Germb 210 - TP the flowers - Alice walker PDF

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analyse the flowers by Alice walker - class germb210...

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Analyse de textes littéraires anglais II – TP

The Flowers – Alice Walker: Perspective of a young girl (10year old) Mood of the story changes fast (beginning seems happy, lighthearted – the end is monstruous – darker). a. questions on content: 1. plot:  confrontation to death leads to the end of her childhood. (events + consequences) Sharecropper  helps to locate the time the events take place (first part of the 20th century). 2. topics: Death/ Value of life: change/ transition Grief: (End of) childhood: (Loss of) Innocence/ Coming of age: Nature: change/ transition Racism/ Segregation: Trauma: Unknown: 3. what does it say about the human condition: Innocence/ happiness/ ease of life are all fleeting elements  death is unknown/ end of childhood/ loss of innocence are painful things. The start of a new phase is sudden/ not expected. Combination of beauty and horror in the story that also indicates that life is a combination of good and bad things (psychological aspect) – also reflected in her attitude (Myop doesn’t cry or scream – she is serein/ mature when she lays down the flowers – she perceives not only the horror of the scene she is confronted to -may be what only a child would do because innocence). she is not naïve; she knows things about life (can see that in her actions) but there is a transition at the end of the story. Confrontation with body initiates the violent history of her people. 4. what does it say about human society/ history: It is cruel  story talks about racism and its legacy. We can understand the background of Myop with the help of subtle things: sharecropper, … 5.how does the author’s biography affect your literary analysis: She is an African American writer and a political activist for black rights  is going to talk about racism/ segregation. 6. considering the other questions, formulate the main theme(s) of this short story:

- Childhood is ephemeral because it cannot endure the reality of society. (Reality of society = reality is harsh, violent, racially violent)  … endure the racially violent reality of the early 20th century in the USA. (Childhood is ephemeral = childlike innocence of African American/ black children)  the childlike innocence of black children is ephemeral because it cannot endure the racially violent reality of the early 20th century in the USA. - how the African American community is violently discriminated against because of the color of their skin. - when facing a violent event, young people tend to lose their innocence without necessarily realizing it. (Violent event = she does not witness the murder  when faced with the possibility of violent death, children tend to lose their innocence without being aware of it). - X when life is confronted with death it loses all meaning (too vague and death can also add meaning to life). X !!! NO DIRECT REFERENCE TO THE PLOT – TOPIC IS NOT THE SAME AS THEME !!!...