the story. They craft the personalities of both Delia and Sykes as well as developing their relationship. The choice of a third person omniscient narrator charges the story with more brutal honesty than would any other type of narration. The scene where the village men discuss Sykes and Delia holds relevance as a narrative tool and explores an alternative point of view to the narrator. The narrator draws the character sketches of both Sykes and Delia. Hurston lets us see their thoughts that allow her to develop their personalities rapidly and thoroughly. In a story of roughly only seven and a half pages Hurston manages to create vivid and complex characters. Much of this can be credited to her choice of narration. Long passages of narration mixed with the dialogue design a relationship fed on pain: " She lay awake, gazing upon the debris that cluttered their matrimonial trail. Not an image left standing along the way. Anything like flowers had long ago been drowned in the salty stream that had been pressed from her heart. Her tears, her sweat, her blood" (1675). Since the thoughts of Sykes and Delia are so different, a series of contrasts develops their relationship and personalities. Hurston's choice of narrator lends believability to the entire story and makes Delia's plight more extreme. If Delia were the one telling the story things would be quite different. The reader would not give her version of the story the same credibility he gives that of an outside narrator. It also makes the reader more sympathetic for Delia. A combination of what Delia feels and what Sykes does to her leads the reader to feel sympathetically towards her. This can be clearly seen with the addition of Bertha--the other woman in Sykes life. "Too late now to hope for love, even if it were not Bertha it would be someone else " (1675). What happens to her seems truthful and real which directs the reader's expected reaction to the story. The scene where the men of the town discuss Delia and Sykes rounds the view of the characters. In this passage perhaps the most significant lines in the story can be found: "There's plenty men dat takes a wife lak dey do a joint uh sugarcane.

What Causes Racism

What causes Racism? Racism is one of the most revolting things within the vicinity of humanity. It haunts our past, many times degrading the future. The causes of racism aren't known to the majority of humans living on earth, however, a good fraction of them express it. In order to cure racism, or at least minimize its affects on humanity, we have to examine the root causes. Some of the causes of racism are: Stereotypes Unfamiliarity selfishness and environmental factors. | |One of the most common causes of racism is stereotypes. Through television, through radio, through the internet, through music, through books, and the like, the potential for stereo types to build are a definite possibility. When a person, especially one that is very young, is exposed to stereotypes of a specific group for the first time, then that person will assume all are that way. Likewise, when a source is constantly displaying negative things about a particular race, then that will affect the overall opinio ns as well.Another very common, and probably the most common cause of racism is unfamiliarity. People fear what they do not know or understand. If someone hasn't grown up around a particular race before, then there is more of a chance the person can be racist toward that particular group. Not all the time, but when the person has already been fed negative stereotypes, and does not have the actual real life experiences with at least one within the particular group, then the chances of racism are increased.This is why it is important for children to be around other races at a young age: to ensure they get their minds used and adapted to being around them, and also to help counterbalance any false stereotypes they may encounter in the future. Selfishness is another obvious cause of racism. Humans are sometimes very selfish creatures caring only about their own at the expense of others. If individuals aren't taught how to respect others, then the potential for the person to become racis t is increased as well. This is why you will find that most caring individuals aren't racist. Neither are they sexist or anything else.The lastly and probably the most surprising cause of racism is environmental causes. We are all made different biologically and genetically. Our physical environment can affect our biology and therefore, in many cases, affect our minds. This does not mean freewill and choice are not options, but that an individual's potential for racism could possibly be increased through certain environmental factors unknown to man. By default, racism is nonexistent. However, things such as improper health maintenance, excess chemicals, head injuries, or other factors may help contribute to it.This should not be used as an excuse that racism has to persist, but more of a better chance to cure racism by enhancing biological health and medical technology, rather than thinking it can only be done by other means. Those are the 4 main causes of racism. As previously stat ed, racism is one of the most revolting things that paralyzes humanity. To cure racism permanently, we must first address the root problems, which are: stereotypes, unfamiliarity, selfishness, and environmental aspects. When we cure and address those things, we will cure racism as well.

Personal Narrative A Childish Brawl - 1523 Words

A Childish Brawl â€Å"She’s not coming. Get them, and anyone else in the halls, to their classroom and lock the door NOW.† As those words passed through Mrs. Tyndall’s lips, I felt myself panic. This wasn’t your usual â€Å"I forgot I had homework last night† panic, but the panic that makes you feel as if a gaping hole just opened up underneath your feet and you’re about to plummet into the unknown. At that moment, while I felt myself slipping from the edge, I looked around to see twenty-four pairs of eyes staring back at me. Looking into those eyes immediately closed the hole and shook me back to reality. I volunteer at St. Andrew’s Catholic School as a substitute art teacher every year, because my high school requires me to volunteer for ten†¦show more content†¦My mind would not let go of the different incidents I had heard on the news about child abduction or school shootings. When I see these reports, it never seems like they could actually occur at my high school or even the school I volunteer at; it was impossible, totally preposterous. I had never been able to handle stress well, so I often overworked myself; you could ask anyone and they would agree. Except in this sudden state of panic; I felt the overflowing worry dissolve. Taking a few seconds to collect myself, I briskly led the class down the middle school hallway. The fourth graders were excited and restless, seeing Mrs. Tyndall run off and having me take them to homeroom, so they began barraging me with questions. â€Å"Why is Mrs. Tyndall running?† â€Å"Where is she going?† â€Å"What’s going on?† â€Å"Where’s Mrs. Crowl?† â€Å"We’re still going home on time, right?† They were asking the questions that were running through my head, but even though I was curious I had to get them to class. Guiding the group back into line I explained, â€Å"It must be something important, like an announcement, that the teachers need to do. But it s the end of the day, so the faster we get to the classroom, the faster we can go home.† With the prospect of going home in mind, the class quieted, scurrying to their classroom. Once there, I counted heads twice to be sure all of them were present, turned to lock the