1. The first object that saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was the sea, and a slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, and waiting for its cargo. These filled me with astonishment, that was soon converted into terror, which I am yet at a loss to describe, and much more the then feelings of my mind when I was carried on board. I was immediately handled and tossed up to see if I was sound, by some of the crew; and I was now persuaded that I had got into a world of bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me. Their complexions, too, differing so much from ours, their long hair, and the language they spoke, which was very different from any I had ever heard, united to confirm me in this belief. Indeed such were the horrors of my views and fears at the moment, that if ten thousand worlds had been my own, I would have freely parted with them all to have exchanged my condition with the meanest slave in my own country. When I looked round the ship too, and saw . . . a multitude of black people, of every description, changed together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection and sorrow, I no longer doubted my fate . . . .

Soon after we landed, there came to us Africans of all languages. . . . I now totally lost the small remains of comfort I had enjoyed in conversing with my countrymen . . . . We were landed up a river a good way from the sea, about Virginia country, where we saw few of our native Africans, and not one soul who could talk to me. . . . I was now exceedingly miserable, and thought myself worse off than any of the rest of my companions, for they could talk to each other, but I had no person to speak to that I could understand. . . . When I came into the room where [my master] was, I was very much affrighted at some things I saw, and the more so, as I had seen a black woman slave as I came through the house, who was cooking the dinner, and the poor creature was cruelly loaded with various kinds of iron machines; she had one particularly on her head, which locked her mouth so fast that she could scarcely speak . . . which I afterwards learned was called the iron muzzle.

This passage was taken from "the Life of Gustavus Vassa," written by Equiano. The slave in the story is describing how he was taken to America and all the hardships he endured along the way. The style is complex, considering that he had to assimilate.

First of all, this passage points out that he was brought over against his will, a common concept in minority cultures. I believe this passage was meant to educate the reader about just how painful the process of involuntary participation was for this man, as well as many others. It is clear that this man was undergoing serious emotional turmoil in being handled so roughly and seeing a new culture for the first time.

The slave was certainly choiceless, as he comments that if he had a choice he would have gladly exchanged places with the meanest slave in his country. This leads to another theme, a relationship with the past. The man in the narrative had lost all connection with his people, his life, everything that was important to him. The shock that this brought about in the story seems almost unbearable.

Furthermore, just when the slave sees some people of his race, he realizes that they do not even speak the same language. He is no longer able to communicate with anyone. Now, he is totally devastated. He has lost every connection to his past and must assimilate and learn English.

Finally, the woman slave at the end of the story demonstrates a voiceless theme, as well as a choiceless one. Not only has she lost her freedom, but the muzzle has restrained her from talking at all. It is almost as she has lost herself she has nothing left. [MG 00]

Quote number one is from the "Life of Gustavus Vassa [Olaudah Equiano]", edited by Louis Gates. The quote is taken from this slave narrative which depicts the story of a young boy taken from Africa to America by slave traders. The quote is relevant to many minority literature themes by the mood it creates through word choice. First of all, we see that the ship was "waiting for its cargo," as if the human beings being chained below deck were mere articles of property (echoed also by the memory of being "handled and tossed up to see if I was sound"). The slaves obviously fit into the choiceless motif here because they were literally kidnapped from their homes under threat of violence, even death. Not only did this boy lose his say ("voice") about the condition of his life, he also lost his personal identity ("voice"). By that, I refer to his statement that although there were "Africans of all languages" there was "not one soul who could talk to me." The common ground, then, became English. Still, there would be ways that slaves could be made voiceless – the iron muzzle, for example. There is some implication of "old ways" or beliefs insofar as he was convinced that he had "got into a world of bad spirits," speaking of the crew of the slave ship. [JM 00]

2. "They sold me off down chere when I was just 'bout a growed 'oman. I don't know why, just one day they just sold me, put me on a wagon with some pigs and goats and rode me off to this chere place . . . . The white man that say he owned us owned a whole lot of land . . . .

"I knew I had another home 'way, 'way 'cross the waters, but I ain't never been there or set foot on that soil. . . .

"Didn't have no choice, child . . . . Seeing them birds flying used to break my heart. I sued to hear stories 'bout how our peoples used to be able to fly at one time. . . .

"Do you know how long I been waiting for somebody like you to come along so I can tell them all of this, so I can share some of this? . . .

"This is where I wanted to be, this is where I choose to be . . . .

"Black folks belong here . . . . Don't never believe black folks don't belong nowhere. . . . Claim what is yours."

