AADS/ENGL 3328.01
In her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs grapples with her violent past –namely the sexual abuse she experiences at the hand of her master, Dr. Flint–in hopes that it will educate her white readers about the pervasive damage that slavery causes. In Chapter V, “The Trials of Girlhood,” Jacobs…
Sassafras, Cypress, & Indigo, by Ntozake Shange, is an American novel that tells the story of three Afrifcan American sisters, as they attempt to reach success and fulfillment. The novel jumps between various narrative viewpoints through the 60’s and 70’s. The racially charged atmosphere of the time period provides a unique perspective on perseverance and…
In her novel Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo, Ntozake Shange makes repeated use of the phrase “The South in her” in reference to Indigo. First appearing on page four when spoken by Indigo’s mother Hilda, it is thereafter a standalone motif at the end of a paragraph, appearing five more times throughout the novel. Shange’s repetitive…
Shange utilizes dancing as another form of ritual for communing and remembering the ancestors. The expression of “love,” “adoration, ” and the “union of spirits” are attributed to dancing. There is no form or requirements, but the act of dancing is its own ritual for remembering the past, for embracing the present, and creating a…
Love is difficult: Rarely does it come in the form similar to a fairy tale where everything just makes sense. Quite often, it takes patience, struggle, and work for love to blossom into the radiant, beautiful energy that overtakes the soul with warmth. The difficulty with love comes not from what to do following the fall,…
Francisco Goya’s “The Third of May 1808” depicts the Napoleonic invasion of Spain where cities were raided, citizens were fired upon, and humanity was absent. In first looking at the painting, one’s attention is directed towards the man in the white and yellow clothing; all color is dull and dark surrounding him. Even as his…
“The Calling of Saint Matthew” was painted by the Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio in 1600. It depicts Christ coming to the soon-to-be Saint Matthew, still named Levi at this time prior to his becoming an apostle, summoning the tax-collector to leave his colleagues and follow him to a life of piety and eternity.…
Shaka King’s historical dramatization of the betrayal of Black Panthers leader Fred Hampton by FBI informant Bill O’Neill is a progressive masterpiece. King’s depicts the war between the revolutionary Black Panthers and the inherently racist FBI led by paranoid J. Edgar Hoover. The Panther’s programs to bring the community out of poverty (free healthcare, breakfast,…
Sacha Baron Cohen has now produced two satyr driven comedy mockumentaries in which Cohen uses this Borat character to explore an idea that is strongly held and challenge it. Borat (the first film) is about American society and attempting to identify what makes the US so “great.” An extension of this is Borat 2, which…
Ryan Murphy’s political satire “The Politician” follows Payton Hobert’s quest to become the future president of the United States. The first season, which follows his running for student body president at a Santa Barbra preparatory school, focuses on the sheer ridiculousness and incivility of recent politics. Running against the class favorite River Barkley, Payton decides…