Place and environment in African American literature

Place and environment in African American literature: by Sara Elkhodiry PECAN IMAGE 2 In A Gathering Of Old Men, Gaines uses natural imagery to portray the relationship the characters feel to their ancestors. In chapter 6, Gaines states. “Then a pecan dropped from that tree in the backyard, fell on the tin roof, and tumbled on the ground,”“You had pecans tall all around you.” The natural image used here are the pecans. In this images, the reader visualizes pecans growing all over the graveyard. There’s a connection between the graveyard and the ancestors as the pecans grow out of the trees that grow from the same soil their ancestors are buried in. The graveyard pecans become the host (a literal embodiment) of Dirty Red’s ancestors. Throughout chapter 6 Dirty Red shares the pecans with everyone around him from the old men to the young children. As Dirty Red eats the pecans, he describes their taste as “good” implying something distinctive about the fruits of the graveyard. By eating the representative body of the Ancestor, Dirty red is empowered as his ancestor’s memories are associated with it. Dirty Red’s sense of agency arises as he feels nostalgic after eating the pecans. His remembrance of his ancestors creates his sense of self as an African American. By eating the pecans, his connection with his ancestors strengthens as he is engulfed with their memories. He shares the pecans with the people around him which creates a sense of unity within them as they all feel nostalgic. MULE ANNOTATED IMAGE In their were watching god, the mule was related to Janie's lack of agency.Upon Janie’s objection to marriage, Nanny explains how the power hierarchy places black women on the bottom as " 'de mule[s] uh de world' " (Hurston 29). The mule represents the way African women are treated in Janie’s society. Furthermore, Nanny uses the mule’s symbol in a way to silence Janie’s voice and to force her to surrender to social standards. In other words, by implementing this marriage, Nanny and the society force Janie to conform to social racial and sexual placement. Janie’s sense of agency is destroyed because of the mule’s attachment to her identity as a woman.

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