Snuff Dippers

In the book The Big Mama Stories by Shay Youngblood, there is a story called “Snuff Dippers”. The story is about Big Mama telling her granddaughter a story about her past. This story took place back in 1957 in Georgia where segregation was still evident. The conflict in the story is within the story that Big Mama is telling. The main conflict is between people and between forces. One of the conflicts is with Emma and a white rich lady. The conflict was that Emma had spit on the white lady which is completely disrespectful. The second conflict was between a person and a force, the force being racism. The people that were involved were the #99 bus full of black women heading to work as well as the police man. The conflict shows racism when the policeman pulled the bus over and started to humiliate the women.

As I got further into the book, I found out more things about the author. She is gullible, she loves storytelling, and has respect for others. The protagonist in the story is Big Mama and the policeman serves as the antagonist. What I did find out was where Bug Mama used to work at when she was young as well as how her friends would dip. I also found out that the policeman had no mercy against the innocent black women and also showed zero tolerance for disrespect for white people. The other characters involved in the story were Miss Emma, Miss Mary and Ralph the bus driver who were all part of the conflict as well. Miss Emma was the one who caused the conflict by spitting out the window, Miss Mary was the one who can predict the future and Ralph is the white bus driver who defended the black women in the bus.

Through the story of “Snuff Dippers” the narrator is faced with growing up issues. The main theme was that she experienced conflict with social and cultural realities such as racism. Throughout the story, Big Mama is recalling a time in her past and sharing with the narrator to make her aware of how things used to be. I believe she learned that being a black women in the fifties and sixties were a difficult time period because they would get mistreated.

Overall I believe that the narrator because wiser when listening to Big Mamas stories. She learned how Black Folks were classified back in the fifties and sixties and how racism was strictly enforced. I believe the narrator grew as a person and this experience will help her out in her life.

Briar Patch

In the book Talk That Talk by Linda Goss and Marian E. Barnes, there is a short story that deals with lying called “Briar Patch”. This story is about Brer Rabbit getting away with lying. I believe the main character is Brer Fox and the antagonist is Brer Rabbit. Two reasons why I enjoyed this short story was because of the humor and sarcasm along with the thoughtfulness of the characters behavior.

Reading short stories can teach one lessons. In “Briar Patch”, I learned that if someone lies they will eventually get caught and the consequence will be worse than telling the truth. Another lesson that I learned was, if someone lies once they will lie again. These two lessons were taught in the short story by Brer Rabbit’s behavior. At first when Brer Fox asked Brer Rabbit a question, he lied and the lies started pilling up. Brer Rabbit got caught in a mess with his own lies and finally the truth came out that he was the one that stole the butter. That is why it to not good to lie.

Trickster stories are fun to read because they cause excitement, luckily this story happens to be one. The trickster is Brer Rabbit. It all starts with one simply lie. Brer Rabbit wanted to eat the butter but he didn’t want to tell Brer Fox, so he tells him that he needs to go home because his wife is about to give birth. That was a lie because Brer Rabbit’s wife was no due. When Brer Rabbit comes back, finished with the butter, Brer Fox asks him how the delivery went and what he named his son, Brer Rabbit answered, “His name Lickbottom”. Brer Rabbit was lying because he did not have a son. When it is time for dinner, Brer Fox realizes the butter is gone and therefore asks who stole it. Brer Rabbit did not confess once again making him a liar. At the end Brer Fox finds out that it was Brer Rabbit who ate it because he was put next to flames and butter started melting from him. Brer Fox decides that he will throw him into the Briar Patch so that the owner can kill him. The funny thing was that Brer Rabbit had tricked them all because he was born and raised in a Briar Patch.

The story quickly unfolds that Brer Rabbit is assigned to be the trickster. Rabbits are often portrayed to be the tricksters of the story because they are quick and smart. In the story Brer Rabbit was quick when thinking of lies and making sure he did not make things obvious that he was telling a lie. I find it fascinating how one white lie over wanting to eat butter can go as far as getting someone killed. Then again, Brer Rabbit knew what he was getting into and therefore did not get caught.

Journey

After reading Mee Street Chronicles: Straight Up Stories of a Black Woman, by Frankie Lennon, I have encountered the theme of journey or also know as quest. Taking a journey or quest means, to be challenged by life changing experiences and learning from them. There are different stages of a journey but the ones that I found in the book and actually related to them was The Threshold and Final Ordeal.

