Alice Walker's the Welcome Table
Alice Walker’s “The Welcome Table” VS Nadine Gordimer’s “Country Lovers”
ENG125
Macy Dailey
April 24, 2013
Alice Walker’s “The Welcome Table”
VS
Nadine Gordimer’s “Country Lovers” There was a time when racial and ethical issues were far more detrimental to one’s life than they are today. In the short stories “The Welcome Table” by Alice Walker and “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer they tell of life during that time. Both authors were women born during a time of terrible racial and gender inequality. These two short stories share the similarities of theme, plot, some form, some of the content, and use of imagery and the differences of point-of-view, some form, some of the content such as characters and setting, and the style with uses of tone, irony, and symbolism. The Welcome Table was a story written about a black woman who was discriminated against by white people because of her race. She wondered into a white church and was thrown out by the white people. Country Lovers was a story written about a young black woman and a young white man who were together in a forbidden relationship because they were a different race. They would sneak and see each other when no one was paying attention. The theme of a story tells you what the story is about (Clugston, 2010). These two stories were written under the theme of race/ ethnicity. In the two stories it was very obvious what the theme was all about. They were written about racial inequality. The black African and African American races were both discriminated against by the white African and white American races. For whites and blacks to be together was like taking a bite of the forbidden fruit. The Welcome Table has a plot with conflict and crisis. Its plot is centered on the conflict of racism. The elderly black woman, not realizing what she has done, wonders into the white church where she is not supposed to be. When she wondered into the white church, the white
ENG125
Macy Dailey
April 24, 2013
Alice Walker’s “The Welcome Table”
VS
Nadine Gordimer’s “Country Lovers” There was a time when racial and ethical issues were far more detrimental to one’s life than they are today. In the short stories “The Welcome Table” by Alice Walker and “Country Lovers” by Nadine Gordimer they tell of life during that time. Both authors were women born during a time of terrible racial and gender inequality. These two short stories share the similarities of theme, plot, some form, some of the content, and use of imagery and the differences of point-of-view, some form, some of the content such as characters and setting, and the style with uses of tone, irony, and symbolism. The Welcome Table was a story written about a black woman who was discriminated against by white people because of her race. She wondered into a white church and was thrown out by the white people. Country Lovers was a story written about a young black woman and a young white man who were together in a forbidden relationship because they were a different race. They would sneak and see each other when no one was paying attention. The theme of a story tells you what the story is about (Clugston, 2010). These two stories were written under the theme of race/ ethnicity. In the two stories it was very obvious what the theme was all about. They were written about racial inequality. The black African and African American races were both discriminated against by the white African and white American races. For whites and blacks to be together was like taking a bite of the forbidden fruit. The Welcome Table has a plot with conflict and crisis. Its plot is centered on the conflict of racism. The elderly black woman, not realizing what she has done, wonders into the white church where she is not supposed to be. When she wondered into the white church, the white
References: Clugston, R.W., 2010, Journey into literature, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. San Diego, CA. Retrieved from: https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSENG125.10.2/sections16.2 Hill, M., 1995, Literary Analysis: using elements of literature, Roane State Community College. Retrieved from: http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/elementslit.html Rozakis, L.E., 1999, The complete idiot’s guide to American literature, Alpha Books, Indianapolis, IN. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/lib/ashford/doc Smith, D., Fiction lectures, Odessa College, Odessa, TX. Retrieved from: http://www.odessa.edu/dept/english/dsmith/fiction_lectures.htm Parekh, P.N., Jagne, S.F., 1998, Postcolonial african writers, Greenwood Press. Westport, CT. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/lib/ashford/doc Clark, T., Alice walker, University of North Carolina Pembroke. Pembroke, NC. Retrieved from: http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/canam/walker.htm