Book of negroes media assingment

Clarks doll experiment

A study was done in 1940 called the Clark Doll experiment was done in the 1940’s to test children’s views relative to race. They can two different groups, a black segregated primary school in Washington D.C and an integrated school in New York. The dolls were identical except of skin color one was brown with black curly hair and one was white with blonde hair. The children were then asked which one is the doll they would play with, which one is the nice doll, which one looks bad, which one has the nicer color, etc. The white doll was clearly preference in the integrated school among white and African American children, and was more acute in the segregated school. Then they were asked what doll they were and they answered to their respective race. 

In 2006 this experiment was recreated and some of the internalized discrimination was still evident. When this experiment was repeated the experiment 15 out of 21 children who were all black also choose the white dolls over the black, giving similar reasons as the original subjects, associating white with being beautiful and nice and black with ugly or bad. The dolls used in the documentary were identical except for skin color. This shows that that a lot of the discrimination was retained mentally, still feeling inferior to whites.

I know why the caged bird sings (Review & Opinion)

The book opens with a nervous little negro girls who has to read a poem in church in an awful dress. She then goes into how one day she'll wake up from this dark nightmare by an evil witch and be pretty and white. The book then takes you into the adventures of growing up black and female in the south and having to learn you are "lesser".
" If growing up is painful for the Southern Black 
girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on 
the razor that threatens the throat. It is an 
unnecessary insult."
Maya autobiography about growing up gave great insight on the basis of self loathing, So the majority of the book she is younger than 16 with helps the reader grow with her. The naivety and stunning brilliance of child are seen and is always a great tactic whenever explaining social stigma's because they question. They get a new perspective at life and they beautiful thing about coming of age novels you get to explore all the different perspectives and persuasions through the googles of youth.

I loved it. This adventure enticed with an original insight on life growing up and facing discrimination and the odds. I found myself routing for Angelou every step of the way and feel in love with the surrounding characters, Momma, Bailey etc. Though based on life decades ago it relates up to now not losing any charm, magic or excitement. This is truly a great read.

Street Analysis of Streetcar named Desire

Scene Movie analysis and Comparison

Scene One

The opening scene of Streetcar named Desire sets the tone and conflict to the rest of the play and movie. The story depicts a suspicious woman named blanche visiting her sister Stella and her Stella’s husband Stanley. The movie directs scene one towards Blanche and her arrival and choses to omit the scene where Stanley throws meat at Stella that also takes away the dynamic of the neighborhood they reside in. Blanche upon arriving only carries a purse instead of her full trunk and after seeing Stella’s house she goes to the bowling alley to go look for her instead of waiting at their home. Upon the watchers first meeting of Stella we see her being a genuinely nice woman.         In the movie Blanche’s first impression of Stanley is seeing him in a bowling riot, which lead on to, omit the scene where Blanche is nervous of meeting Stanley. This was made to be Stella and Stanley’s character impressions, this was very useful and helps exaggerates Stella’s delusion of shamelessly being in love with a commoner and Stanley’s brutish nature leading the watcher to question their life. The movie did a very good job of highlighting Blanche’s rapid mood swings and hysteria by having her rant in Stella’s ear and chasing her down a hallway. In the play this was described more of a monologue with is very common in plays but in film you can hear whispers and you can zoom in on facials, which can change the viewers entire perception of the scene. Blanche’s scene with Stanley was personally interrupted to me as Blanche seducing him and him shutting her every advance. In the movie the abstract of this scene is that she was afraid and silent will his online answers and questions rocked Blanche to her core. I found that the film adaptation was a director’s perception of the play. Many different perceptions are out there but this play is very open to change. The choice of Marlon Brando for the role of Steve was a very wise choice because it highlights the actual desire and coarseness of nature from the character of Stanley. Brando’s is an excellent choice for his natural attractiveness and muscular shape displays animalistic lust and his size shows intimidation. His clothing is simply and direct wearing a bold black shirt and pants with is pulling to the eye but not special . Vivian Leigh was very dainty which emphasizes her suave foxlike nature and delicate delusion. The actor’s thin frame was noticed with flailed arms and her facial expressions showed that she her skin isn’t tight and healthy and gives her a dry look. Her hair is done up short with big curls and she is wearing clothing that is made to show off the body.Kim Hunter who played Stella is remarkably unremarkable she is a very overlooked actress and overlooked character for Stella. Her looks are very basic and seem very average. Her hairstyle doesn’t look like there is much effort and isn’t particularly noticeably gorgeous wearing clothing that is usually basic and not forms fitted to give her a block like shape. The surrounding was not private as you can see people directly through the windows and overhear talking on the street and the people around seemed to be very low class and improper.

We should all be Feminist

Feminist is a strong word, but it is also a needed one. When one thinks feminist look beyond petty inner turmoils to think that somewhere is a little girl has just been sold to be a child bride or sex slave. The 52% minority is very avid in most societies but we are on a quick road to change.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
an the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom. 

-Maya Angelou

Letter to Lawrence Hill

A letter to Lawrence Hill.

Dear Hill

I am a grade 12 student who has studied your novel “book of negroes” for his English 12 class. The novel fascinated me. I personally believe you did a wondrous job of shifting the idea of Africa from tribal beast to humans. This book is very interesting yet there are question that arise after reading the book.

            How did you feel about writing in the eyes of a female and did you think you accurately. The journey throughout the novel has Aminata journey through puberty alone and experience pregnancy do you think that you accurately dealt with the topic of a woman coming of age. Her first period was while on the journey to after being captured was a striking moment for the book how did you put your mind into the mind of a 12-year-old girl, also Amanata’s pregnancy I feel like this area was skimmed over in my opinion. Aminata catches many babies and the book takes us through the process but the experience of slave pregnancy was disappointedly skimmed over, as there was a baby in my belly. Your insight of a female was interesting and was wondering how did you prepare yourself for writing as one.

            The horrors of slavery were shown through out the novel but I personally felt that you left out the number of slaves in America. Millions of slaves were taken to America and I was wondering why you did that and is there any reason for it. This novel was very focused on isolated scenes on situations did you find that this made for better insight on the single slave life or just overall made a for a better story.

            Aminata is an above life character without question. Why did you make her exempt in many cases, instead of showing more horror and opening every door? Personally I see this as making the novel more of a legends tale instead of a representation and find that it focuses the story more on Aminata and her conquests and less on slavery. The rice field plantations are noted and threatened throughout book 2 as being a truly terrorizing experience why did you not venture there but only left echoes of pain?

            I must overall commend you on your humanization of Africa. Even to date people see these people as indocile apes. I feel like starting her story from Africa gave a truly in sighted feel to the whole novel. This also shines light on the Muslim religion and how a lot of African tribes were organized and peaceful and I thank you for giving me this view.

            This novel had me turning pages and gave me a resonance that lasted a week and hit me at the very core. As a Negro I thank you and as a human being I thank you.

This is not a criticism, I am just questioning your chooses and want your insight of the novel.