Interpretive Analysis Of Strong Horse Tea

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Gloria Marquez Professor Ihlenfeldt English 101-30723 April 22, 2023 “Strong Horse Tea” Interpretive Analysis In the essay “Strong Horse Tea” Alice Walker writes about a young Rannie Toomer struggling with her ill child Snooks, and coping with the indifference of others when she is attempting to get him to help. The writer explores a time frame when racial segregation was ubiquitous. Walker elaborates how Rannie Toomer, an unmarried poor black woman “was not pretty, was not anything much”(Walker 476) and uneducated living in the swamps. Walker explains the desperation Rannie Toomer expresses when she believes that ‘white doctor medicine’ will cure …show more content…

When Sarah appears at Rannie’s house, less than an hour after she asked the mailman to get a doctor for Snooks. In Rannie’s hopelessness, she allows Sarah to come in but made Sarah leave her ‘bag of tricks out on the front porch'. Rannie does not agree with Sarah’s ‘nigger magic’Rannie thinks Sarah ‘ought to use some of it on herself’ (Walker 479). Rannie warned Sarah not to lay a hand on Snooks, and if she did she would knock her out with her cane (Walker 480). Rannie is still in the hopes that a doctor will show up with medicine for Snooks. Sarah attempts to explain gently, no doctor will be coming and all she has is her. Rannie desperately wants to believe the mailman will get her a real doctor. Sarah made it clear no doctor was coming and the mailman did fetch a doctor just not the one Rannie wanted and then said ‘I is the doctor child’(Walker 480). When Rannie realizes this is her last hope for Snooks she takes Sarah’s advice reluctantly. Rannie hands baby Snooks to Sarah as she cries ‘Make him well, O my lawd, make him well!” (Walker 480). Sarah shows compassion as she tries to help Rannie’s desperation to recover baby Snook's