The blacks were being treated terribly and people’s attitude towards them was horrendous. The way black people were leaving is described in stanza five. Black people were living in poverty, this stanza tells us what black people eat, where they eat, how they eat, their table manners and so on. Black people ate at the working man’s café down the road from the “whites only inn”. The café sells Bunny Chows, which is the most I assume that black people could afford. It tells us that they would eat at the tabletops and afterwards wipe their hands on their jeans because napkins were not available to them. It also says that they might spit a little on the floor. The last sentence of that stanza says, “It is in the bone”, which I think means that this is what all black people do and this is what they know. In relation to each other, the stanza about luxurious white people and the stanza about the poor black people illustrate that blacks are mannerless and not at all sophisticated like the “haute cuisine.” At this point the writer’s anger is flaring like the flag above the whites only inn, he is powerless, his feelings get stronger and it seems as if he is coming close to breaking point. The reason why Tatumkhulu Afrika uses the term “Nothing’s changed” is literally what it says, “Nothing’s changed”. What I feel is that since the apartheid the blacks were treated badly, the area was completely destroyed and on Afrika’s return to district six things do not seem to have changed, even though the political situation has changed.
The poem is structured into six stanzas and each stanza is made up of eight lines. The layout of each stanza tends to begin with either a short or long sentence. For example the first sentence would be long and the second would be short, this is continued throughout the poem.
The next part of the coursework I will narrate the story written by Kate Chopin’s. The story begins of briefly by telling the readers about Desiree. Desiree was left lying asleep in a shadow of a big stone pillar. Monsieur Valmonde found Desiree as he was riding into the gateway of Valmonde. People believed that she had either toddled there by herself or had been left by a party of Texans. Madame Valmonde is the stepmother of Desiree; she helped to bring up Desiree as her own child and showed Desiree much love and affection for her. Madame Valmonde did not have any children of her own.
Desiree had grown up to be a beautiful, young, mature girl. One day she had been standing outside the stone pillar when Armand Aubigny was riding past and at that instant moment he had fallen head over heels in love with Desiree. Monsieur Valmonde was worried to give Desiree away as they did not know of Desiree’s true identity. At that point Armand did not care where Desiree had came from. They soon got married and had their first child together. The way the writer had set for them to fall in love was something that would come from a fairytale story.
Armand had black slaves working for him on his plantation. In the sixth paragraph of the story we are told how Armand treats his black workers. Armand is very strict towards them and has no respect for them. The condition that the black people work under has made them forget what happiness is. After the birth of their son, I have learnt that Armand’s character has changed for the good. The birth has made Armand feel and act a lot more caring, loving and happy, not just towards his beautiful wife Desiree and their son but also has shown happiness and laughter towards his black workers.
The birth of their son has almost weakened Armand’s strong character until he finds out that their son is part black. He rejects Desiree and refuses to believe that she is fully white, as he does not know from where she originates. In town rumours were flying around about Desiree and her baby. White people who lived far away came to visit them just to see if the white respectable Armand’s baby was of a brown shade. This made Armand feel extremely angry and ashamed to be a father of a black child. This ruined Armand’s reputation completely. White people had a lot to say about white’s marrying into black families. White people saw themselves as a higher social class than black people. The basic impression they would have of black people is strictly as slaves and nothing else. White people had a lot of pride within themselves and they thought that blacks were worthless and uneducated. Armand had asked them to leave his home and wanted nothing to do with Desiree. I think Armand must have been hurt because he loved Desiree dearly but he had thought Desiree had been lying to him. Desiree felt very confused and did not have the slightest clue about what was going on, and also what was going to happen. Desiree proclaimed to Armand several times that she is fully white.
Desiree had obeyed Armand’s command and had taken the baby and left. From what I have read and understood Desiree takes the baby and commits suicide.
A few weeks later, Armand is sorting through some letters and read a letter sent from his mother to his father. Only then does Armand find out that it was not Desiree who was black but it was him. Armand also realises that he was the one to blame for having been so stubborn with Desiree. Armand is horrified by this and also disappointed because he despised black people. He felt that his whole life had been a lie.
The story within itself is not very long. The story is structured in a way that all the detail has been put in. I feel that the length of the story and the time of the each incident took place at the correct time. The end of the story was quick, straight to the point and the writer used a fantastic twist for the readers to carry on reading.
I think that the author of the story wants us to feel that Armand has got his punishment. I feel that what comes around goes around and Armand sure did learn a lesson. Armand was very prejudice against black people but he is also black. I think that as Armand despises all black people, he despises himself as well. I think now he would blame is father for not telling him who he really was. This is something that Armand will have to live for the rest of his live and also this secret will probably go to his grave with him. From this point forwards I doubt that Armand will say anything harsh to or about any black people, as he is also one of them. Armand is the reason for the death of his wife and his innocent child.
In conclusion to both the story and the poem the understanding of white people towards black people is horrific. The story and the poem were set in different countries. The poem was of a real life event and true feelings In similarity they both had white people turning against black people just because of the colour of their skin, which I believe is morally wrong. You do not judge a person by the way they look. At the end of the day all humans have feelings and they all should be respected regardless of colour of skin. I have learnt that black people have been treated rudely in both setting. I believe that the authors have expressed their views quite clearly and have brought awareness to their readers.
