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A Thematic Analysis Of 'Lines Of Separation Poem'

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Poem: Devonshire, Carolyn. “Lines of Separation - Poem by Carolyn Devonshire.” Lines of Separation Poem, 2010, www.poetrysoup.com/poem/lines_of_separation_252447 In this poem, author Carolyn Devonshire discusses one of the most revolutionary topics that has ever played a profound role in the formation of American society: segregation. Throughout the work, we see her discuss literal barriers, such as the Mason-Dixon line and the Berlin Wall. Then, she makes a clever comparison of 1960’s segregation to those literal walls, by describing it as a figurative hindrance to the success of interracial coexistence. Additionally, the Author provides multiple details of the eradication of these borders, which further helps to contrast the pressing topic of segregation against what should seem like much more threatening issues. The connections to the thesis are quite easy to recognize. Segregation, as well as racism as a concept, have most always played a rather significant part in society. This unfortunate truth can be owed to the fact that people seem to resist change, which passes down through generations. I do believe that this speaker is calling on lawmakers to enact legislation that will change the outlook on minorities. Unfortunately, we …show more content…

It is a revolutionary book that serves as a testament to why America, as a society, should never allow the chains of prejudice to grip us again. In the book, maid Abilene works for Mrs.Leefolt, a rather wealthy white woman. Over the course of the book, we meet new characters, who continue the same trend we have seen: inequality. Later on in the book, Mrs. Skeeter comes into town, and begins to change the town with ehr anti-racism speech in her works of writing. Soon, her maid friends have helped her to begin turning the community into a more understanding and racist-free

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There are two main parts in this book—the first part is about the racial segregation and the other focuses on racial integration. In the first part of the book, it explained how the segregation formed after the Mexican-American War and how the Mexican segregation accommodated social changed and individual exceptions to remain the society as an Anglo-dominated one. One interesting point proposed by Professor Nájera is that though some exceptional Mexican individuals were accepted in the Anglo society, such examples of acceptance is not de facto racial integration; instead, they show the flexibility of segregation, which indicates how ingrained and durable the segregation was. For the second part, just like the famous quote from Benjamin Franklin “Little strokes fell great oaks”, the everyday practice and effort from Mexican-origin people finally broke racial boundaries part by part and resulted in racial

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doesn’t act now against the discrimination, future generations will have no hope or optimism to end it. This helps Chisholm by giving the audience a glimpse of what the future would be like if the prejudice doesn’t stop. Chisholm then says, “Of course laws will not eliminate prejudice in the hearts of human beings.” Chisholm assures the audience that laws alone won’t solve the problem. She continues, “but that is no reason to allow prejudice to continue to be enshrined in our laws -- to perpetuate injustice through inaction.”

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Throughout the book, as one reads its contents, one can see that Woodward tackles the ideas such as the fact that the interaction between black and whites, which was very prevalent in the pre-Civil War era because of slavery, could not have been undone overnight. One factor that limited segregation was the fact that the north controlled the south for a period of time to prevent the Southerners from stirring up conflict again. And once the north withdrew itself from southern affairs in the late nineteenth century, the south started to introduce the now infamous Jim Crow laws. The rise of southern populism, and the depression of the eighteen-eighties, both led to racial differences to become more pronounced which made whites resent blacks more than ever. Woodward goes in depth in his book to show his reasoning behind his theories of how segregation came to be, and he later describes and analyzes the demise of segregation towards the end of his book in the newer editions.

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The start, Abileene went through the stage of realization. She dealt with her difficult times by praying and creating friendships. She became closer to Skeeter, a young white aspiring journalist, by sharing her stories and experiences with her. By doing this, Abileene grew as a person by becoming more comfortable speaking up for herself. By speaking with Skeeter and being a part of the writing of her book, she becomes more bold.

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From the title, it creates in idea of social change in my mind, especially from the picture on the book cover. Flannery O’Connor place a social conflict of racism even after transformed the South. She creates Julian’s character and his racist mother that wish to make things back to the slavery edge. She intimidates every black person get into the bus and I assume if she has the power to make them not ride the bus, she will do. However, she keeps bother and laugh on black people, which make Julian (her son’s) upset.

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The book is indeed set in the 1960’s time period, however, it appeals to our culture because of the different segregation struggles people exhibit in the book. As a modern audience, we can relate because many of the same problems with segregations are still apparent. Not necessary in the racial sense but more so in the formation of cliques or different groups one is associated with. For most people growing up, we have been conformed into society by ignoring, judging or criticizing people who are not in the same organizations we are involved in. This is easily observed in the walls of high school, because students who are in band, athletics, FFA, one act play, yearbook, and etc, do not normally cross paths with other students because they are

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After reading this book, you can clearly tell that the author focuses her book on strong female characters. To help distinguish that this is happening in the South, the author uses the oral tradition of storytelling and Southern dialects. In this eye-grabbing novel, it's not hard to identify numerous characteristics inherited from the historical significance of the town, its landscape and local customs, traditions, pride of heritage, and respect for family. The emphasis on community and the role one plays in it, religion, humor, eccentricity, race, the interaction between blacks and whites, and the connection between the past and the present are all very prominent in the story.

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Freedom of being who you are and acceptance is something that people with blessing overlook, and people without it strive to attain. Throughout American literature and history, problems of injustice have always been present. Sadly, many just accept the fact they are detested by society and very few know how to fight against it. The community has a way of creating a variety of oppression groups, American Literature being no exception, such as race and gender. Only with the help of these daring, brave authors can society revolutionize, each in their own unique way.

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By an anonymous writer later revealed as Skeeter also known as Eugenia Phelan. Skeeter, a white woman, returns to her hometown (Mississippi) to discover that her motherly nanny Constantine has left but no one tells what happened. Soon Skeeter realizes the injustice her society practices and decides to write a book where voices of black will be raised. She approaches Aibileen for sharing her narrative to which Aibileen responds positively and also let’s Minny in their secret. Minny, Aibileen’s friend, another black help, reveals a secret about Miss Hilly that ensures Miss Hilly’s silence after the publication of their writing project.

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The social groups focused on in this novel are white housewives, whose group consists of Skeeter, the privileged daughter of a farmer, who just returned from college, and “the help” or a group of maids who are of course of African American decent. The help is forced to obey their irrationally needy bosses, cooking for them, cleaning for them, and even raising their children, only to be treated inhumanely and unfairly by petty housewives. For example, one of the housewives, Hilly Holbrook, a seemingly conflicting character alone, was very suggestive of a bathroom act being enforced, which made it mandatory that every home have a separate bathroom for its help as a “safety precaution” because they could transmit diseases through their bodily functions. In situations like these, African Americans were very alienated, and it really displayed the gap in reality for the two groups. This in turn caused conflict between them, as African Americans were looked down at by whites and the whites were seen as threatening and wicked minded by African Americans.

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A young college graduate, Skeeter, returns home to be with her ailing mother, and in her ambition to succeed as a writer, turns to the black maids she knows. Skeeter is determined to collect their oral histories and write about a culture that values social facade and ignores the human dignity of many members of the community. Two maids, Aibileen and Minny, agree to share their stories, stories of struggle and daily humiliation, of hard work and low pay, of fear for themselves. It is a time of change, when

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