The Wife of His Youth
People often make the categories of race, class, gender, sexuality, age, physical condition, etc., contend for the title of most oppressed. Within ?race,? various populations groups then compete for that top spot. Through the book, The Wife of His Youth, by Charles Wadell Chesnutt one can learn that racism existed within the ?race,? colored mattered, and that racism evolves throughout the racial history.
Racism existed within the race. People within the groups competed to be at the top. In The Wife of His Youth, the main character Mr. Ryder is a highly respected man in his society called the Blue Veins. The Blue Veins is a society for the colored people who have white skin that their veins show. Mr. Ryder is faced with a situation where he has to choose to stay at the top by hiding the truth and marrying a highly respected woman in the Blue Veins, Mrs. Molly Dixon or reveal his secret and be married to a woman who is considered low among the races. However Mr. Ryder chooses to reveal that a former slave is his wife, but in order for him to come to the conclusion he struggles much about how the others would feel about this situation because mostly likely people of his society would look down upon him.
Color matters within the race. In The Wife of His Youth, the Blue Veins is a society that does not emphasize culture of the race, but how light the color of their skins are. The people of the society must have really light skin to be even considered to be a member of the Blue Veins. The wife of his youth, a former slave, Liza Jane would never be considered to be a member of the Blue Veins because she was very black and her social status in society was of a former plantation worker. One could also see that Mr. Ryder struggles whether or not to reveal his secret to the Blue Veins because colored mattered and he did not know if they would be able to accept the fact that he was married to his ugly black woman. In addition, Mr. Ryder had to somehow gain recognition from the Blue Veins that it was okay to have a wife outside the approval of the race, the society. He asks, ?Shall you acknowledge her?? (p. 56) He wait for their nod of some kind of positive reaction.
Racism evolves; it has no single, permanently fixed set of characteristics. Racism is not a set theory in the minds of the people, but instead a theory that constantly changes according to the time and the needs of the environment. Mr. Ryder in the Blue Veins who was in a high position who accepted only the light-colored is able to reconsider his status for the wife of his youth. He was able to persuade the Blue Veins so that the wife of his youth can be accepted in the society. Also by reading The Wife of His Youth, one knows that Mr. Ryder was a former slave, too who just happens to be free and of high status at the present moment. After he becomes ?a someone? in society he wishes to forget about his past until the wife of his youth comes along his path and makes his decide, truth or fame.
Through the book, The Wife of His Youth, one can learn that racism existed within the ?race,? colored mattered, and that racism evolves. The challenge is to understand the changes of racial history and draw strength from our understandings. Also today one has to acknowledge the fact that other races exist, not only blacks. In doing so, one has to proceed with both boldness and infinite care. Talking race is an intellectual minefield; for every social observation, one can find three contradictions and four necessary qualifications. Crawling through the complexity, it helps to think: ?keep your eye on the prize, which is uniting against the monster.?
Другие работы по теме:
On The Bench Essay Research Paper In
?On The Bench? Essay, Research Paper In his essay, ?On The Bench?, Robert Parker shows the trials and tribulations of trying to be both mentally and physically strong. He writes about how horrible it is being thin and weak, and having to hold on to his wife?s arm when it is windy out. I hope that this essay was intended to be humorous, because it did in fact make me laugh.
A Day
’s Time Essay, Research Paper Centuries apart Robert Herrick and Robert Frost wrote poems illustrating the brevity of life. To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time by Herrick and Nothing Gold Can Stay by Frost are the two poems which address the limited time humanity, especially the time of youth, has to spend in this life.
Oedipus Free Will Essay Research Paper The
Oedipus Free Will Essay, Research Paper The characters in the story are free to make their own choices in life. Laios, upon being told that his son will kill him and marry his wife, chooses to have him killed. If Laios had not been told this
Ethan Frome Essay Research Paper 091000
Ethan Frome Essay, Research Paper 09.10.00 Ethan and Zeena Frome were always very rich, but Ethan hasn’t ever been happy. He decided to start a farm. This worried Zeena very much so she brought along
Of Love Essay Research Paper Of LoveFeeble
Of Love Essay, Research Paper Of Love Feeble I, sick of life, stranded, in the youth of sins Went down the abyss of sorrow’s sea like a fish with no fins, Deeper into dark, not a thing to see, to the land of no return
A Look At Grief In 2
A Look At Grief In “Home Burial” Essay, Research Paper The poem, ?Home Burial? by Robert Frost, tells of a child that was buried not long in the past and of the sorrow of the wife and husband. The husband?s grief is not as apparent as the wife?s heartache. The husband has become accustomed to his feeling, but the wife is reminded every time she passes the stairway window.
Macbeth Essay Essay Research Paper MacBeth EssayWe
Macbeth Essay Essay, Research Paper MacBeth Essay We are sympathetic towards MacBeth for various reasons. Reasons like that he never wanted to kill Duncan and the witches predictions were to tempting. Or that his wife almost shamed into doing it to prove to her that he was a man. After hearing those reasons you cannot forget about the pressure he received from Lady MacBeth’s degrading insults.
Rip Van Winkle Essay Research Paper In
Rip Van Winkle Essay, Research Paper In the story of Rip Van Winkle, a wind story of a bad father/husband is told. The story seems to be a way for the writer to display his anger and resentment towards his spouse. The story is consistently talking about how Rip was dreading going home to see his wife. At the same time it told of his mistreatment of the same wife.
