We'll have an online blog discussion over "How it Feels to be Colored Me" today. In order to receive credit, you must post at least three times and link ideas to text. You may do the following:
1. post a question
2. post a connection
3. post a favorite quote
4. respond to another's ideas
5. explain how she addresses our unit questions
6. discuss what she adds to the Harlem Renaissance
Happy bloggin!
What do Hurston's humorous style, unique voice, and colorful metaphors add to her arguement?
ReplyDeleteI think that in the way she presents herself and her writing is able to convey her point better because it is different than other peoples writing. I also think that it shows a different perspective of the Harlem Renaissance to the reader.
DeleteHurston's unique style of writing connects with readers. The general population was less educated at the time, and spoke in a simpler text. Hurston's style of using common words and dialogue allows readers to connect to the piece and amplifies her argument.
DeleteI feel like her humorous replies to social norms at that time draw people's attention to her. They wouldn't expect someone to be joking about this, and act so blasé about something like this that it just throws them off and kind of forces them to pay attention to her and listen to her message.
DeleteThis metaphor shows how Hurston is living without fear or shame. "The operation was successful and the patient is doing well, thank you". This adds to her argument because it acknowledges slavery but also brings up how well the Harlem Renaissance is going while showing her strong personality by putting the "thank you" in.
DeleteHurston's humorous style and unique voice draw the reader in; making the audience want to listen to what she has to say. Her metaphors make her arguments easier to follow. It is important that Hurston uses metaphor to help people understand because often people disagree with what they don't understand, so if Hurston can help people understand, she can possible make them agree with her.
DeleteIn Hurston's text, it states about how she relates herself to a brown paper bag. This stood out to me most throughout the text because of the fact that it was so powerful and related to the way of how the slaves and colored people were not given a sense of identity and were not able to create a face for themselves. What are your thoughts on this?
ReplyDeleteYes, Chauntel. It's like this metaphor is to please others and then she goes on to give her own images and metaphors that better illustrate who she is.
DeleteConnection: In Hurston's piece "How it Feels to be Colored Me" she mentioned how "The front porch might seem a daring place for the rest of the town, but it was a gallery seat for me. My favorite place was atop the gatepost" (Hurston), and in her work "Their Eyes Were Watching God" she also makes a point to make the front porch a very important place.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Fahrenheit when Clarisse discusses that the loss of front porches is a key reason that people are unhappy and disconnected from friends.
DeleteMy favorite quote is, "Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me." Hurston doesn't care if you like her or not, she is going to live life! I love this because there is so much sass and confidence. I think that everyone should live their lives in such a matter.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on this comment, but I also think that in many ways we are influenced by others that do not do that and so we do not live this way because it is against the ways of society. Do you think that there is a way that we can make it easier to act out against the ways of others?
DeleteConrad, I really liked that line as well, mainly because it really communicated the slogan To Live Without Fear or Shame, and because she points out the true issues of racism. By segregation and prejudice, we are missing out on these extremely interesting people.
DeleteI love this line as well because it is so reflective of the attitudes and confidence of so any black artists during this time. I saw the theme of confidence and cockiness in a lot of presentations in the presentations in the past two weeks and I think that was very important for the movement.
DeleteI made a connection to PW in the first line, where she starts with "I am colored but..." Twain argued that groups of people, specifically different races, could not be generalized and that each of these groups embodied all ends of the personality and morality spectrums. Similarly, Hurston makes it clear that she will not adhere to generalizations or stereotypes, but that she will assert her own definition of herself. I thought it was a bold start to the piece.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Bella. I think that especially in the dance scene paragraph, she is apologetically herself, and accepts her past. She knows that her past has helped form her, but also understands that it doesn't define her future. She states, "BUT I AM NOT tragically colored... I have no race, I am me.". She chooses who she will be, and nothing else defines her.
DeleteThis connection is also seen in Hurston's Their Eyes were Watching God. She wrote about an adventurous girl who looks to learn about love and the feeling of love. Throughout the novel, this girl is presented with great opportunities in life for an easy life, but she continues to search to become the woman she wants to become. This connection allows readers to infer that Hurston is fighting to not generalize people by their color, and allow them to become the person the choose to become.
