Ma Rainey Essays

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Or: A Closer Look At The Form and Construction Of Storytelling To The Tune Of The Blues Throughout history, many cultures have passed down stories through oral tradition. Though the manner in which spoken word is delivered has changed over time, the fundamental core of the timeless tradition has stayed the same; Words have power. They can be used to spread joy, hope, and keep entire cultures alive. August Wilson’s play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, focuses on the power of

Ma Rainey was presumedly born Gertrude Pridgett on April 26, 1886 in Columbus, Georgia. As a young girl, her fascination with music began with singing in her church, and a talent show she entered at the age of 12. The majority of her first performances were in minstrel shows, which featured actors and musicians portraying African American stereotypes through song, dance, and theater. She first started performing the blues at the age of 16. Around this time she married husband Will Rainey, and together

producers saw the untapped goldmine that was blues music performed by people of color. Ma Rainey was one of them, and to some, one of the first, giving her the title, ‘The Mother of Blues’. The 1920’s was not only an era of continuing homophobia from the past (although that would change, briefly, into a mild form of acceptance until the more conservative 1930’s), but also of harsh racism. And yet, one singer, Ma Rainey’s, broke these restrictions. Her audience and shows flourished with both whites

The African American singer Bessie Smith was born on April 15, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was born to the parents William And Laura Smith. William was a laborer and a part-time Baptist priest. Bessie was one of the seven children in her family. The Smith family was well below the poverty line for many years. (BLUE) When Bessie was just an infant, her father, William passed away. By the time she was eight or nine years old, her mother Laura and two of her brothers had also passed. Bessie

The final poem of significance is Jazzonia, in which Hughes experiments with literary form to transform the act of listening to jazz into an ahistorical and biblical act. Neglecting form, it is easy to interpret the poem shallowly as a simple depiction of a night-out in a cabaret with jazz whipping people into a jovial frenzy of singing and dancing. But, the poem possesses more depth, when you immerse yourself in the literary form. The first aspect of form to interrogate is the couplet Hughes thrice

August Wilson, as chronicler of the African American diasporas, has written “Pittsburgh Cycle Plays,” that consists of ten plays, each play set in a different decade. August Wilson aims to sketch the Black experience such as anger, agony, aspirations, and spiritual trials of the African Americans in the twentieth century. Wilson has not written about historic events or the pathologies of the black community, but presented the unique particulars of the black culture on stage in all its richness and

Post-Reconstruction Blues: How Gertrude “Ma” Rainey Sang Black Rural Southerners into Popular American Culture. Legendary blues vocalist and Harlem Renaissance artist Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, known as the “Mother of Blues,” introduced blues music to a mainstream audience, transforming the genre and expanding opportunities for African-American artists. Through lyrical depictions of black Southern life and the complex experiences of African-American women, Rainey’s music increased the visibility of a

His style of writing was so unique that even students today, like me, are still studying his great work. One of Carvers most glorious work is “Cathedral” which is the art piece I will be analyzing. “Cathedral” at first portrays a very unpleasant vibe; it included a very racist, close-minded, and unloving husband. However, the reason this story fascinated me was mostly because of the meaningful twist at the very end. “Cathedral” had many elements to it that were distinctive much like Gabriel Garcia

The Trobriand Islanders are a civilization of people that live on the Trobriand Islands, mainly on the islands of Kiriwina, Kaileuna, Kitava, and Vakuta, which are located off the East tip of Papua New Guinea in the Solomon Sea. The Trobriand Islanders are a unique matrilineal society. Matrilineal means tracing descent through the mother’s line. The family on the mother’s side is closer to the child than the father and his side. So, in a matrilineal society, when a child is born, their uncle is the

Easter Island stretches 64 kilometres long and is situated in the South Pacific Ocean. It is located 2,300 kilometres from Chile’s west coast and 2,500 kilometres east of Tahiti. The island was originally known as Rapa Nui by its inhabitants who held the same name as the Island, but its name was later changed when the Dutch explorers discovered it in 1722 to Paaseiland which is Dutch for the current name 'Easter Island' to commemorate the day they found it. Easter Island’s main source of income

