...Bartsch, Christine. “What Is the Theme of ‘Sweat’ by Zora N. Hurston?” What Is the Theme of "Sweat" by Zora N. Hurston? | Education - Seattle PI, Hearst Seattle Media, LLC, 21 Nov. 2017, education.seattlepi.com/theme-sweat-zora-n-hurston-6714.html. This text talks about the great virtue of hard work possessed by Delia, who continually “breaks her back” to make ends meet for her family. This text associates Delia’s character with the symbol of virtue and purity which is evident in her religious commitment to church. The text also describes Delia’s struggle and pain inflicted by her husband Sykes and likens this to the universal motif of the struggle between “good and evil” where good always triumphs over evil. In my opinion this source correctly categorizes...
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...Literary Analysis of “Sweat” and “Sonny’s Blues” Amelia Williams ENG125: Introduction to Literature Instructor: Deborah Zeringue December 22, 2014 As living and breathing human beings people are bound to experience some type of conflict. Conflict can be present within a person, between two people, between a person and forces of nature, and even between a person and their society. Conflict is defined as the struggle that shapes the plot in a story (Clugston, 2014, ch.4sect.1 para.4). When reading a piece of literature, especially a short story, one should pay special attention to the central conflict because it is the key element of the story (Clugston, 2014). This essay will analyze “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston in terms of individual versus individual, nature, society, and self, symbolism, figurative language, similarities and differences. In the short stories “Sonny’s Blues” and “Sweat” both of the main characters deal with an internal conflict of some sort. Sonny in Sonny’s Blues has to refrain from turning back to drugs after his release from prison; he is also facing the piano again after not playing for a year. Delia, on the other hand has to live with an abusive, cheating husband that “done beat huh ‘nough tuh kill three women” (Hurston, 1926, para. 24). In both texts the main characters are described as humble people, for example in “Sweat,” the author writes “Delia’s habitual meekness seemed to slip from her shoulders...
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...Southern Gothic fiction is a genre characterized by its exploration of darkness, violence, and crime themes set against the backdrop of the American South. In this essay, I will show you different ways of southern gothic in the three influential works of Southern Gothic fiction: "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor, "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, and "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston. Flannery O'Connor “A Good Man is Hard to Find” has brutality and felony apparent not only in the actions but also in the words selected by the author. For example, “There was a pistol shot from the woods, followed closely by another. Then there is silence. The old lady’s head jerked around. She could hear the wind move through the tree tops like a long satisfied insuck of breath”. Phrases such as “head jerked around” and “insuck of breath” paint disturbing, brutal imagery. Additionally, the actions of “She reached out and touched him on the shoulder. The misfit sprang back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest.”....
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...“Sweat” and the “Man Who Was Almost a Man” Zora Neale Hurston and Richard Wright were distinguished black writers from the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Coming only two generations after slavery, this was an amazing resurgence of black creativity in all fields from writing, art, dance, and music to philosophy, history, and the social and natural sciences. The Harlem Renaissance died out with the Great Depression, but it has left behind a lasting legacy for all Americans including these powerful stories. One idea that emerged from the Harlem Renaissance was called "double consciousness." This theory developed by writer-activist W. E. B. DuBois articulated the psychological effects of living under racism. DuBois's theory focused on the ways that blacks who were confronted with stereotypes but also were aware of a reality of black life much different from the stereotypes lived with both of these conflicting modes of thought. Double consciousness is an idea that seeks to explain the effects of segregation and racism in the daily lives of blacks, and can be seen in the choices Harlem Renaissance artists made. Harlem renaissance authors wrote during a time of self-awareness, which also included an awareness of self as perceived by others, primarily through the eyes of racism. The language choices made by these authors reflect this duality, as the characters "code switch" (a linguistic term for the way people use both dialect and Standard English in different circumstances) between...
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...African American literature is surprising, captivating, and spirited. Once you start reading a story it is easy to get caught up in the tale being told. The descriptive nature of the works makes it easy to relate to them. Throughout my readings thus far in the class I have noticed some common themes that reoccur in many of the stories and poems. Of course slavery was a very common topic but there were others such as inequality between the races and sexes, injustice and resentment, the black identity, and a strong faith and religion. Even though the words can be separated in the end they all come back together. There were many narratives written by fugitive slaves before the Civil War and by former slaves in the postbellum era. These narratives document slave life from the perspective of first-hand experience. The stories they tell are dark and ugly. The authors like Douglas and Jacobs reveal the struggles, sorrows, aspirations, and triumphs of slaves in absorbingly personal story-telling. Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was the first autobiography by a formerly enslaved African American woman. In it she describes her experience of the sexual exploitation that made slavery especially oppressive for black women. She also recounts her life in slavery in the context of family relationships with her escape and her struggle to free her children. Fredrick Douglas who wrote Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas, an American Slave, Written by Himself...