DeleteI completely agree with Bella. I think that especially in the dance scene paragraph, she is apologetically herself, and accepts her past. She knows that her past has helped form her, but also understands that it doesn't define her future. She states, "BUT I AM NOT tragically colored... I have no race, I am me.". She chooses who she will be, and nothing else defines her.
DeleteI connected Hurston's ideas to how MLK addressed racial issues. Both authors didn't see a need to separate into white or black, and both found it ridiculous that either race treated each other differently based on color. In her piece, "Not only did I enjoy the show, but I didn't mind the actors knowing that I liked it. I usually spoke to them in passing. I'd wave at them...". Hurston views this whole situation as a mockery of actual human reaction, and King Jr. felt the same way. It makes me wonder if MLK had ever heard of Hurston or her works, and whether or not he would have drawn influence from them.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quote from the reading is "But U am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes." The reason I like this quote so much is because of how it relates to living life without shame. Hurston is saying she doesn't care what color she is, it doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteI also liked this line. However, I think that it is less that Hurston doesn't care what color she is and more that she knows what color she is and takes pride in it, but doesn't care how others feel about it. So it matters to her in terms of her own identity and confidence, but doesn't think it should matter to others.
DeleteHurston states in her article that "(She) does not always feel colored". In what situations does she feel it the most, and manage to get under even her skin?
ReplyDeleteOne of the situations where she does not feel colored is when she is dancing. When she dances, she does not bother with the thought of being the minority. In dancing, everyone is equal.
DeleteI do not think that she ever lets it get under her skin, but rather sees it as an inconvenience that she does not receive equality because of her color. She sees all of this as somewhat of a joke and that is where all her confidence comes from. She knows that she is the same as everyone else and wants others to see that as well.
DeleteOne of my favorite quotes from Hurston was,"At certain times I have no race, I am me." I really like this because she isn't letting other people define her by her race, but instead she's showing the world who she is as a person
ReplyDelete@ChauntelM825: I agree. Whites had the privilege back then, so blacks felt plain and without an identity.
ReplyDeleteHurston talks about how she only became colored when she left Eatonville. "I was not Zora of Orange County any more, I was now a little colored girl. I found it out in certain ways. In my heart as well as in the mirror, I became a fast brownwarranted not to rub nor run." The way that other people viewed her affected her self-perception. This reminded me of the way that, in Pudd'nhead Wilson, "Chambers" acted like a slave because that is how he was treated.
ReplyDelete@Chauntel: I felt as though the reason that Hurston refered to herself as a paper bag was because it was part of a bigger metaphor. For instnance, the last line of the essay was about how "A bit of colored glass more or less would not matter. Perhaps that is how the Great Stuffer of Bags filled them in the first place?who knows" (Hurston). I believe here she is just explaining how every person is a paper bag, full of both good and bad things, and the important people (in this case God) don't care what the bag looks like.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that only a few people see both sides of what is on the inside of someones bag? For example, Hurston could see both the good and the bad in people where as others do not empty everything in their bag and therefore they do not see every side of the person.
DeleteKaty Perry is not original
DeleteI agree with Haley, and she also makes the point that we are all basically the same if you look at who we are on the inside. Race doesn't matter because we are all human beings.
DeleteAt various points in the story, Hurston says that at times she does not feel colored at all. "I do not always feel colored. Even now I often achieve the unconscious Zora of Eatonville before the Hegira. I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background." When Hurston says the white background, do you think she means this metaphorically or is she referring to being thrown into a crowd of whites and feeling discriminated against?
ReplyDeleteHurston's humorous, ubique voice, and colorful metaphors adda sense of pride and confidence that we are starting to see in the colored people at this time. This supports the idea of "
ReplyDelete"without shame or fear" and "back to africa" with being proud of your race.
I found that the line, "Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me." was not only sassy and confident as Conrad said, but exemplary of our theme of truth. Zora is not bothered by others' illusions of her or her people. She understands the truth about who she is and finds it to be enough. She only wishes that others would open their minds to welcome and synthesize this truth. How can we apply similar principles to ourselves and our society? What would change if we did?
ReplyDeleteI think that especially as teenagers, this principle is something that we all need. Our society is very quick to judge based on any small detail, and in doing so ostracize many people. This experience not only hurts those who are being 'discriminated' against, but it deprives ourselves of getting to know new people. Also, it's a mindset that we should all strive to remember when being around new peoples. Since so many in our community judge based on details, it's easy to get caught up in it, and think that there is something actually wrong with us. But if we remember Hurston's piece, especially her line "I have no race, I am me.", it would be much more difficult to be ashamed. After all, every person has far more to them than one or two details that stand out.
