The poem makes a mention of "black girl's shoulders" on the first page, but then the reader does not really see how each woman looks. This would obviously be different if we were watching the performance, but by reading the play, one can't tell what each woman looks like and how their mannerisms are. In your opinion, what does this signify? What does the fact that there are no names given mean in light of the meaning of the poem?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Role of Stories
In this book, emphasis was placed on both the content of the book and the performance. Because of this, each woman took on a particular story, and these stories defined them. The women did not have names, so their only source of identity was their names and their stories. But isn't that what life is like? When I ask someone to tell me about himself or herself, he or she shares stories that have shaped them. The women in this book were shaped by their stories; the women in this book were colored by their stories. I do not even remember the book say whether or not each girl was an African American (I assume that it was understood), but they were just telling their stories. Because of this, I feel like the reader gets to know each girl on an individual and personal level.
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I think, first of all, that it makes the poem more abstract. It is not easy world to follow when there are no names of no description of faces. Its like the reader is meandering in a web of emotion and words, trying to make sense of what is happening around them. This is part of the art.
ReplyDeleteSecond of all, I think it makes the story universal. Just as any man can be John Doe, any woman can be the lady in red, or the lady in yellow. We all have these colors within us. It applies the story to ourselves, makes it personal. The stories may be unique, but the motives behind them are not.