I enjoyed reading Zora Neale Hurston's "How it feels to be colored me." I think this piece gives us yet another different perspective of the South; this time through the eyes of a young girl. Even at a young age, Zora knew that white people treated colored people differently. She has many experiences, which help build her character.
As Zora is faced with different situations and different settings, she is treated differently. At first, it seems that Zora can't find her true identity. In her hometown, she was quite a performer. She would sing and dance and "speak pieces" to the Northerners that passed through her town. At this point, it doesn't really seem that there is a big difference between white and black people. Color doesn't really play a role in her hometown, as least from Zora's perspective. But it seemed that the Northerners were poking fun at Zora.
When Zora became a teen, she was sent to go to school in Jacksonville, where she learned what it meant to be a colored person. "I was not Zora of Orange County any more, I was now a little colored girl." (p. 416) Although things in Jacksonville were different from Eatonville, Zora doesn't see being black as a negative aspect. It also seems that every black person in Jacksonville is feeling pity on themselves. But Zora doesn't feel this pity. "I do not belong to the sobbing school of Negrohood who hold that nature somehow has given them a lowdown dirty deal and whose feelings are all hurt about it." Zora does not see herself as a victim, and refuses to believe that she must take pity on herself: "No, I do not weep at the world-I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife." (p. 417) As this is a reference to Shakespeare, Zora is going to try to conquer the world.
At the end of this piece, Zora knows that her true identity has nothing to do with her color. She sees herself as a strong female character, no matter what her race is. Her different personalities are what make her unique. "But in the main, I feel like a brown bag of miscellany propped against a wall." I think we can all relate to her feelings. At one point or another, we have acted differently in different situations. In classes or on interviews we tend to act a little more serious and when we are with our friends or family we are more relaxed and less serious. At times we even may feel a little discriminated against; if we are thrown into a new situation, we may need some time to adjust. I think Zora's different experiences are not only due to her different situations, but also part of growing up. Everyone has had an awkward moment or two, until they realize the right way to act in a situation.
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I admired her outlook on life. I think that her outlook, and her sense of self really led her thoughts, actions and interpretation of the world around her. It kept her from feeling like a victim, or different from anyone else just because of her race. it also helped her deal with rascism and discrimination because she saw it as a loss to all those who judged her, because they will never get to meet the real her. i think that her outlook and her sense of self saves her from being hurt by others, and in the long run makes her a better person because she is impervious to the what the world might lay on her. she in charge of who she is and she can change something if she sees so fit.
I also found that to Zora, race wasn't really an issue. She knew of racism but in her essays and novels, it wasn't the issue of race that she was leaning towards but other issues like self-identity, individuality and feminism.
I really like this piece too. I think that Zora was very talented at painting a picture of her experiences. She has a real way with words. I liked that racism was not the issue of the piece as in other pieces we have read. She is a really interesting woman.
Zora does not know that being black means you are different until later on. I like how Zora doesn't let whatever husband she's with mistreat her. She always stands up for herself and speaks her mind.
I also enjoyed this reading for the same reasons. You have a point it gave us a different perspective on the south and the fact that it came from the eyes of a young girl made it more interesting. This time you have a girl who views racism in a different light. She is proud to be black and anyone who is racist agains her she views them as missing out on her and meeting such a great person like her. She is a strong women character and i especially loved that about her.
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