Today, we had a vibrant discussion on "Kaffir Boy" and "The Bluest Eyes." OK maybe not vibrant. In fact, I am somewhat disappointed in the lack of participation going on when we have read and are discussing the stories. Alas, I will take care of this problem in the future.
As for today, please respond to the following:
The racism in "The Bluest Eyes" seems to be more subtle than the racism in "Kaffir Boy." In at least 7 sentences, compare/contrast the styles of racism the author uses in both stories. Make sure in this blog you actually have some kind of topic sentence and you must use at least one reference to each of the stories to prove your point.
20 comments:
The racism in "the Bluest Eyes" is less apparent, and doesn't effect the characters quite as much as it does in "Kaffir Boy." In "The Bluest Eyes," Pecola experiences just a slight bit of racism. This was simply from the shop owner not wanting to touch her hand, because she's black. I based this off the quote, "He hesitates, not wanting to touch her hand." The racism in "Kaffir" is more offensive and personal than in the other story. The bus driver of this story makes a bigger deal out of the child walking on the bus because she's black. When she walks onto the white bus, the bus driver says "Vootsek, off this bus Kaffir! Don't you see this is a white bus!"
The racism shown in the stories, Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eyes is different yet similar in several ways. To first compare the two, one must obviously start with the obvious. The racism is directed towards blacks. Secondly, the racism is from white people in both stories. One cannot also overlook the effect that it has on both the children in the stories. In Kaffir Boy, Mathabane feels fear around white people after his encounter with the driver. In the other story, Pecola also learns the same fear based on her treatment and more than likely, one may infer that she resigns to timidness because of it. However, from that point on, there are very few similarities. In Kaffir Boy, the racism is wielded like a blunt sword. You know it's there from the reaction of the bus driver to Mathabane's getting on the bus. "Don't your pickanninny know any better?". Also, the reaction of his grandmother wiping the steps of the bus with her skirt lets one see the racism as being as plain as a naked person standing up in a crowded lunchroom. In The Bluest Eyes, by contrast, while one does see the racism, it's not as physically apparent. Mr. Yacobowski doesn't go off on Pecola, but he simply reacts to her in a different way. He is disgusted to take her money from her hand, but he still doesn't say anything terrible to her, aside from asking her why she can't talk. Based on these main facts, one can extrapolate and interpolate the subtle differences in the racism displayed between the two stories.
Racism is equally bad in any situation, you see that in these stories "The Bluest Eyes" and "Kaffir Boy". In the "The Bluest Eyes", Pecola was hesitant around white people. You could tell that she was uncomfortable getting the candy. Also in "Kaffir Boy" you knew that there was racism because they just throw it out there form the start. To contrast them, both stories had racism but in different forms. In "The Bluest Eyes", you see an indirect use of body language that shows the storekeeper is not paying any attention to her really. On the other hand, "Kaffir Boy" shows you how strong racism can be without anyone even noticing. People get so accustom to that happening they dont even realize it when it does happen.
the racism in the stories are both aimed at black people. the racism is also coming from white people. in the bluest eyes, Mr. Yacobowski reacts to her in a different way, he reacts a lot harsher. the bus driver makes a big deal about a a black childe walking on the bus. in the story Kaffir boy Pecola racism comes in a little different way. she experiences racism because the clerk doesn't want to touch her hand because she is black. to me the racism in Kaffir boy is a lot worse. we need to a better job at geting rid of racism.
The racism is very evident in both "The Bluest Eyes" by Toni Morrison, and in the story "Kaffir Boy" by Mark Mathabane, which are both alike and disalike. In the first story we read "Kaffir Boy", the racism was very bold, upfront, and blunt. This is because in the story the young boy is called straight to his face Kaffir, which is a rasict slur. The story starts off as a "usual" saturday for the young boy spending the day with his Granny and waiting to get on the bus to Alexandra. The unusual part is that young boy accidently mistakes his bus for the "white bus" and the bus driver is absolutely livid about this. The bus driver goes on to say to the confused young boy things like "I said get off my bloody bus, Kaffir!",along with many other hurtful things. The young boy's Granny goes on to talk about things like "We live in our world, and white people live in their world. We're their servents, they're our masters..." to help the boy better understand what was going on and reasons why he could not go on that certain bus. In contrast, the story "The Bluest Eyes" has a more suttle way of showing rasism, but is very present. The main character, Pecola, whose only dream was to have blue eyes. Not only because they are "beautful", but becasuse she wanted more then anything to be accepted and fit in with the white society. Just like any other kid, she wants acceptance more then anthing. Pecola encounters racism when she enters a small grocery store which sells penny candy to buy something. The store owner, Mr. Yacobowski, was extremely racist and rude, but not as blunt as the other story. He goes on to say things to Pecola such as, "Christ. Kantcha talk?". The store owner, though not saying much, failed to really see the young girl. All she wants is to be like all the other girls, and to not be looked over and unseen.
:) rachel duelo.
