Figurative Language In Maude Martha

In Gwendolyn Brooks’ novel, “Maud Martha,” the titular character uses colour to explore her world and experiences. Maud Martha exists in a world of metaphor, since metaphor is when something represents something it is truly not. She is told that her skin colour means something that is not true, that she is somehow less than people whose skin colour represents higher value. This seems to be why Maud Martha uses colour as a metaphor in her thought processes to create meaning in life. This is supported by bell hooks’ review of the film “Blue” by Derek Jarman. In bell hooks’ review, the author takes on the colour blue, of course not being as subtle as Brooks’ use of colour throughout “Maud Martha.” bell hooks’ final paragraph directly mirrors “Maud

The use of the metaphor of colour in connection with racism and sorrow is important in the novel for the reader to understand Maud Martha’s character, and through these parts of the Black experience. Throughout “Maud Martha” appearance and colour take a large focus. The reader sees the experiences of a young, Black woman during the 1950’s who deals with colourism at every turn: in her marriage, family, and most of her daily interactions. For almost every person that is introduced the reader is told about their skin colour, hair type, etc. It makes sense, then, that Maud Martha’s constant awareness of the way she looks in contrast to everyone around her bleeds into her making sense of the world through colour. At the very beginning of the novel, when Maud Martha is a child, she perceives white faces to be “strange” (Brooks 9). The reader sees a strong shift from this to Maud Martha’s desire and strong

The colour is both trauma and rebirth. It is scary because it transforms hooks. There is a constant cycle in life that hooks touches on, as does Maud Martha. In “Maud Martha” the author will mention something that is heartbreaking, but will then mention something really hopeful again, such as her daughter, or death having to be beautiful because life is (178). This idea is echoed in hooks’ article, represented by the colour blue, sorrow being transformed into something hopeful. Maud Martha specifically references the colour blue on page 176 where she wants to keep her daughter, Paulette, “in that land of blue!” (Brooks). Here the land of blue also represents a seeming dichotomy. Maud Martha wants her daughter to stay in a realm where she has the safety to dream and hope in things. Opposingly, the things she wants her daughter to believe in are false, like Santa Clause (Brooks 176). There is a knowledge that one day this “land of blue” and the facade that is created by these false hopes will end. This is very similar to the idea of “blue” that hooks brings up in her article. Another connection between the two are their closing sentiments. hooks ends her article with the theme of renewal. She states that their “is a beauty so fierce, that it gives life even as life is taken away” (hooks). The exact same sentiments are echoed at the end of Maud Martha. In this