Literary Analysis : Strange Fruit

Determination is a key part of life because it can get you through tough situations. It is easy to give up in hardships, but determination is so much more important. In NightJohn by Gary Paulsen, readers realize that though they may be in a tough situation, determination can get them through it and achieve your goals.

In the short story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a great deal of literary elements used to enhance the story. For example, imagery is used to draw the reader 's attention further into the story by having them see it happening in their head and allegory is used to pull the reader away from the story by referencing things that happened somewhere else. While these two literary elements are both used to magnify different parts of the story, as well as counterbalance each other, the literary device that this essay will be focused on is symbolism. While it appears in many parts of the story one of the most obvious uses of

Billie Holiday, an African American singer and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who has finally had enough of all the racism and inhumanity in her life. She has released a song on Monday of March, 1929, called "Strange Fruit", speaking of many African Americans Being accused of something wrong, then being hung from a tree, hence the reference "Strange Fruit." Lynching is an activity mostly carried out by a group of men to scare another group or minority by public execution without a legal trial. The execution can be done in many different ways, the most common was hanging. There were many different ways for people to be lynched.

Power and control plays a big role in the lives many. When power is used as a form of control, it leads to depression and misery in the relationship. This is proven through the themes and symbolism used in the stories Lesson before Dying, The fun they had, The strangers that came to town, and Dolls house through the median of three major unsuccessful relationship: racial tension between the African Americans and the caucasians in the novel Lesson before Dying, Doll’s House demonstrates a controlling relationship can be detrimental for both individuals and The Stranger That Came To Town along with The Fun They Had show that when an individual is suppressed by majority they become despondent.

What is love? Is love the easy, effortless romance of a never-ending honeymoon? Or is it a constant struggle - a war between the extremes of irrevocable love and absolute loathing? Tim O'Brien's novel In the Lake of the Woods presents many types of relationships - whether familial, friendly, or romantic - in a perspective that allows the nature of love to be examined. Through the eyes of John Wade, the reader explores his relationships, particularly those with his father, his wife Kathy, and his fellow soldiers in Vietnam. Ultimately, the decision about the nature of love is left open for the reader to ponder; however, John Wade's story presents a strong case for the idea that love is a war rather than a peaceful getaway.

In past years, as well as, in the twenty-first century, African Americans are being oppressed and judged based on the color of their skin. In, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, this is the primary conflict that plagues Jefferson’s as well as Grant’s everyday life. By pleading guilty to a murder that he did not commit, Jefferson has to choose to die just as he is, a hog in the white’s eyes, or die a man. On the other hand, Grant, who is his teacher, is faced with being looked down upon by his community all because of his race and status. He is graced with the challenge of turning Jefferson into a man before his execution date. It is only a matter of time before they both realize that they cannot change the past and they have

The version of the song “Strange Fruit,” by Cassandra Wilson is a piece of music that consists of 4 verses. I have broken these down into Verse A, Verse B. Verse A, and Verse A’. Cassandra’s voice is most certainly the melody of this version of Strange Fruit and is used in all 4 verses. The rhythm of this piece is a 4. The song opens in a high pitch “tinkling” piano, soft flute (that reminds me of the wind bowing) a soft distant sound of an electric guitar and the eerie background bass that has the feeling of darkness and fear. This drew an image of dark and chilling to me.

The 1930’s was a decade of extremely hard times, following the stock market crash and an extreme depression. In spite of the tremendous hardships in America during this decade, it also became a time of great music that is still remembered today. Jazz music was highly popular in this time, and Billie Holiday was a famous jazz performer. She stood out from many other musicians because of her intense and passionate performances. Jazz arose from “unacceptable” segments of society, but quickly grew like wildfire. We often think of the 1930’s as the decade that jazz became civilized, and famous throughout popular culture through the work of pioneering artists like Billie Holiday. People did not own televisions or cable, so radio was their main source of entertainment, and music during this decade was both up beat and a source of relaxation. “Strange Fruit” defied musical category because it was considered too artsy to be folk, and too explicitly political to fit into jazz. This is why “Strange Fruit” became such a powerful phenomenon. Many other artists later took on this song, changing the genre but still portraying the same message. Nina Simone dramatized “Strange Fruit” in the context of the Civil Rights Movement. More important artists like Jeff Buckley, Rene Marie, Labor Camp Orchestra, and many others made their own rendition on the song, still leaving all of their audiences moved by the powerful imagery of the lyrics.