In the story Baptism, I identified with the theme The Threshold. What the theme describes is The Journeyer introduced to a “new” or “different” world. It also tests the commitment of the Journeyer and whether they can succeed. As a young girl, Frankie did not know what the world was really like. After becoming a teenager she found out through life experience how the world was different. Her innocence was lost once she found out how society viewed people. She became familiar with issues concerning race, gender roles, and violence. She was what she called herself baptized. I can relate to what Frankie felt. As a teenager I did not know what the real world really was. It was the moment I became more aware of my surroundings and questioned everything that I opened my eyes to what the world was really like. I had to face violence in the streets and some racism I my community. All I wanted is to go back when I used to be innocent.

The theme of Final Ordeal was evident in the story Scotch on the Rocks. Final Ordeal means dealing with life, the brink of failure and death but afterward feels rebirth and becomes wiser. As Frankie got older, she faced an alcoholism stage to the point where she got in a car accident. Drinking and driving made her realize that it was not worth losing her life. I connected with her in a different way. As I teen I would associate with bad influence to the point where I was almost got into big trouble. I was headed for failure. If it wasn’t for my parents forcing me stay away from bad influence, I wouldn’t be able to be the person I am today. As I moved on with my life I grew wiser and made my own smart decisions. I found out that the people I used to know are either in jail or pregnant. I’m glad that I came to realize through life changing experience that there is more to life just like Frankie did.

Reading journey’s or quest’s makes people understand and relate to different stages in life. Mee Street Chronicles: Straight Up Stories of a Black Woman has helped me learn other people’s life long journeys and to relate to them even though the author is not like me. Everyday is a new day and I am ready to face a new journey.

Cindy Ellie

"Cindy Ellie a Modern Faire Tale" by Carter Smith, is a story about a young girl who is mistreated by her step family but at the end gets her dream come true.

What I liked about reading Cindy Ellie, was the happy ending with her prince charming. In a fairy tale, there is always a happy ending no matter how difficult a situation gets. I enjoyed reading another version especially because this once was African American and it had humor. I think Carter Smith wrote this Cinderella modern version to make us understand the story and know the difference in every culture.

After reading An Anthology of African American Storytelling, I have become familiar with the different way the author’s write. Sumptuous is a word that means: splendid and expensive looking. Debutants means: a person making a first appearance in a fashionable society. These are two new vocabulary words that I have learned through out the story.

What I still don’t understand is why Cindy Ellie’s father does not speak up about her daughter being mistreated. The character that the father portrays has no emotion towards her daughter and it is almost unbearable to read. The external conflict that Ellie encountered was between her stepmother and stepsisters. Ellie was a nice caring girl and they decided to take advantage of her. One other thing that still lingers in my mind was when Godma decides to make a car out of an onion and butlers out of mice.

Flying West

Pearl Cleage’s play Flying West is a story that deals with people of color trying to live their lives with no segregation in1898. The setting of the play took place in Nicodemus, Kansas, a small town. Miss Leah, seventy three year old elderly woman, is a character in the play that grew up in slavery. The character appears to be a stubborn, who does not like to be told what to do and will not back down. For example, when Miss Leah is offered to spend the winter season at her neighbor’s house, she refused the offer. Later, she was convinced to accept. She is well known for owning neighboring property. Later in the play she reveals more about her life. Miss Leah continues to talk about her ten children that never completely her children due to the slave trade. This reveals another side of her personality. Throughout the play Miss Leah reveals more about herself, making her complex, dynamic character. Miss Leah is a three dimensional character shaped by her values and world experiences.

As I analyzed Miss Leah’s character, I concluded that she changes over that course of the play. At the same time, there was something that made who she is as a person, her values. Growing up in slavery made Miss Leah an independent, strong, well rounded woman. Therefore she values women who are like her, for example Sophie Washington and Fannie Dovie. She admires the fact that these two women own property, despite the fact that it is 1898 and it is difficult for women of color to accomplish. Miss Leah admires well rounded women, which meant that they are work full time and still be able to have a warm cooked meals. I speculated that Miss Leah was giving Sophie advice about her coffee as she tasted it, as it says in page 12, “Then they have to drink your coffee.” Since Sophie is always working she does not have the time to cook and clean but Miss Leah makes advises her to work on her cooking skills. All this goes to show that Miss Leah’s values are strong and sticks by them to the fullest.

Miss Leah is an elderly woman who has experienced a lot of hardships in her life, leading her to have high values. When she witnesses Minnie, sister of Sophie and Fannie, being struck by her husband, she becomes altered. Miss Leah can not do much but to give advice to Minnie by telling her, “If he hit you once, he will do it again.” This goes to show that Miss Leah values respect for women and how they should be treated. It also shows that she does not tolerate abuse from men and upholds no remorse to men who take advantage of women. She decides to take matter into her own hands by making an old recipe of poisoning apple pie to try and kill Frank, Minnie’s husband. This shows that she stand string by her values.

