ipl-logo

On Being Told I Don T Speak Like A Black Person Analysis

1053 Words5 Pages

The poem titled “On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person” by Allison Joseph explains the reason why the poet does not speak like a black person. In this poem, Allison Joseph is speaking about the judgment she experienced growing up. Allison expresses frustration for receiving criticism on how she speaks throughout the poem; Joseph states, “ Was I suppose to sound lazy,/ dropping syllables here and there/… Were certain words off limits,/ too erudite for someone whose skin/ came with a natural tan?” (ln, 34-42). Allison is angry that people are surprised by the way she properly speaks, all because she has black skin. The beginning of the poem shows the author reflecting on experiences she encountered; then she transitions to her thoughts and feeling about speech in general. In the beginning of the poem Joseph compares her …show more content…

The author uses descriptions like “in that Jamaican schoolroom” (ln 5). This allows the reader to picture the setting that Allison’s mother was being taught in. The author uses the words. “ dark, sun-ripened skin” (ln. 11), to describe the color of her mothers and the other school children’s skin color. The author uses these words to get the point across that these black Jamaican children were being taught by white British teachers. In the poem the author shows how she has been criticized throughout her life on why she does not sound like a black person. First, the speaker states, “ Mother never lost her accent./ though, the music of her voice/ charming everyone, an infectious lilt/ I can imitate, not duplicate” (ln. 12-15). However, Allison did not sound exactly like her mom; she did not really sound like anyone else. Then the author states, “…I didn’t sound/like anyone or anything,/ no granting New Yorker nasality,/ no fastidious British mannerisms/… And I didn’t sound/ like a Black American” (ln.

Show More
Related
950 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
846 Words | 4 Pages

Meanwhile, James, who appears black, feels different from the other black children in his neighborhood, because his mother is white. James struggles with his mother looking different than him and he recalls, “When I asked her where she was from, she would say, ‘God made me,’ and change the subject. When I asked her if she was white, she’d say, ‘No. I’m light-skinned,’ and changed the subject again”(McBride 21).

Read More
1413 Words | 6 Pages

The book expounds more information on race information of the slaves in the land of the Caribbean. It further clarifies on the sexual relationship that existed between the masters who owned the slaves and enslaved women of color in the Caribbean Island. The author gives more light on the sexual assaults against young black girls had to undergo while in the hands of white planters who owned large track on sugar plantation on the Island, unlike the white who lived freely. Though Stuart is girl barely out of childhood age, she sees the glaring proof of affection as well as obligation on her part do something concerning dehumanization of women through sexual assault. Stuart knows pretty well that she can hardly speak of dedication or desire or choice in such unequal situation may be living in a hell of sexual assaults.

Read More
665 Words | 3 Pages

“Black English is the creation of the black diaspora. Blacks came to the United States chained to each other,

Read More
779 Words | 4 Pages

She knew that a family's love for one another is the most resilient strength. Therefore, her husband was able to live through his brother's death and in return, she was his shepherd "I helped your father get safely through this world" (Baldwin 42). Consequently, she can see the similarities between her late husband and her youngest child, how they both carry the weight of their blues onto their shoulders unlike our narrator, who had instead internalized it. She must open the eyes of her eldest son to this tragic narrative of the world, he needs to look out for his fellow black brother, “I guess I didn’t want to believe this. I guess she [the mother] saw this in my face” (Baldwin 42) he quotes.

Read More
473 Words | 2 Pages

In the essay, “If Black English Isn’t Language, Then Tell Me, what is?” (1979) Baldwin asserts that “Black Language” is part of the American community, and background, but its social background makes people deny it. He supports his claim by using his personal experience while also including examples of how languages are involved, and it is a key to identity; he also uses pathos and linguistics diversity to encourage his readers to support his claim. Baldwin purpose is to inform his readers about the situation in order to augment how black language is not only a language itself, but how it unveils things about the early days of American society.

