All posts from here on out will be for African-American Literature

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Gregor Samsa as a Pet

When Franz Kafka chose to have Gregor Samsa transform from a human to an insect, it was a decision that had some significance behind it. As we discussed in class, the feelings and interactions between Gregor and the family wouldn't have been the same if he had turned into a bunny or a cat instead of an insect. While Grete and the mother tend to show some sympathy and love towards Gregor by the end, their initial reaction to Gregor's transformation was a normal, expected one: they were repulsed/afraid and kept their distance from him. On the contrary, if he had turned into an animal that we associate with cuteness and domestic ability, then the family would have reacted differently. For example, if Gregor had turned into cat, the family might have been shocked and scared by what happened, but they definitely wouldn't have isolated him. In fact, they might have kept him really close because a cat is an animal that we keep near us and don't associate fear with it. As t...
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Comparing Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid to Wide Sargasso Sea and Song of Solomon

During our class discussions about Antoinette in Wide Sargasso Sea , I kept drawing parallels to the character Lucy Josephine Potter from Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid (we read it during sophomore english with Dr. E). Lucy is from the West Indies but left to give herself a better life so she lives in North America as a domestic servant to an affluent white family. The novel follows the life of Lucy as she matures and learns/recognizes about her place in the world. Throughout the novel, Lucy struggles with her identity, ranging from her cultural background to her sexuality. Throughout Wide Sargasso Sea , I kept seeing similarities to Lucy  because I saw some parallels between Antoinette and Lucy. First, the most obvious comparison was how both characters are from the West Indies but end up living in a "foreign" land, like England in Wide Sargasso Sea  or the United States in Lucy . While both characters feel out of place, Antoinette endures more hardship since she is forcibly remo...
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Importance of Rememory in Beloved

Throughout the novel of Beloved, Morrison's idea of rememory plays a significant role in Sethe's journey of reliving every detail from Sweet Home that she repressed. This is crucial to the development of the story because Morrison chooses to write the novel in an unorthodox way by not starting from the beginning. Since the beginning of the novel is essentially the middle of the storyline, the act of rememory is Morrison's way of letting readers (and other characters) learn about the past events leading up to the present. Morrison further complicates the narration of the story by not only jumping to the past but also to the future. One of the main reasons why rememory is such an important experience to Sethe is because it is her way of remembering everything from her time in Sweet Home that she repressed. The most compelling aspect of Sethe'e rememory is that it makes it seem like we are living in the present with her. The sudden jumping back and forth sometimes makes ...
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