DeleteDo you think that Hurston's informal writing, and spunk, made her a more powerful and relatable writer in her time? If not which writer did you think conveyed their ideas the best, why do you think they were so successful?
ReplyDeleteI think that her spunk and her informal writing made her a more powerful writer. It is very truthful to the time and it goes against what people thought black women were like. She was sassy and did not want to be controlled or submissive toward anyone.
DeleteSince she wrote in such a conversational tone, I personally felt like I could relate to her better. Whether or not this was also true of the time I am unsure of, but I do know that this writing style made her much more accessible than someone like Locke. Locke's style alienated some people from his work, but Hurston seems to bring people in. This was what really struck me, as I felt like I could have been talking to her over the table, not reading a formal essay.
DeleteI do think that Hurston's informal writing made her more powerful because she was so confident and happy compared to other renaissance writers. She said a lot of powerful things throughout the text that I believe were really important. One example is when she speaks of how she's not a effected by her skin color, she is proud of it. "BUT I AM NOT tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all. I do not be long to the sobbing school of Negrohood who hold that nature somehow has given them a lowdown dirty deal and whose feelings are all but about it," (page 2)
DeleteI think so because she writes about her life and how she has been able to shake off discrimination which allows her readers to have a real life "New Negro" who isn't ashamed of herself and helps them to realize that they could really have a life like that
DeleteI think this is a great question because it also connects to Countee Cullen's poem, and how we talked about "Im black, and I can do it better."
DeleteI feel like conveying a message, Hurston's writing style showed people how they should react to all the discrimination against black lifestyles. She is proud of who she is, not her color. She doesn't think her color makes her special, she just believes the SHE is special, and I think her way of going about it inspired many people in that time.
DeleteMy favorite quote from the reading was "I have no separate feeling about being an American citizen and colored. I am merely a fragment of the Great Soul that surges within the boundaries." This quote shows the empowerment Hurston feels when she knows she is apart of something much bigger then herself. She is apart of the great American country that is a mix of all different kinds of people, that aren't separated by skin color, but by personality. She knows everyone is has a character that can somehow relate to every person there is.
ReplyDeleteThe ending of the text really exemplifies the Harlem Renaissance because most of the text talks is in a confident tone whereas the last paragraph kind of goes back to "reality" and it shows how even though she tries to not let the other comments that are said about her greatly effect her, they still do. She puts this at the ending of her piece like other renaissance writers. She is different because she is still very confident compared to other writers but she still has that tone of a renaissance writer in her piece with the ending.
ReplyDelete@Tyme4u- I think one thing that it adds is fun. I said earlier in class that I didn't like Locke's piece very much because it was hard to understand. I think the fact that Hurston is so cheeky and clever with her words makes the piece more engaging, and gets her point across. I feel I have a better understanding of her argument than Locke's so....
ReplyDeleteHow are Hurston's points about African American culture still relevant today? How has African American culture changed society since the Harlem Renaissance?
ReplyDeleteI think that her mindset about sort of being neutral towards racism and not letting it get to her as an artist/person is far more common today. As far as general culture goes, the Jazz she described is still a relevant genre. She proved that the slogan "Without Fear or Shame" works, and that's a lesson that will always be present in the world.
DeleteShe seems to be battling with herself throughout the reading. She is proud of her black side, and then she wants to ignore those feelings about her race. First she rationalizes slavery, then she says that everybody who doesn't want her company is missing out. In the end, she is proud of her heritage and she accepts it instead of ignoring it and being ashamed of it.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to disagree with this statement. She does make a variety of opinions, but I believe they are just to justify how much other ones stand out. She blatantly says "AT CERTAIN TIMES I have no race, I am me". This means her situation shapes how she feels, but she is aiming to feel free and non-associated with anything whenever possible.
Delete"I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp white background" (Hurston 2). In my opinion, this is one of the most important quotes in the piece because it ties in with Hughes' idea of a Negro Artist not wanting to be white, but rather be recognized as an artist for the art they make. In addition to the Negro Artist argument, Hurston seems to be the embodiment of "comfortable in one's own skin" and seems truly neutral towards people discriminating towards her.