This excerpt from Baby of the Family poignantly recounts the story of an old slave woman who must commit suicide to regain her voice. The issue of slavery is recounted in a way that Lena can, not only reconnect with her past (through the Flying African allusion), but she is also strikingly shown the subject/object relationship that slaves had with their masters. Rachel’s story also develops in terms of choice or the lack thereof. She had "no choice" in any facet of her existence. Therefore, she chose to die to have choice, voice, and to find her place in the world. Through Rachel’s story, Lena gets a glimpse of the American Dream in terms of escaping from an imprisoning past with death being the only option. [SDu 00]

The first thing that is noticed when reading this passage is the emphatic speech Rachel uses. But it is also used throughout the book in parts where it is visible that Lena’s family is either in a situation where they are assimilated into the dominant culture, and at other times when they are loyal to their minority culture, like in "The Place," where there are only black people. The next big theme raised is the "Flying Africans." Throughout African American history there has been a tradition of folklore that alludes to the ability that once their ancestors could fly. It also implies the initial conquest to fly away home to "mother Africa" or anywhere where else they find comfort, i.e. family friends etc. There is a poem read in class, "Ka ‘Ba" by Amiri Baraka, she says, "We need to raise up return." [NG 00]

The person speaking loses their voice and choice when they become objects or property. Tradition and the dream are both represented in this passage because the speaker is passing own their information to another black person so that the people will never forget and to help form group dignity. [SD 00]

Lena had a "dream." When walking the next day, she met her "dream"-Rachel-on the beach. Rachel lived as a slave and has had no voice until she met Lena. She needs to tell her story; she needs a voice. Rachel states the theme, "Didn't have no choice, child," and "Do you know how long I been waiting . . . so I can tell . . . so I can share some of this?" She wants a choice and a voice and Lena must listen.

Rachel is telling her story. She does not want the past to be forgotten. If Lena remembers the past, the past will not be repeated. She wants Lena to enjoy the beach as a free Black person, like she-Rachel- was not able to do. She encourages Lena to "claim" what is hers. She wants Lena to take the next step in claiming "The Dream." If Lena does not go forward, she steps backward. "The Dream" must be carried forward and passed on: remembered and acted upon. [BJJ 00]

This passage is taken from Ansa’s Baby of the Family – the scene where Rachel, a slave/ghost, is talking to Lena on the beach where the McPherson family was vacationing. Actually, Rachel’s chapter was my favorite part of the book. I loved the whole dialogue between the two of them and the way Ansa created the tone and setting here. But back to the question at hand… Ansa uses language to evoke images of the slave life in this chapter, and contrasts Rachel’s dialect with Lena’s more standard use of English. We see the double negatives and other forms of speech commonly found in the minority tradition.

The themes of being voiceless and choiceless are applied here very clearly. In fact, Rachel states, "Didn’t have no choice, child…" and we can relate that to the fact that she was sold into slavery and moved among masters until she finally came to the fields near the beach she so loved. The mention of being put on a wagon "with some pigs and goats" brings up the callous and cruel treatment slaves endured because they were somehow viewed as less than human, no better than property, or worse, animals.

There are other interesting aspects found in this passage that relates specifically to the African American minority experience. One that stands out is that of the legend of the flying Africans ("our peoples used to be able to fly at one time") which was briefly touched on in one of the poems studied earlier in the semester as well. The idea of the legend connects to the oral traditions of the slaves as well as an honoring of one’s past heritage. Yet, the fact that Africans no longer fly speaks to the truth of the matter that somehow they lost some precious part of their culture, their history, their identity, their power and authority. Rachel says to Lena that she’s been waiting for someone to share this with. Because of Lena’s gift that allows her to see Rachel and communicate with her, it seems as if Lena is the hope of "new voice" for Rachel and for others. Rachel encourages Lena to believe in herself and in the dignity and power of African Americans by reminding her that they can be anywhere they want to be. Rachel says, "Claim what is yours." She takes on a maternal tone with Lena, but at the same time there is a desperate quality about her tale, an urgency for Lena to act, to stand up for herself, to not be afraid of who she is and where her life will lead her. I think that to some extent Rachel symbolizes the realization of the Dream. In her own way, she is free from her oppressors, free to live at last on her beloved shoreline, and finally, free to choose. [JM 00]

In this passage, there is a lot of metaphorical language. This paints a picture of Chink holding court in the street. There is also a lot of emphatic language "I don’t never want to go back..." [VB 00]

This selection brings to mind "A Black Man’s Sonata" by Michael S. Weaver. In the poem he speaks of his neighbor returning from jail and "...a bundle of hurt, a mess of dangling threads, rags, and curses had replaced his heart." Those words bring Chink to mind, I do not condone the dope dealing that the man did, but I think of his good heart and know that there has to be a way to keep the good hearts from losing their lives in the streets whether on their own terms or not. Near the end of the poem, the author speaks of how his wife hates the streets and one can assume that is because of the violence that we all find on them. [PKA 00]

