Zora Neal Hurston

In Colored Me Zora Neal Hurston illustrates how similar people really are through the analogy of paper bags, and the obstacles she has to face when Zora talks about race. During this time era Zora Neal Hurston had never witnessed racism while living in Eatonville, Florida. Only because she was in a town where there were just colored folks. The only time Zora would see white people were when they were passing through or coming from Orlando. It wasn’t until Zora got sent to school in Jacksonville and she got to witness it for herself. While living in Jacksonville Zora said “I was not Zora of Orange County anymore I was now a little colored girl”. Zora recognized the way the white people were acting towards her because she was different. Then Zora goes on to state “there is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul lurking behind my eyes, I do not mind at all.”(Page 1) Zora doesn’t care that she is colored because Zora knows that’s just another obstacle that she is going to get through. Zora knows people are going to say negative things, and talk about Zora’s complexion but she doesn’t care. But, Zora isn’t going to let the negativity affect her and her well-being. If she lets the white people get to her then Zora self-confidence will go down as well as her self-esteem and Zora is not going to have faith in herself anymore. So instead Zora is not going to weep because Zora is going to be “too busy sharpening her oyster knife.”(Page 1) Meaning Zora is going to reach her goal no matter how hard it is going to get in her lifetime. Zora isn’t going to let no one or nobody stop her because she knows she is going to get somewhere in life. Towards the end of the story Zora compares herself to a brown paper bag. The meaning behind brown paper bag is even though everybody has different skin tones. It doesn’t change the fact that everybody is still a human-being. Even if someone were to change the pigment of their skin they would still be the same. That’s what Zora refers to