The storys "The Bluest Eyes" by Toni Morrison and "Kaffir Boy" by Mark Mathabane are very similar and different. They are the same by for one thing in each story the charactes excperince some kind of pregudis. Also when both characters encounter pregudis they do not know what to do. In Kaffir Boy the boy steps on a white bus and as the bus driver is yelling at him all he says was "I shut my eyes" because he is unaware what to do. In The Bluest Eyes the shop owner does not want to touch her hand and she says "I do not Know how to move the finger of her right hand from the display counter or how to get the coins out of her left hand". They are differnt by for one they are in different situations in the story one gets in trouble for stepping on the wrong bus and the other is unaware what to do when a white man does not want to touch a black girl. Also the two stories are not both on the same topic one is all about pregudis and the other is how a girl want to be pritty. These two stories are similar and different.
The racism in "The Bluest Eyes" seems to be more subtle than the racism in "Kaffir Boy." In at least 7 sentences, compare/contrast the styles of racism the author uses in both stories. Make sure in this blog you actually have some kind of topic sentence and you must use at least one reference to each of the stories to prove your point.
even though it may be from different levels, there is still racism pesent in both stories regardless. the bluest eyes makes an allusion that blue eyes would make her pretty, because naturally, blacks tend to have only brown eyes. blue eyes are characteristic of whites. this is profound in saing in what i think the girl wants to be white. however in kaffir boy, it is more blunt. they clearly show the inferiority thy expirenced to whites. even going as far as to say that women on the bus ran to the back from fear f the child. proof of the ideas held in the south. it shows the lack of integration, they would live in harmony if not for the segregation.
Racism is shown in both stories, "The Bluest Eyes" and "Kaffir Boy". Racism is portrayed more in "Kaffir Boy" because the when the boy got on the bus the bus driver and older women on the bus made a big deal about it. In "The Bluest Eyes" the racism was shown at the store when she was purchasing candy from Mr. Yacobowski. They the children in both stories are affected by racism. The children are both scared and intimidated by the whites. Pecola in the story wants to fit in and have blue eyes to be like everyone else. She wants attention. The boy made an honest mistake and was yelled at by the angry bus driver.
In the two stories the racial extreme was different. In the bluest eyes it is less extreme in my opinion. Because in the other story it was saying how the kids couldnt even go around town with out someone or they would be taken away. Like when the mother says how he cant wonder off. In the bluest eyes it is just she is treated a little bit differently because of her race but at no point was her life in risk. It just makes me wonder how in some societys extreme racism issues are still occuring. In america with the new president it seems like all of that is pretty much over. But us as americans we are blind to the other societys that are still struggling with this issue.
The storys "The Bluest Eyes" by Toni Morrison and "Kaffir Boy" by Mark Mathabane are very similar. Both storys show racism. In " The bluest Eyes" the main character is black. She wants to have blue eyes because she wants to fit in with the white people. She also feels that she is ugly and that having blue eyes would make her prettier. The racism shown in " The Kaffir Boy" is much more harsh than in "The Bluest Eyes". When the kid got on the bus and the bus driver was yelling at him the kid did not know what to do. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best pretty much, because he was so scared.
Cody Dykes
The two styles of showing racism in "Kaffir Boy" is a lot easier to recognize than in "The Bluest Eyes". In "Kaffir Boy" racism is talk about a lot more and is a more in your face style. In "Kaffir Boy" his grandma is contantly warning him about whites. Also by the way the white man tells him to gett off the bus, "Vootsek, off this bus Kaffir! Don't you see this is a white bus!". In "The Bluest Eyes." it's apparent, but not as much as the first story. In that story shes not blatantly called out by racist people but is kinda given the hint. The shop owner for example dident even talk to her to treat her like a human. The little girl in the story takes this rough. She then looks at herself lower and not pretty at all.
The racism in "The Bluest Eyes" is the little girl thinks she is not pretty. She wants to become invisible to the world because nobody is nice to her. She thinks if she has blue eye then white people will start to like her. The racism in "Kaffir Boy" is a little more out there. The boy gets on an all white bus and the bus driver kicks the boy out. They both have the little kids getting picked on because they are black. People do racism everyday and don’t notice it.
- Christina Newman
The racism faced in "The Bluest Eye" is not so public, but more felt within the main character Pecola, unlike in "Kaffir Boy," it is the racism within their society that is affecting the characters. In the Bluest Eye, racism is definitely shown and projected within, but it has to do more with acceptance and feeling beautiful because that it what society says you have to be. In the story, a short paragraph from a childrens story of "Dick and Jane," is mentioned, and it is all about beautiful little boys and girls that are white with blonde hair and blue eyes. That is the exact opposite of what Pecola is, and she faces much lack of self esteem, and well as rejection from a white adult who is obviously very racist. In "Kaffir Boy," the young boy acidentally gets onto a white bus, and he is shamed because of it by society and by his grandmother. It is absolutely forebidden and compltely unheard of for blacks and whites to go on the same bus, let alone use the same phones in their society in the story. Although both stories deal with young african american children living in a world and facing a society full of racism, they differ in many ways too the way they deal with it. These children in the stories are way too young to be having to deal with self image too much and not being able to fit in because of your color and what you look like. Or being discriminated on a bus because you are black andare not allowed on that white bus. Racism shows up throughout both stories, "Kaffir Boy," a little more than "The Bluest Eye," and even though it has died down a lot in cultures today, we still see it take place all the time in this country from people of all different cultures.