Over all Miss Leah has shown many sides to her. I feel that I have gotten to know the character more through play considering the fact that she is not the main character and doesn’t really come out a lot. She manages to be a strong knowledgeable person who anyone can rely on. Most importantly her values remain strong. By analyzing her character and values, it made me wonder what my values are and how strongly do I believe in them.

Coffee Will Make You Black Chapters 8 9 10

Willie Jean is a character in the book Coffee Will Make You Black, by April Sinclair, she plays an important role in the book because she of growing up issues she faces. In chapters 8, 9, 10 of the books Willie Jean is described as tomboyish girl who is neglected by boys her age. Girls her age also notice that she is not like any other girls by the way she acts. Willie Jean is comfortable enough with the way she is, which is a lesbian. I admire the fact that she came out and said she like girls indirectly because in the times she was living in homosexuality was not accepted.

Willie Jean was faced with stigma, negative attitudes, from people she knew. For example her boy classmates talk behind her back saying that she is a “Tomboy form the ghetto”, said Yuseff. Stevie mentioned to Youseff that she liked playing basketball and right away Yuseff had a negative attitude because women are not supposed to act or try to be like boys. This is a stigma that Stevie has to see and doesn’t understand why Willie Jean has o be talked about in that way.

Willie Jean has to face issues of acceptance from girls, especially from Carla. Carla described Willie Jean as flat-chest, tomboyish girl. This stigma affects Stevie because she is not used to seeing homosexuality. There was a situation where Willie Jean had to explain that it was ok for a girl to dance with a girl. With Stevie’s innocence she saw that comment as a normal talk but Willie Jean was indirectly saying that she is a lesbian.

Coffee Will Make You Black Oral Presentation

In the book Coffee Will Make You Black, by April Sinclair, the main character of the book is a young girl named Jean Stevenson also known as “Stevie” who faces many growing up issues. She is African American girl who has two younger brothers and lives with her parents. As she goes to grade schools she is faced with peer pressure from friends to act a certain way. Stevie is a confused teenager who wants to find who she really is. The main issue that I will be focusing on is on Stevie’s experience with sexual awakening and the discovery of same sex attraction.

Growing up with a mother who is conservative and doesn’t show much emotion, Stevie is left to with many unanswered questions. She is curios when she is asked to about getting her period, as well as friends talking about their love coming down ,yet the mother refuses to answer any questions and tell her that she needs to stay away from it all. This causes Stevie to search the answers on her on and sometimes getting herself in trouble for it. As she gets older she is more experienced and learns the answers that her mother tried keeping her away.

One thing that Stevie’s mother forgot to mention to her was to stay away from liking girls. Stevie did hear from her so called friend Carla and Yusef to stay away from the tomboy Willie Jean and not to act like boys. Back then the thought of being a homosexual was considered a taboo and whoever was known to be one was an outcast. Stevie was misled to think that homosexuality was wrong and if you did like the opposite sex you would be considered a sinner.

Later on in the chapters, Stevie started to unfold her real self little by little. At the age of sixteen, she has a boyfriend named Sean. They have been in a relationship for six months and finally they both decide to have sex. Stevie is once led to believe that having sex is a norm and if he loved Sean she had to have sexual relationships. At the time when they are both having intercourse Stevie tells Sean to stop because she was in pain. Sean is inpatient and tells her that he can’t wait until the next time they do it again and she responds that there will be no next time. They end up breaking up and Stevie realizes that she was not in love with Sean she was just impressed. As I read this chapter I suspected that Stevie did not like the opposite sex and was attracted to the same sex.

Stevie would seek for advice to the School nurse. The School nurse was a white woman named Ms. Horn. Stevie was the schools nurse helper and they would spend a lot of time together. She was always having thought and dreams of her rescuing her from drowning and giving her mouth to mouth. This was not normal for her to feel this way. Stevie did not know how to explain to Carla how she did not like Sean and wanted to talk to her about Ms. Horn but Carla demanded her not to tell her anything about her homosexual feeling. Stevie felt like an outcast. As Stevie confessed her feelings to Ms. Horn, Ms. Horn clarified that it is normal to have homosexual and heterosexual feeling because she is still growing up.

As I reflected on how Stevie was feeling through her teenage year I can say I relate to her. As I was growing I never got answers from my parents. Their advice was to stay away from bad influences but the more they told me to stay away the more I would seek my friends. As I saw how Stevie felt about her homosexual feeling, I got a different perspective on how that happens to many teens. I haven’t experienced it myself but I have a better understanding of how it feels. Overall I like this book because it was something new and different.