WHALE RIDER The film ‘whale rider; was directed by Niki Caro. The story is a representation of the importance of tradition and ancestry. Symbolism is used in this film to help to show the importance of the community they live in and the elders and ancestors that have helped to build and structure their religion and the people that live within the community. The symbols that will best represent the importance of the film are the whale tooth, the bike and the windows. The whale tooth is a very significant

that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language;... in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions." Ma Rainey 's Black Bottom is a play written by, August Wilson, that takes place in a studio in the 1920 's over the course of an afternoon. The bare-bones sequence of this play is the band members discussing amongst one another about the struggle that they

In order to accurately analyze how Hawaiian food culture has changed, it’s important to know exactly what its origins are. The Hawaiian islands were first settled as early as 400 C.E, when Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands. The Kingdom was Hawaii was established by King Kamehameha I in 1810 (Hopkins 35). In his book, Ku Kanaka, Stand Tall, George Kanahele discusses the simplicity of the ancient Hawaiian diet. He writes, “Ancient Hawaiian’s main diet consisted of poi (pounded taro root), fish

The story "The Rememberer," by Aimee Bender is about a woman, Annie, whose lover is experiencing reverse evolution. One day Annie wakes up and finds her husband has turned into an ape. A month goes by, and now he is a sea turtle. People call Annie asking why her lover Ben isn't at work or why he isn't picking up items he was supposed to. She explains to everyone how he has some sort of sickness and to stop calling. Next thing you know it, her husband is a salamander. Annie finally reaches her limit

The Dystopian Societies “‘[Jonas’s society] relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences.’ He thought for a moment. ‘We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others’” (Lowry 95). In order to make everything have sameness, Jonas’s society had to get rid of many, many beautiful works of art. Although modern society has some similarities with The Giver’s society, the differences in feelings, choices, and individuality are what make The Giver’s society

How Barbaric were the Barbarians? The Mongols were a powerful people from what is now present day Mongolia, however what they are most notable for their horrifically violent military campaigns. During the time of the Mongol empire from 1206 to 1364 c.a., they committed many atrocities actions and throughout history they have been accused of being barbarians. However, despite their actions the Mongols were not barbarians as they exhibited an organized military, and advanced culture organized by a

Critical Reflection 1 Link work session. This was my first link work session. I am using Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle to illustrate my link work. The reason why I chose to use Gibbs is because Gibbs reflective cycle enables me to think systematically about the different stages of the link work and to consider the positive and the negative aspects of the link work and what the action plan will be. Phase 1 – Description My link work is with a 17 years old young man Peter (Pseudonym) who came into

Abstract Being an aborigine in a white dominated society is a complicated identity. Australia, one of the white governed nations, also owns many aboriginal tribes. They lived harmonious lives in the early period. But European colonization has made a profound effect on the lives of Aboriginals in Australia, which led to the total demolition of their native culture, identity and history. As a result the new generation Aboriginals have lost their Aboriginal heritage and have been accepted neither by

“The Five People You meet in Heaven” is an enchanting, beautiful crafted novel that explores a mystery only Heaven can unfold. It is a tale of life on earth. It’s a tale of life beyond it. It’s a fable about love, a warning about war and a nod of the cap of the real people of this world, the ones who never get their name in lights. CHARATERS MAJOR CHARACTERS: • Eddie- a crippled elderly man, head of maintenance at an amusement park called “Ruby Pier”, who is the protagonist and the main character

The second half of The Bluest Eye, “Spring” and “Summer,” are the heaviest, most intense sections of them all. Toni Morrison hard-hitting describes the terrible events that unravel during this time. The disgustingly real descriptions show us the true horror of abuse, rape, and violence and the aftermath of all of it. After reading this book, the song “Purple Summer,” by Duncan Sheik instantly came to mind. It is the final song performed in the coming-of-age musical “Spring Awakening,” and is used