By: Nicholas Fursey
The aspects of the different texts that I will be comparing are the mother daughter relationships in the short stories “Sweetness” by Toni Morrison and “New York Day Women” by Edwidge Danticat. In “Sweetness” Lula Ann has a tough relationship with her mother throughout her lifetime. Her mother was mad that she was so “brown” when she had her, and questioned even raising her. Throughout her childhood, Lula Ann’s mother was tough on her and would not let her express her true self and blackness. Now, Lula Ann sends her mother money and is having a kid, but does not give her mother the return address, as she does not even want to have a conversation with her anymore. The relationship is from the mother’s point of view. In “New York Day Women,” the story is told from the perspective of the daughter. The daughter shows scorn towards her mother, who works as a caretaker for rich, white families in New York City. Both relationships are unhealthy, but from different perspectives, and different people. I chose this comparison in particular because there are so many aspects of the relationship that are similar and different, and it contributes greatly to the meaning of blackness, or the main character’s view on blackness throughout each story that we can analyze more deeply.