This passage is from Black Girl Lost by Donald Goines. Chink is telling Sandra that he never wants to go back to prison after he breaks out. The themes embodies by this passage include assimilation or resistance. Chink is tied to the ghetto; he cannot "move on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky" (The Jeffersons's theme song). Chink and Sandra resist the dominant culture by making their dream come true in a way different from the American Dream, i.e. selling drugs. Also, the law interacts with Sandra and Chink as it does with minorities. Sandra and Chink regard the police as people to be avoided. This is seen when Sandra does not report her rape to the police; they dispense their own justice, which is death to the rapists. Plus gaining voice and choice. Chink takes control of his fate after he breaks out of prison and decides never to go back to prison. He will not let the dominant culture imprison him again. Chink decides to "hold court in the streets." [MAA 00]

The first noticeable aspect of this phrase is the emphatic speech so common among black Americans. Chink uses double negatives as in, "don’t never" and also the reinforced speech as in, "you hear" and "you understand." [NG 00]

In this passage, Chink is speaking in a "language" that he knows Sandra understands. He uses double negatives for emphasis when he says, " I don't never want to go back alive." Instead of him saying, " I cannot live my life in prison," he says, "I couldn't do life." Chink finds his own sense of justice and will act accordingly. The "Black Man's Sonata" echoes this theme of "Respect me, and I'll respect you," and insinuates, "cross me and I'll cross you." In Chink's mind, he is only acting according to code or law of the jungle, where he was raised. This language is similar to the dialect of "Song No 3." The voice is defiant and not worried about formal English. They want to get the point across and that is the bottom line. [BJJ 00]

This is from Goines's Black Girl Lost. Chink is speaking to Sandra after he has escaped from prison. This passage can be looked at as a comment on the sheer beauty of the minority language. In this simple paragraph, Chink uses so many expressions that are not present in the dominant language.

First of all, the language makes use of double negatives. Secondly, as in the double negative context, emphatic speech is present. Emphatic speech simply adds to content, such as Chink's phrase "you understand?" This phrase is there to make sure they are thinking on the same level. Thirdly, slang is used, such as the word "ain't" which you will seldom, if ever, hear the dominant culture use. Finally, the passage exemplifies figurative language, showing its beauty and rareness. Rather than having Chink say, "I'll get revenge, he (Goines) has Chink say he is "goin' hold court in the streets." As you can see, the "court day" language is much fuller and richer. This passage's point was to create atmosphere by showing the reader a variation on standard English in a way that allowed its beauty to shine through. [MG 00]

4. So I say to you, my friends, that even though we must face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream, that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed--we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. . . .

Dr. King’s message in his "I Have a Dream" speech is hope. Interestingly, the theme of hope inherent in the dream of a people, King states, is "deeply rooted within the American dream, the dream of the individual. If indeed the dream of the group is a part of the dream of the individual, then it would stand to reason that each individual would find his hopes intertwined with that of the group. In other words, as a black man can never just be a man, separate from his blackness, neither could an American dream separate itself from the dream of the group. Therefore, minorities cannot be separated from the single entity which is America anymore than a black man can be separate from his blackness. All are American, woven together, irrevocable. [PA 00]

This so-called American Dream could be related to Donald Goines "Black Girl Lost". In this story Sandra and Chink are longing for and are trying to live the so-called American Dream, but their living of the dream has a few catches. First of all they are both minorities, poor, and their means of living are limited and illegal. The American Dream suggests that if you play by the rules, you can get ahead and catch a lucky break, but that just wasn’t the case for Chink and Sandra. They felt as if they were living the dream, but they were living the only version of the dream that they knew. [SD 00]

The source of this passage is, of course, from the well known speech by Dr. Martin Luther King made in August of 1963. It is an excerpt from the book, A Testament of Hope, edited by J.M. Washington. In this quote, King creates the most famous reference for the standard of the Dream, in fact, even defining for us. The dream is to rise to an equal status of power with the dominant group, but it’s as if there is always a catch, so it is never quite the "American Dream." The Dream involves the need to look ahead for hope, to rise again, to search for a group cause, to fight for a group dignity.

Whereas the American Dream rests on an immigrant pattern of thought, the Dream itself rests on a minority pattern of thought. The dominant group thinks in more revolutionary terms (the past is behind us) while the minority group thinks in traditional terms, looking to the past for direction and identity. In general, the minority favors extended families and honors the value of unity, while the dominant culture seems to promote the individual.

The passage quoted here suggests a certain kind of resistance. It takes the words of the minority and uses them as an attack on where the country has fallen short in community relations. The fact that King says that "one day this nation will rise up" goes back to that idea of struggle and victory in the end. [deferral] The minority sees a double standard in the words "all men are created equal," for the pictures of our country’s leadership reflect old white men. So, it does beg the question: did they mean to write, "all of us old white well to do men from upstanding families are created equal?" Indeed, we all hope not.

There remains the resounding echo of determination, of never giving up, of unity in the lines, "I still [STILL] have a dream." No matter the obstacles, the struggles, the difficulties, King held the dream until he died, and even in death, like Rachel did with Lena, passed the dream along to others. [JM 00]

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