ReplyDelete" No, I do not weep at the world??I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife.
ReplyDeleteSomeone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the grand daughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me. Slavery is sixty years in the past. The operation was successful and the patient is doing well, thank you." I think this really important today. It seems like with the PC culture of today, everyone is trying to say their group of people is discriminated against. While there are groups that rightly claim that they are discriminated against, Hurston has a great point. Hurston seems to be saying, "You have been given an opportunity to be who we want to be, and be who we are, now let's get up off our butts, and do it!" It is really important to know that nothing is going to change unless you force it to change.
I totally agree with you, Conrad!
DeleteA connection that I made was between the second painting on the agenda and the part where Hurston is talking about the "great blobs of purple and red emotion". I think they connect because the bright colors in the painting make me think about the emotions she's feeling. I also think that the people in the background connect to the man sitting next to her. They all seem indifferent and not letting the music affect them
ReplyDelete"This orchestra grows rambunctious, rears on its hind legs and attacks the tonal veil with primitive fury, rending it, clawing it until it breaks through to the jungle beyond. I follow those heathen?follow them exultingly. I dance wildly inside myself; I yell within, I whoop; I shake my assegai above my head, I hurl it true to the mark yeeeeooww! I am in the jungle and living in the jungle way." - Zora Hurston. This was my favorite quote, not only because Hurston's writing style was so much more grandiose and verbacious than other authors we have read. It really reflects the type of writer and person she ways, as well showing the readers that she was proud to be black. True Harlem Renaissance thinking.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quote within this piece was when Hurston explained how "AT CERTAIN TIMES I have no race, I am me. When I set my hat at a certain angle and saunter down Seventh Avenue, Harlem City, feeling as snooty as the lions in front of the Forty?Second Street Library, for instance. So far as my feelings are concerned, Peggy Hopkins Joyce on the Boule Mich with her gorgeous raiment, stately carriage, knees knocking together in a most aristocratic manner, has nothing on me. The cosmic Zora emerges. I belong to no race nor time. I am the eternal feminine with its string of beads" (Hurston). I agree with both Bella and Conrad in that this quote is one of the many examples throughout this piece in which Hurston is unafraid to show the world who she is, and reveal her true self. She doesn't care that others look down upon her, because she knows who she really is. She is a confident woman, who has no time for racism or sexism.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quote was "AT CERTAIN TIMES I have no race, I am me". Can't this be related to every insecurity or anything that we may have in our life or mind? Just be yourself.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is relevant to more than just race. Everyone has insecurities, but at times, you notice them less. It's important to figure out where you feel most like yourself and the least conscious of your insecurities and to spend more time in those places or doing those things.
DeleteI love this comment because I think that everyone can relate to it. We need to become more of ourselves and not care what others think of us. Hurston was a major part in starting this for people in the Harlem Renaissance, I believe, because of the way that she wrote about herself and described how to let loose and bring out the savage in ourselves.
Delete@BraxtonR18 - I think that is a really neat quote as well. When you said "This quote shows the empowerment Hurston feels when she knows she is apart of something much bigger then herself", I totally agree, and think this is what made her different from other Renaissance writers. While some of them seem to be caught up in their own little world, I think she really gets the big picture.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hurston states that she feels like a "brown bag" and lists the things that would be inside the bag should someone dump them out, how does each item relate to the Harlem Renaissance and "Without Fear or Shame/Black is Beautiful"? Which description from that excerpt is the most meaningful?
ReplyDeleteHurston makes a shockingly accurate connection in this piece. She writes "I feel like a brown bag of miscellany propped against a wall. Against a wall In company with other bags, white, red and yellow. Pour out the contents, and there is discovered a jumble of small, things priceless and worthless". I feel like this is a lesson that could be used as an elementary school project activity, asking students "what's in your bag". However, it impacted the people of the Harlem renaissance much differently as they were racially behind. It teaches people to look at what is inside, and is one one of the first pieces that doesn't go extremely aggressive or defensive to do so. Many authors, such as Twain (not part of the Harlem renaissance, but was ahead of his time) try to take a firm standpoint instead of being more carefree and simply voicing their equal opinion. This makes Hurston unique, as she really emphasizes the free-form interpretations of jazz that molded the time period over time into what we have today.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the most powerful lines in the piece, and its placement really causes it to resonate with you. It sheds light on the consumerism of the twenties as well, because everyone was trying to buy the bigger and better things, and that was more of a social status than a need. In truth, everyone is just a fragile paper bag, filled with trinkets of little value. We are all the same in this right. This line will be the argument I take to heart from this essay.