The stories "The Bluest Eyes" and "Kaffir Boy" have many similar emotions that the story is portraying. They both tell their stories of how much they really wanted to just fit in. Fit in to society and really just be like everyone else. They both in this case wanted to fit in with the white socitey or ideal socitey. In the "Kaffir Boy" they were much more upfront about racism. They said, "what is this Kaffir doing on the bus." They were alot different compared to "The Bluest Eyes". In "The Bluest Eyes", they seemed to be a little different. They didn't even what to interact with the girl. "He hesitates not wanting to touch her hand." The reason why he does this is he believes that this girl isn't worty enough to even talk to him, let alone touch hands. These are some of the differences and simmilarites i found in the stories.
Racism in "The Bluest Eyes" and "Kaffir Boy" is easily seen. in "The Bluest Eyes" pecola notices that her races affects her life very dramaticlly. She says; "Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes." in that passage she wishes to have blue eyes so she can assimilate into the white society and can finally feel like she belongs. In school, the candy shop, and even at her own home she feels how she looks cuases her life to be so harsh. in "Kaffir Boy" about the african boy getting on a white bus, racism is all over. "Vootsek, of this bus, Kaffir!" in this quote you can see how the bus driver feels the boy is inferior to the the rest of them. Racism is a problem in both of these stories and is still one in the "Real World"
between the bluest eye and kaiffer boy the racism is more visable in the latter of the two. in kaiffer boy the granny warns him not to get into any trouble with the whites because they can easily arrest him. although he heard this warning he still accidently stepped on the white bus because he could not read. this is evident when the bus dirver says "Voostek, get off this bus kaffir!" in the bluest eye the racism is less apparent. because the shop owner presents himself as just being in a angry mood you can see where it is less apparent. the shop owner just dosent want to touch her hand or anything like that but he is not screaming at her to get out of his shop. i get this fromwhen the shop keeper in an angry tone said "you want these "why didnt you say so".
Tom Hall
The racism in "The Bluest Eyes" seems to be more subtle than the racism in "Kaffir Boy." In at least 7 sentences, compare/contrast the styles of racism the author uses in both stories. Make sure in this blog you actually have some kind of topic sentence and you must use at least one reference to each of the stories to prove your point.
Racism in the Bluest eyes is less offensive then the rasism in Kaffir Boy. But then againg they both consist of some type of racicm. Yes in the story Kaffir Boy the bus driver makes the racism more pointed out. The people in each story were effected some how. Some was just more noticeable then other.
The racism in "the bluest eyes" is different then the racism in "Kaffir Boy" because in "the bluest eyes" she wasnt shown very much racism. The story is mostly about how she wants to change herself to fit in. In "The Kaffir Boy" the racism shown is more offensive and more direct. She is yelled at and called names. In " The bluest eyes" she is just intimidated by the shop owner kind of not showing her respect. It doesnt really give more bigger problems or examples like "Kaffir Boy". Although both stories show examples of racism, "Kaffir Boy" did a better job of it.
Sheesh Mark. The past three blogs have been nitpicking at the class effort. I say: There are people who choose to assert themselves and participate and class, and there are those that just won't at all.
Anyway.
The racism in "Kaffir Boy" by Mark Mathabane and "The Bluest Eyes" by Toni Morrison both include racism and, though the differences are noticeable, the theme of a segregated society is apparent throughout each. In Mathabane's work, he unknowingly (and half-wittedly) hops onto a white bus while his grandmother is across the street running an errand. The story, which depicts Mathabane as he was as a child, displays racism extremely. This is shown immediately after Mathabane steps onto the bus, when the two elderly ladies rush to the back of the bus upon seeing a 'Kaffir', and even after he descends off of the bus, when the bus driver bickers at his grandmother for allowing such an act. Clearly, racism is abroad in the apartheid South African society. In "The Bluest Eyes", the character Pecola wishes to assimilate into the white culture by having blue eyes; she feels that a simple thing as eye color will help her look more beautiful, and thus be more accepted into the white society that she so desires to be accepted into. Racism is apparent in said story when Pecola travels to a candy store for a sugary delight. She, with three pennis, wishes to have three, and thus goes to the counter to purchase them. Upon getting to the counter, she is greeted in an asinine, ignorant way by the white shopkeeper. He is quite the jerk to her, being quite short with her. Pecola is simply nervous and intimidated by this white man, as she isn't accustomed nor accepted into the white culture. Racism is again, abroad. However subtle, the theme of segregation and apartheid exists throughout both stories and serves as their focal point. In Mathabane's case, his treatment was much more severe whereas in Pecola's case it was much less apparent, but this does not mean that Mathabane's treatment was worse in any respect; racism, in general, is a negative virtue that should not be held within any a man.
I love you all, now my term paper is complete. YEAH MOTHAFUCKAS
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