Characters And Symbolisms In A Clean WellLighted
Place Essay, Research Paper Characters and Symbolisms in “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” Ernest Hemingway’s Short story “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” is about two cafe waiters analyzing an old man’s behavior. Moreover, one of the waiters identifies himself with the old man. The theme depicts the elderly’s mentality that youth means confidence and a life without loneliness.
Home Burial Essay Research Paper Home BurialThe
Home Burial Essay, Research Paper Home Burial The theme of Home Burial by Robert Frost is the missunderstanding between a husband and a wife. The wife can t handle the way that her husband has dealt with the death of their baby. The wife feels that her husband doesn t even care about the death of their baby. This is not true the husband just deals with his pain in different ways.
Archeo Essay Research Paper A Cross Cultural
Archeo Essay, Research Paper A Cross Cultural Perspective of Polygyny As an institution, polygyny, the social arrangement that permits a man to have more than one wife at the same
Dombey And Son Essay Research Paper In
Dombey And Son Essay, Research Paper In an excerpt from Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens, a man’s wife just gave birth to their newborn child and he’s already planning out the future of his son. Through a god-like view, the reader sees the arrogance of Dombey and feels pity towards his wife and son. Using rhetorical devices, Dickens tells of this man and his thoughts.
Oedipus Essay Research Paper Oedipus is a
Oedipus Essay, Research Paper Oedipus is a blind old man. He is the son of a former king of Thebes. His father?s name was Laius and his mother was Jocasta, the former queen. In the previous tragedy, Oedipus inadvertently killed his father and married his mother. He had four kids with his wife. Moreover, his wife/mother was going through a lot of stress so she decided to hang herself.
Four Wives Essay Research Paper Four WivesThere
Four Wives. Essay, Research Paper Four Wives There was a rich merchant of India who had 4 wives (when they used to do such things.) He loved the 4th wife the most. He adorned her with rich robes and treated her to
Darwin Research Essay Research Paper Darwin was
Darwin Research Essay, Research Paper Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He was the son of Robert Waring Darwin and his wife Susannah; and the grandson of the scientist Erasmus Darwin, and
Ethan Frome 5 Essay Research Paper Ethan
Ethan Frome 5 Essay, Research Paper Ethan Frome, the main character in the book entitled Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, has many complex problems occurring at the same time. His parents have died and he has a wife who is continually sick, and the only form of happiness he has is from his wife’s cousin Mattie. This, at times proves to be hard because of Ethan s wife’s interference.
Ethan Frome Ethan
’s Failures Essay, Research Paper Ethan Frome: Ethan’s Failures Ethan Frome, the main character in the book entitled Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, has many complex problems going on at the same time. His family has
Wife Of Bath Essay Research Paper Wife
Wife Of Bath Essay, Research Paper Wife Of Bath Feminism, or a doctrine advocating social, politcal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men, plays a large role in “The Wife of Bath’s
Wife Of Bath From The Canterbury Tales
Essay, Research Paper The most obtentatious of the travlers, the Wife of Bath has been married five times and is currently searching for another man to marry. The Wife of BAth is opinionated and boisterous, and her tale which centers around the question “what do women want?,” promotes her view that women wish to have autority over men.
Youth
– Then & Now Essay, Research Paper Youth : Then & Now The spirit of youth has changed dramatically since the days of Joseph Conrad and his story, “Youth.” Conrad strongly emphasises the
Life Is Like Essay Research Paper Life
Life Is Like Essay, Research Paper Life is like a car. When it?s new, it usually works all right. As time drives by, it breaks down and needs repairs. Life is like a leaf. In its youth, it
Spanking Essay Research Paper In western society
Spanking Essay, Research Paper In western society, spanking is often not seen as a suitable way to discipline youth. In fact, spanking is a good way to discipline by helping to build self-awareness and morality, it is beneficial to
Beauty Essay Research Paper Beauty is so
Beauty Essay, Research Paper Beauty is so easily overrated. An omnipresent characteristic, beauty has stolen the eye of today?s youth. Gone are the days where a person?s inner beauty accounted for so much more then his/her outer beauty. Where how you styled the eloquence in your conversations mattered more then how you styled your hair.
Youth Violence Essay Research Paper Youth violence
Youth Violence Essay, Research Paper Youth violence affects a lot of people. Hearing about it on the news is one way that youth violence has affected my life. In Washington, D.C. there is a lot of youth violence.
Do Drugs Cause Youth Violence Essay Research
Paper Do Drugs Cause Youth Violence? I believe that youth violence in America is somewhat due to the use of drugs, but not entirely. Although drugs are known to educe violent behavior, I do not believe they are the routes of violence among American teens. I think that kids can be violent with the absence of drugs.
The Red Badge Of Courage Literary Critique
Essay, Research Paper The Red Badge of Courage begins with the Youth (Henry) preparing to leave to war. He has fabulous ideas concocted in his mind about victory and heroism. The Youth soon finds that victory and heroism are a small part in the splendor of war. The Youth’s mind soon becomes burdened with thoughts of death and running away from battle.
Canterbury Tales Wife Of Bath 3
Essay, Research Paper Canterbury Tales: Wife of Bath Chaucer portrays the Wife of Bath as if she is a hypocrite, although, beneath the words, there is a great deal of wisdom involved.
The Judges Wife Essay Research Paper Throughout
The Judges Wife Essay, Research Paper Throughout the story ?The Judge?s Wife?, Isabel Allende presents Dona Casilda presented as a powerless woman although later she emerges as the most powerful character in the story.