Deletewhat made this reading important? What made her different than others in her position? Was it her pride or optimism that made her so unique? She definitely was different in the way she wrote, she was Lil' Kim before Lil' Kim. Her sass seemed to be what made her writing such an easy read.
ReplyDeleteI think her sass was also a way of explaining to people that you don't need to be educated in order to understand different concepts. I know that in reading this, I found her sass to be more appealing to the point she was trying to convey.
Delete@Jacob I think that her style would have been more affective because it's easier to understand and it makes the reader feel inspired to live as she does. Hurston makes her audience want to live a life where their race is not what defines them but their personalities are
ReplyDeleteI agree with this comment of style. I also think that Hurston's style allows readers to realize that the kind of language a known writer uses is the same that they speak. This makes readers to believe that they can accomplish tasks like cultural pride and support.
DeleteI can 100% get behind her, she is so much fun to read. I think you are spot on here, she is inspirational, and the fact you point out how personalities define you is a really cool idea. I think that more people should have your view, it is very smart.
DeleteThis passage is relatable. We love relatable stuff like relatable comedy, books, songs, or so on. That is what makes this so powerful, effective, and relative.
DeleteHurston adds a very unique voice to the Harlem Renaissance because she treats the racism as somewhat of a joke. Her writing still conveys a message but it can come across in a comical way because of the attitude she shows toward it. This can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it because at the time a white person may have seen this as a black person just being a typical black person. At the same time it could show that a black woman really knows what she's talking about and is ready to make a change in society.
ReplyDelete@iveyp2018 - I was kind of talking to @BraxtonR18 about this and one thing that I think has changed since the Harlem Renaissance, was integration. With a lot of artists in the Harlem Renaissance, they were in their own little bubble, for example when I was doing research on our artist James Vanderzee, I don't think I saw a single photo of a white person, however now (and especially as shown in Hurston's work) there is a lot more integration.
ReplyDeleteWhat does Zora Hurston add the Harlem Renaissance? What I think Hurston adds the HR is a more real perspective on what it is like to be black. All of the other writers that we have read, seem to have a educated look at what is going on, whereas Hurston speaks informally yet enthusiastically. She truly shows readers what it was like to be black. Yes we read about with the other authors, but they do not portray their manners and culture truly like Hurston. Her sassiness and personality is what made her real and down to Earth than Hughes or Locke and in that, I think it made her a more effective writer for the Harlem Renaissance.
ReplyDelete" I am a dark rock surged upon, and overswept, but through it all, I remain myself. When covered by the waters, I am; and the ebb but reveals me again," (page 2). I find this quote very powerful. It really shows her strength. It shows how even though she can be "washed away" multiple times by society, she will always stay the same. Society can try to put her down because she is colored but she can't do anything about it and she's okay with that. This quote really summarizes her piece, which I love.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Natasha. What joy and confidence we see in her. Really refreshing, I think.
DeleteHow might Hughes have responded to Hurston's perspective?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Hughes would have been very proud to read about how Hurston was so proud of being herself, and felt no shame for being black. He would have liked the fact that she was so in touch with who she really was, and didn't try to change for anyone.
Delete"Slavery is the price I paid for civilization." That is the most interesting quote that I've seen from all of our boring readings. First off she made reading slightly fun. She made light of bad situations through humor and her loud Black Pride. She seems to almost be thanking whites for enslaving her many decades ago. She was saying that every race/ethnicity has to go through pain and persecution before they can be validated as a society or race. Saying slavery is a rite of passage for her race to become "civilized." She really was making a statement.
ReplyDeleteWhen making her metaphor about the bags at the end of the piece, Hurston states: "Pour out the contents, and there is discovered a jumble of small, things priceless and worthless". What is your interpretation of the way that she describes the items as "priceless and worthless"?
ReplyDeleteHow do you think Hurston's writing effected other pieces that were written after hers? Do you think that people started to write more like her, changing the style of the Harlem Renaissance?
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how Hurston talks about the day she became colored as though "being colored" is not a physical characteristic per say, but a reaction and a feeling that comes from others discrimination against another because they are a different color.
ReplyDelete