| These two novels are divergent in | | | | action-packed, and full of animal |
| regards to time frame, family | | | | violence. This depicts the world of the |
| relationship, and class. The female | | | | African American ghetto. The style also |
| protagonists are both young, African | | | | gives the sense of a jungle, full of |
| Americans but their lives are complete | | | | animal imagery (such as Chink being |
| opposites. Before reading these texts, | | | | called an ape or tiger). The reader also |
| the only African American literature | | | | sees people as predators, economically |
| that I had read and studied have been | | | | and sexually. Chink earns his living by |
| slave narratives, such as Frederick | | | | preying on other people's addictions and |
| Douglas' and Celia, A Slave. These texts | | | | Sandra is preyed upon sexually by two |
| showed me that even after emancipation, | | | | black men. One also gets a picture of |
| African Americans were still oppressed, | | | | the jungle in Sandra's relationship with |
| first with segregation and then | | | | her mother. Sandra has to fight her |
| poverty.Baby of the Family is a story of | | | | mother in order to survive. An example |
| assimilation. Lena's family, even though | | | | of this is when Sandra gets some food |
| they live in a segregated society, are | | | | from Sammy after working in his store. |
| joining the white culture as much as | | | | Sandra was eating the food when her |
| possible. They are definitely middle | | | | mother came home. She hurriedly ate the |
| class. In spite of being forced to live | | | | rest of the sandwiches but the cake and |
| in the Black part of town, which is the | | | | pop were still there when her mother |
| poorest section, Lena's family owns a | | | | entered the kitchen. Her mother snatches |
| very nice house and have many luxury | | | | up the cake and eats it and then demands |
| items, such as two sewing machines, | | | | that Sandra give her the bottle of pop. |
| appliances, and a piano. They are | | | | Sandra runs around the table to stay |
| working hard and striving to achieve the | | | | away from her mother as she downs the |
| dominant culture's "Dream." Lena and her | | | | soda. This struggle over food between |
| family have created their own world that | | | | Sandra and her mother reminds the reader |
| exists separate from the white world. In | | | | of how the animals in the jungle fight |
| the novel, white people are almost | | | | over a fresh kill.From reading these two |
| non-existent and there is little | | | | texts together, the picture that emerges |
| confrontation with racism. The style of | | | | of African American literature is that |
| the novel is very mellow; it practically | | | | of the various ways African Americans |
| lulls the reader to sleep. One is given | | | | have been oppressed and are still being |
| the feeling that assimilation is good | | | | oppressed. Lena is oppressed by |
| and that the message to African | | | | segregation; Sandra by poverty. In both |
| Americans is not to "buck the system." | | | | of these novels, women are subjugated to |
| The only example of resistance in Baby | | | | men. This is shown in Sandra's rape and |
| comes from the slave Rachel, who tells | | | | her deference to Chink and also in |
| of her suicide to escape oppression. | | | | Nellie's submission to her husband and |
| Before this, Lena did not know much | | | | his numerous affairs.ReferencesAnsa, |
| about the lives of slaves; this lack of | | | | Tina McElroy. Baby of the Family. |
| knowledge indicates her parents' desire | | | | Harcourt, 1991.Goines, Donald. Black |
| to let the past be the past.Black Girl | | | | Girl Lost. Lushena Publishing, 2006.Mary |
| Lost is a novel of resistance to the | | | | Arnold is an author on which is a site |
| dominant culture. The literary style of | | | | for Fiction Writing. |
| this novel is very fast-paced, | | | | |