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...author writes a particular piece of literature, whether it is a poem, short story, novel , play, informational piece, etc. and then have the ability to relate to it as an individual. In the short stories 'Sweat' and 'Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been' the characters are from different walks of life, they both encounter conflict of: individual versus self, individual versus individual and individual versus society; many literary devices create theses stories that include the author's point of view, the conflicts that arise throughout and the resolution that takes place in the endpoint of view, the conflicts that arise throughout and the resolution that takes place in the end. The theme to any piece of literature is the basis for the whole story, in 'Sweat' and 'Where are Going, Where Have You Been' the story is centered primarily on one individual and what they each go through to survive an abusive/violent situation. The theme involves the survival of an individual through: external and external factors, that include the influence of society and the issue of class; sexuality of a women and men and the men's masculinity; suffering and the struggles that deal with violence, both physical and mental; family and religion. The primary character in 'Sweat,' Delia Jones is a black women, living in New York City, in a section called Harlem, during the era of the 1920's; this area would have been considered economically depressed and predominantly black. In 'Where...
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...Rhetorical Terms/Devices Figurative language is the generic term for any artful deviation from the ordinary mode of speaking or writing. It is what makes up a writer’s style – how he or she uses language. The general thinking is that we are more likely to be persuaded by rhetoric that is interesting, even artful, rather than mundane. When John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” (an example of anastrophe), it was more interesting – and more persuasive – than the simpler, “Don’t be selfish.” Indeed, politicians and pundits use these devices to achieve their desired effect on the reader or listener nearly every time they speak. The stylistic elements in a piece of writing work to produce a desired effect related to the text’s (and author’s) purpose, and thus reveals the rhetorical situation. In classical rhetoric, figures of speech are divided into two main groups: Schemes — Deviation from the ordinary pattern or arrangement of words (transference of order). Tropes — Deviation from the ordinary and principal meaning of a word (transference of meaning). *Important Note: Words marked with an asterisk* are words for which it would be impossible for you to write 3 examples for your weekly vocabulary assignment. In those cases, please write only the definition, in your own words, and the rhetorical uses/effect of that device, or do what you are instructed to do under those words. Please mark these words that deviate...
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...fourth EDItION fourth EDItION This clear, learner-friendly text helps today’s students bridge the gap between Its comprehensiveness allows instructors to tailor the material to their individual teaching styles, resulting in an exceptionally versatile text. Highlights of the Fourth Edition: Additional readings and essays in a new Appendix as well as in Chapters 7 and 8 nearly double the number of readings available for critical analysis and classroom discussion. An online chapter, available on the instructor portion of the book’s Web site, addresses critical reading, a vital skill for success in college and beyond. Visit www.mhhe.com/bassham4e for a wealth of additional student and instructor resources. Bassham I Irwin Nardone I Wallace New and updated exercises and examples throughout the text allow students to practice and apply what they learn. MD DALIM #1062017 12/13/09 CYAN MAG YELO BLK Chapter 12 features an expanded and reorganized discussion of evaluating Internet sources. Critical Thinking thinking, using real-world examples and a proven step-by-step approach. A student ' s Introduction A student's Introduction everyday culture and critical thinking. It covers all the basics of critical Critical Thinking Ba ssha m I Irwin I Nardone I Wall ace CRITICAL THINKING A STUDENT’S INTRODUCTION FOURTH EDITION Gregory Bassham William Irwin Henry Nardone James M. Wallace King’s College TM bas07437_fm_i-xvi.indd i 11/24/09 9:53:56 AM TM Published by McGraw-Hill...
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...fourth EDItION Critical Thinking A student ' s Introduction Ba ssha m I I rwi n I N ardon e I Wal l ac e CRITICAL THINKING A STUDENT’S INTRODUCTION FOURTH EDITION Gregory Bassham William Irwin Henry Nardone James M. Wallace King’s College TM TM Published by McGraw-Hill, an imprint of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. Copyright © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. This book is printed on acid-free paper. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 DOC/DOC 0 ISBN: 978-0-07-340743-2 MHID: 0-07-340743-7 Vice President, Editorial: Michael Ryan Director, Editorial: Beth Mejia Sponsoring Editor: Mark Georgiev Marketing Manager: Pam Cooper Managing Editor: Nicole Bridge Developmental Editor: Phil Butcher Project Manager: Lindsay Burt Manuscript Editor: Maura P. Brown Design Manager: Margarite Reynolds Cover Designer: Laurie Entringer Production Supervisor: Louis Swaim Composition: 11/12.5 Bembo by MPS Limited, A Macmillan Company Printing: 45# New Era Matte, R. R. Donnelley & Sons Cover Image: © Brand X/JupiterImages Credits: The credits section for this book begins on page C-1 and is considered...
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