Mary Elizabeth By Jessie Fauset

Sally Thomas and her family were an atypical slave family in the antebellum South. Sally herself was a “quasi-free” slave, owned as property with personal benefits and liberties, by “[hiring] herself out as a laundress, a practice common among urban slaves.” The “quasi-slave” title was not uncommon in the South, where the blacks outnumbered the whites and the whites allowed the blacks to have mediocre peasantry jobs, however, they performed the job better than many whites, and allowed for them to earn money and make their own profit. All three of Sally’s son were born into bondage, Henry, James, and John. Even though their fathers were free whites, the slave title was heretical under their mother’s name

When he raises the rent, Hanneh tries to give her landlord his comeuppance by destroying her handiwork, but in the process she destroys her soul, effectively extinguishing her belief that everyone can make it in America. The story is not judgmental of the wealthy Hanneh's employer Mrs. Preston is well aware of the injustice of a world in which she eats strawberries and cream and Hanneh

When Sally and John have their brief affair, which both spouses are aware of, the first problem of unfaithfulness becomes on display. As the day goes on, the tensions generated by this situation grow more acute, culminating in a physical confrontation between Sam and John.

Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb is a moving, heart-warming tale about a young woman, who suffers from insecurity and self-identity through a world where she is considered an outsider. The novel’s protagonist is Lilly Abdal, born to British vagabonds as she is left in the hands of the Great Sufi Abdal, who raises her to become a white, devout Muslim woman in East Morocco. The author seamlessly weaves in Dr. Aziz, an Ethiopian man who creates sparks in Lilly’s heart, only to be separated once Lilly’s embarks to London, England. Camilla Gibb takes the tale of an outcast, spun with religious beliefs and morals, to create a powerful story that challenges and uplights the reader’s mentality on religion and what it means to follow religious and cultural traditions.

The inn keeper's parlor was the best in town, they told her. His wife was wearing a heavy dress, adorned with lace and a massive broach that she raised a plump hand to touch, as if to be certain it was still there. They spoke of the massive rug, bought from Paris, and the finely crafted furniture they all sat upon. The preacher listened quietly, smiling as though their vanity wasn't a sin, while Mrs. Hartford eyed the dress with longing. Della thought that the dress was tasteless. The lace was poorly made, and the line of the bodice wasn't flattering. The fabric was an odd shade between blue and green, and the woman inside it was far less appealing. She didn't bother to mention that her own parlor had been filled with crystal, and priceless art her father had collected around the world. She didn't mention that her toys had cost more than Mrs. Johnson's gowns, or that she was mispronouncing the tea they'd been served. Not to be kind, not to be deceptive, but because did not matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. She'd given up that life to marry Ben, given up her family, given up her home and her gowns and her education.

It was 1962, in Jackson, Mississippi, in the “wonderful” United States of America. At this time, racism was very prevalent. We can gather that, this was a time where white people were often convinced to marry early and start having kids. The problem with this is, they also all worked so the women didn’t have time to care for their children. This is why many women had a black maid.

Puritans and reformers of seventeenth century England have been given a bad name for their part in history. This is primarily because they were working against the grain and trying to create change in world that saw change as a threat. The time period was turbulent and there was bound to be resistance in a world that was dominated by Catholics and those that had reformed to abide by their King’s law. The puritans of the time were considered extreme and rubbed people the wrong way because they wanted a world that abided by their morals and ethical codes. For this, they took the blame for the misery that many suffered during this age, but as we see in Fire from Heaven, this is not a fair assessment. The Puritans of this time wanted to improve the lives of the people and society as a whole through morality and purity.

In the poem “Still Memory” by Mary Karr, the speaker, through a dream like memory, re-experiences a snapshot in time that held particular significance in her childhood. Karr focuses on the seemingly inconsequential details that made mornings in her childhood home memorable for her. She describes the morning scene with the use of sensory, imagery and onomatopoeia to make the dream particularly zoetic. Although the dream is seen from this childlike aspect, Karr highlights how dreamlike this memory is and how memories are fluid and can be easily moulded and altered by the mind-they are not “still” as the title proposes. The writer also keeps the poem very dreamlike in order to remind the reader that the memory, although it can be recollected and valued, it is never going to be repeated and that the speaker is aware that things can never be this way again. Furthermore, the relation of the poem to dreams brings in messages how of heavily a person can become mesmerized by their memories.

The author of “Still I Rise” is Maya Angelou, a well-known poet, author, and civil rights activist. This poem is about a poet who struggles to meet the social pressure and injustices of her time. Her poetry thus concentrates on two kinds of oppression – both racial oppression, and sexism. Amidst the challenges and adversities, she managed to survive and successfully claims that she will not be broken nor will she be defeated no matter how many times she is brought down by society. In this poem “Still I Rise”, I will be looking at critical works by Sandra Cookson, R. B. Stepto, and Lyman B. Hagen and stating why I agree with them.

While white women served an important role of maintaining the appearance of the household, black women were responsible for the actual upkeep and daily functioning of the household. Even during slavery, white women were never required to both mother their children and take care of their household responsibilities. There was always available help with either one or both tasks. Without the black woman’s strength, ability to multitask, intellect, and innate ability to mother, numerous households, both white and black, would have inevitably

Life is an obstacle-ridden disarray of sharp, unpredictable twists and turns. One turn may lead to love, happiness, and bliss, whereas the next turn could just as easily deliver hatred, heartbreak, and despair. To capture this jumbled reality in writing is the sole aspiration of many authors. Kate Chopin, an author from the late 1800s known for writing incredible short stories based in Louisiana, not only succeeded in encapsulating this reality but also in sharing modern, advanced ideas about sexuality, racism, and women’s rights in her work. One of Chopin’s short stories that featured life’s disparities, as well as its unexpected twists and turns, is “Desiree’s Baby.” Published in Vogue in 1893, “Desiree’s Baby” presents a story detailing

Mary begins the story as a doting housewife going through her daily routine with her husband. She is content to sit in his company silently until he begins a conversation. Everything is going as usual until he goes “ slowly to get himself another drink” while telling Mary to “sit down” (Dahl 1). This shocks Mary as she is used to getting things for him. After downing his second drink, her husband coldly informs her that he is leaving her and the child. This brutal news prompts the first change in Mary, from loving wife to emotionless and detached from everything.

Mrs. Fox, by Sarah Hall was published in 2014. Mrs. Fox is a short story by Sarah Hall about a woman who turns into a fox during her pregnancy, much to the dismay of her husband. Mrs. Fox describes a woman who is not satisfied with her life with her husband, Mr. Fox. They both remain detached thorough the story. When Mrs. Fox turns into a fox, Mr. Fox does not understand why his wife was not happy or satisfied in her human life. Sarah Hall does a wonderful job of displaying out an unusually intriguing setting, a breath taking characterization of the two main characters Mr. and Mrs. Fox, and she displays a dark and modern theme, rightfully earning the BBC National short story

Within Top Girls, Caryl Churchill explores a range of ideas that can be analysed through lenses to reveal different critical interpretations. Beauvoirian ideas from The Second Sex and Marxist ideas from The Communist Manifesto are used to compare and contrast these ideas, further supporting this an assortment of literary techniques.

Sally stopped at the door to Mary’s bedroom. With a breakfast tray in her hands, Sally carefully opened the door and set the breakfast on Maria’s table. When Maria woke up, Sally got her ready. This was Sally’s daily routine, even in Monticello, Virginia. Sally Hemings was one of Maria’s favorites. Sally had always taken great care of Maria and together, they had a strong bond.