In Yusef Komunyakaa’s “Blackberries,” a youthful speaker seems to be living past the boundaries of city life and exhibits qualities of rural living. The poem tells of the speaker’s adventure of picking blackberries from a thicket and encountering the duality of urban society. Readers of “Blackberries” might at first be puzzled by the speaker’s youthful memory of picking berries, but a closer analysis of the poem allows readers to recognize that the speaker’s internal conflict originates from strict societal boundaries and the loss of his childhood innocence.

In the book Everything I Never Told You, there are many different elements and techniques used within the book. The technique that I want to go into more depth on is the use of symbolism. I specifically want to focus on the symbolism in regards to Lydia, Hannah, and Nath’s love of astronauts and space.

The story Blackberries by Ellen Hunnicut is about an argument between a couple who are camping in the woods. It starts with the husband bringing blackberries from the forest and washing them while explaining about the perfect weather and timing to his wife. The man on one hand is portrayed to be a cool tempered, loving, and optimistic figure whereas the women on the other hand is shown to be a cruel, cold and unsatisfied person. The disconnected conversation of the couple, the wife’s disappointment, her seemingly obsessive repetition regarding the lack of milk, and lack of names for main characters prove that the story has a deeper symbolic meaning. Born in early Thirties, Ellen Hunnicut survived through the Great Depression and The Second World War. This short story, ‘Blackberries’ seems to be inspired from the real-life situations of the people in Portland, Indiana during those dark times.

“Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday is a song that’s known for it’s haunting imagery of the Jim Crow era in the south, as well as it’s riveting performance by Holiday. It’s been famously covered by Nina Simone and others like Diana Ross, prior to that the song we know and love was first a poem originally published in 1937. Penned by school teacher Abel Meeropol, it was shipped around for years (performed by himself, his wife, and vocalist Laura Duncan in Madison Square Garden, for instance) before finally landing in the hands of Billie Holiday. Holiday preceded to record it backed by piano performed by Sonny White, eventually the song finally was recorded under and by the Commodore label, Holiday received a one-session release from her contract just so that the song could be brought to life in 1939. It sold over a million copies. and “was not by any means the first protest song, but it was the first to shoulder an explicit political message into the arena of entertainment.” (Lynskey) Time Magazine called it the greatest song of the century, but its legacy was entrenched the moment it was put into her hands.

“Strange fruit” first sung by Billie Holiday tells a period in American history when racism was rampant and lynching was a common occurrence. It’s described to have occurred as the seasons changed. The listener can imagine panning through the beautiful scenery of the South and suddenly their eyes are fixated on a magnificent tree with the horror of “burning flesh” hanging underneath. In this song African Americans are the strange fruit hanging, instead of the sweet smell of ripe fruit and colorful flowers. “Strange fruit” was an unprecedented protest song in its time when many turned a blind eye. The lyrics let alone are powerful, but when Billie Holiday sings it the lyrics come to life.

There comes a point in one’s life when they must recognize the hardships placed upon them, and instead of being ignorant of those hardships, they must confront them head-on. In “Marigolds”, a short story by Eugenia Collier, the main protagonist, Lizabeth, encounters various struggles that come with living in a poor town in rural Maryland during the Depression, allowing her to learn more about growing up and accepting reality with all its flaws. Lizabeth is a 14-year-old girl who feels a conflict between her inner child and her inner woman, as she is unable to do anything that satisfies both sides of her. She feels too old to be a child, yet too young to be a

The poem’s words echo through your mind, revealing a haunting display. Eleanora Fagan, professionally known as Billie Holiday, performed Strange fruit. She sang the poem not in a melody, but in a screeching tone creating an alarming show. The timbre of her voice’s pitch was intense. In other words, the way Billie Holiday sang Strange Fruit in a serious voice, confirms that the poem is not to joke about because it is based on a true story. It is important to realize, that the poem relates to history because it demonstrates how demented racism dominated in the