Difference between revisions of "328 2010--Week 8 Questions/Comments"
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The negative stereotypes associated with African Americans really stands out in this passage and I think they are important to emphasizing why an African American would consider "passing." They include African Americans being poor, domestic servants, charity cases, promiscuous, and inferior to whites. Even if they were hard-working or good people, African Americans had to overcome some rather harsh stereotypes. I can definitely see trying to "pass" as a white and living with less trials as tempting. On another note, Clare having to hide her race, and being able to, made me think of the light skinned black models on the magazine covers we looked at in class. While they were clearly appealing to African American audiences, I feel like the magazines were putting out a message that said "being white is where it is at!" So, perhaps light skinned black women did try "passing" as whites by downplaying their color and race? I am sure make-up made that feat much easier. -- CBrau | The negative stereotypes associated with African Americans really stands out in this passage and I think they are important to emphasizing why an African American would consider "passing." They include African Americans being poor, domestic servants, charity cases, promiscuous, and inferior to whites. Even if they were hard-working or good people, African Americans had to overcome some rather harsh stereotypes. I can definitely see trying to "pass" as a white and living with less trials as tempting. On another note, Clare having to hide her race, and being able to, made me think of the light skinned black models on the magazine covers we looked at in class. While they were clearly appealing to African American audiences, I feel like the magazines were putting out a message that said "being white is where it is at!" So, perhaps light skinned black women did try "passing" as whites by downplaying their color and race? I am sure make-up made that feat much easier. -- CBrau | ||
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| + | I agree with what CBrau said above, that African Americans had to deal with many stereotypes, and whites had no idea what that was like. For African Americans, the idea of them "passing" as whites was a way to gain acceptance in society, a way for them to finally fit in. If they were lucky enough to pass as white, they had so many more opportunities. I'm sure many Black men/women desired to "pass" so they could live their life to the fullest extent without hindrance based on the color of their skin. Nella Larsen was appealing to the African American community, but I am not sure whether she was encouraging the idea of "passing" or not. Part of me feels as though she encouraged it by writing about it, only because she showed how happy Clare was after "passing," and all the opportunities and fun she'd had because of it. -- Alex M. | ||
==Women of the Ku Klux Klan== | ==Women of the Ku Klux Klan== | ||
