Long Black Song - A sample assignment of WR121 PDF

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Vu Nguyen Writing 121 John Williams

Long Back Song 1.

Once again, the problem started because of a white man. The white man in “Long Back

Song” also showed his dominance over the African Americans. Both stories are told in the 3rd person point of view. Furthermore, both protagonists faced moral dilemmas. Since the two stories are told in the same point of view, we can easily compare the authorial tone. I find the tones of the both stories express the consciousness of what the main characters were doing and I feel the regret in their behaviors, meaning they still had their conscience. However, they were facing the most fearful thing they could have faced, it was the white man. There was nothing they could do about it: accept it or die! 2.

The story is told from Sarah’s perspective. I can see there is a mixed in tense, sometimes, it

is written in past tense, and present tenses for the others. Most of the story happens “in Sarah’s mind”, she didn’t express much, but she was thoughtful. I would say that women think more often than men think. In the story, Silas expressed his anger by shouting at Sarah, but all Sarah did was listening, saying his name a few times, and remained silent. In Sarah’s mind was full of conflicting emotions, she of course loved Silas, she loved her child, but she also feared that the white man would get killed. 3.

a) Simile: comparisons using as or like

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Examples: when describing what thing would be if there was a fight between black and white

people, Sarah compared the killing like “a red river flowing” b) Personification: a figure of speech in which an abstract thing is personified. -

Examples: when Silas was absent from home, Sarah used personification to imagine how it

would be like when he was back. She asked and then answered her own questions “What would happen when that white man came out in the morning”. She imagined and personify Silas: Silas is mad enough to kill! c) Symbol: an object or something that represents something else -

Examples: Sarah mentioned and thought a lot about the vast green fields, that was because

she was feeling lonely. Vast green fields mean that she couldn’t find or see anyone, it represents loneliness: “Silas had not quite filled that hole.”; Another symbol that can be found in this story is her “daily life”. Before Silas came into her life, Silas was fulfilled living with Tom, therefore, she said that days and nights were not as they were before. d) Onomatopoeia: words that are associated with sound 4.

Examples: cricket chirped, bucket splash, baby whimpered.

The most noticeable dilemmas that Sarah faced was her being harassed by the white man.

She realized the intent of the white man when she was helping him get the water from the well. The man forced her to the wall and did inappropriate things to her. They had a sexual encounter. Sarah knew that it was morally wrong to cheat on her beloved husband. But … he was WHITE. There was a voice running through Sarah’s mind telling her that she would get killed if she

resisted the man because he was WHITE. For the sake of her life, Sarah was forced to obey his concupiscence.

5.

“Long Black Song” means something bad, perhaps darkness, and it goes on forever, like an

endless song. Or, it could be understood straightforwardly in a really simple way. The title “Long Black Song” and the lyrics written below the title will give you a glimpse of what will happen later on in the story. The black child was sleeping; his dad was coming back. Unfortunately, bad things happened, to be specific, the mother was seduced by a white man. Consequently, the father got mad when he came back, and thus, he woke the children up.

6.

Richard Wright wants to talk about two things. First, infidelity can ruin a relationship no

matter what. Second, the oppression that the African American can also be the cause of infidelity. The woman can be really faithful, but when she faces her death and she cares about her children, her love, she chooses not to resist. And no matter what reason the woman gives out, the relation usually is broken....