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Summary Of Paper Shadows By Paulette Staples

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In “Paper Matches,” Paulette Jiles’ explores the idea of inequality between genders, and how that inequality is continued from generation to generation. Paulette Jiles uses the symbolism of the paper matches and the diction that the authors uses when referring to her family members to establish the inequality within society, especially within families. The author’s use of the words “my” and “the” when referring to her family members indicate a level of distancing that the author does. The author continues to refer to her aunts as “my” but when speaking about her uncles; they are considered “the uncles” instead of “my uncles.” This distancing shows a level of unfamiliarly that she feels towards her uncles, in that they are able to go out and
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