No Escape Oral Presentation

In the book, "Mee Street Chronicles: Straight up Stories of a Black Woman’s Life" by Frankie Lennon, she uses many ways of describing characters in her chapters. When reading part one of her book, "No Escape", she mainly focuses on the narrator. Characters may be analyzed in action, behavior, dialogue, thoughts, look, or dress.

In "No Escape", the narrator, which is Frankie, is faced with her fear of the dark; she is facing a challenge by herself. She wakes up one night and calls out to her parents but there was no response so she goes to look for them in her dark house. She was scared, as she described in pg 17 “The rolling thunder sends...another inch.” At this point she thinks she sees ghosts and thinks that they are going to eat her. By the way Frankie was thinking you can tell that the narrator is very imaginative to think up of ghost. For example in pg 22 “Dracula’s Wings?” this quote describes one of imaginary monsters. Also by her behavior, you can tell that Frankie is not brave because she is not willing to keep going with finding her parents. Frankie then calls out to her parents and there is still no response leading her to think that the monsters have eaten her parents. She becomes sad and starts crying. By her behavior, we can analyze that Frankie needs a lot of growing up.

Through out "No Escape", Frankie keeps getting more thoughts in her head but this time she calls it her god fairy, it is what advises her to keep going. The narrator chooses to keep going in her quest to look for her parents. She then gets the courage to walk through the dark kitchen. Frankie does this because she is being compared to Gretel, one who is brave and courageous, as it is described in page 17 “Be like Gretel!”As I have read the chapter I analyzed the narrator, I came to a conclusion that she is a round character who is 3-deminsional with depth and complexity because she changes through out the end of the chapter. She is also a dynamic character because she grows up a lot considering the fact that she was only three years old when this occurred.

The Value of Stoies

As I was reading Frankie Lennon’s blog "The Book of Days III: Part II-and II Women Who Run with the Wolves", I thought about the value of stories. Stories are valuable to people when they relate to the stories as well as learning something new. A story is defined by dictionary.com as: a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale. Stories can be told by anyone at anytime; it is just a matter of hoe the story gets passed down to generations.

When reading how Frankie Lennon felt about stories, I completely agreed with what she was saying. As a little girl she enjoyed stories that her parents would tell her and I feel that I can identify with that. Stories have a valuable meaning when you hear the same story being told by someone else because it shows how popular it is as well as to why they tell the stories. Lennon also expresses how stories have helped her find who she really was by writing the story of her life in a book.

I think it is important for people especially for women to read or write stories or narratives to help them find themselves. At the end of the day stories will always be told and they will tell informational ideas that will create wisdom, give hope and encourage us to keep going. After reading this blog I am considering of writing my own stories and making sure I tell the ones I know.

The Party

The Party Blog

In the story "The Party," from the book Mee Street Chronicles: Straight Up Stories of a Black Woman’s Life, by Frankie Lennon, it starts with the narrator being in a party with a lot of her classmates. The narrator is faced with peer pressure of having to dance with a boy named Bobby. This is a problem for Frankie because she is discovering her sexuality and is not sure what she should be feeling. It is difficult for Frankie to actually tell Bobby that she doesn’t want to dance because then she will be looked upon as stuck up. Bobby then starts asking her why she doesn’t have a boyfriend while she is hesitant to answer. Bobby later catches on that Frankie does not have a boyfriend because she does not like boys. Frankie is then worried that the boy is going to tell everyone about her secret affection towards girls.

I like some parts of the story because the narrator built suspense when she had to talk Bobby. The story was based on the confrontation of Bobby and the narrator and I didn’t find it as interesting as other chapters. I feel that this was an important story in the book but it could have been less detailed. Since this was an important story in the book I felt that the coming out of Frankie was not emphasized as much.



I find it difficult sometimes reading the book since it is based in an era where people would take different; therefore I have expanded my vocabulary by looking up two words I didn’t understand. The first one is in page 68, the word is hunkering. “Hunkering down inside me, just waiting.” The word hunkering means to squat close to the ground. The second word is in page 71 the word is bulldaggers. “I think you one of them-them bulldaggers!” The word bulldagger is a slang word in the African American community to describe a lesbian. By looking up what these two words I now have a better understanding of how people would use word in that era.

What I liked was that the author put in what she thought was important which is basically the low tolerance people have toward the issues of a person liking the same sex. I like how Lennon makes it clear that being a woman of color and a minority is still difficult for people and society to understand. The fact that the narrator had to lie about her feelings shows that people cant be their true selves,