Read More
1017 Words | 5 Pages

In the poem “ What it is like to be a black girl”, Patrica Smith uses metaphorical language to show us how young black girls are being judge in society based on stereotypes . It’s describing how she wants to change and become like other people in the racial society because she’s having a hard time accepting who she is. In the beginning of “What it’s like to be a black girl” it gives you a view of a young black girl who doesn’t feel accepted in society. It emphasis the fact that many young black girls want the world to accept them for who they are.

Read More
675 Words | 3 Pages

In other words, the narrator is stereotyping through compliments. Despite the fact that the word “compliment” has positive connotations, the narrator is still stereotyping all people with the same racial backgrounds as Babo, the character who brought out this description. Examining the diction is a good place to start here. Many of the words in the paragraph are positive adjectives, though these adjectives describe the idea that all blacks are good at something: serving others. The common words used all describe how “Most negroes are natural valets and hair-dressers.”

Read More
852 Words | 4 Pages

Before reading Baldwin’s essay Black English to me was slang and improper words because that’s how media publically portrays majority of Blacks communicating. Being under the impression that the majority of Black people spoke improper English, and given where I was from I used to always hear the comment that I spoke White or too proper. But my environment and peers began to have a stronger influence on the way I talked, I began to pick up different slang and talk in a way that was considered to be normal because I am Black. All this happened despite my family’s corrections and despite having English classes every year in high school. Now I feel that despite the good intention of their corrections, my family and school perpetuated a false idea.

Read More
1054 Words | 5 Pages

He was able to express his pride through conveying words on how he would rather not be a white man compared to a black man he is now. For example, in lines 24-26 of Theme For English B Hughes writes, “Sometimes perhaps you don’t want me to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you. But we are, that’s true.” He is stating how he’d rather be his own color and not be one of a white man.

Read More
983 Words | 4 Pages

“If Black English Isn’t a Language Then Tell Me What Is” In the essay “If Black Isn’t a Language Then Tell Me What Is” (The New York Times, 1979) written by James Baldwin, the author asserts that the African American community has altered the English language into a new language during the last five centuries to accommodate the black experience in American history despite the white’s attempt to submerge it. To begin the essay he makes his argument clear by referencing the alterations the French made to their native language to describe how people will eventually “...evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances…”; furthermore he continues to analyze how the caucasian people of America have only accepted the black language when it came out of a white mouth; he ends the essay by reinforcing his position, elaborating on the racism black’s have faced when they were denied the right to an education unless it was for the white benefit. His liberal purpose is to bring light to the subtle racism that African Americans experience even after the Civil Rights movement and to acknowledge the cultural influence they have in America. His writing appears very personal and intimate like he’s voluntarily opening up to his audience by letting them know of his own struggles as an African American, targeting mostly minorities and people who feel oppressed by white America.

Read More
1234 Words | 5 Pages

What we consider different in our own eyes could be the knowledge. Someone who uses “Black English” should not be depicted by their dialect, but by their character and performance as a

Read More
973 Words | 4 Pages

Because of their struggle for survival, Afro-American people developed strategies, which led to a significant linguistic development: the combination of “aspects of English grammar with distinctive physical gestures, semantics, syntax, pitch and rhythm (idem). As a survival strategy to cope with the demands of the dominant culture, Afro-American language has two forms. First one is formal speech behaviour that involves the use of standard English, and second one is everyday speech with non-standard English. As Du Bois pointed out: “The Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world, - a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one 's self through the eyes of others...

Read More
1350 Words | 6 Pages

In this society, many judgements are made about people from different backgrounds. This causes many problems between people of other races. Racism can be shown in multiple ways such as by using overt and covert racism. In the two stories “The Stolen Party” by Liliana Hecker and “So What Are You, Anyway?” by Lawrence Hill, there are many examples of racist stereotypes.

Read More
1002 Words | 5 Pages

Black English is a variety of language which is associated with, and used by some North American black people. It’s characterized by pronunciations, syntactic structure, and vocabulary. There is confusion about what to call this dialect and that is understandable due to the frequent changes in both the linguistic literature and popular discourse. As well as the changes in how African Americans have referred to themselves and in turn been referred to by others.

Read More

More about On Being Told I Don T Speak Like A Black Person Analysis

Open Document