Ann Petry’s The Street Essay -- Black motherhood Petry Street Essays

Ann Petrys The Street In our society of today, there are many images that are portrayed through and through media and through personal experience that speak to the issues of discolor motherhood, marriage and the black family. Wherever one turns, there is the image of the black woman in the projects and very rarely the image of successful black women. Even when these positive images are portrayed, it is almost in a manner that speaks to the supposed inferiority of black women. Women, black women in particular, are placed into a society that marginalizes and controls many of the aspects of a black womans life. As a result, many black women do not see a source of opportunity, a way to escape the drudgery of their everyday existence. For example, if we were to ask black mothers if they would change their situation if it became feasible for them to do so, many would change, but others would say that it is not possible This answer would be the result of living in a society that has conditioned black women to accept their lots in lives instead of fighting against the system of white and male dominated supremacy. In Ann Petrys The Street, we are given a contemplate of a black mother who is struggling to escape what the street symbolizes. In the end though, she becomes captive to the very thing she wishes to escape. Petry presents black motherhood, marriage and the black family as things that are marginalized according to the society in which they take place. The main image that Petry gives of the black mother is Lutie, though there are other images that are essential in explaining this image. Lutie is a single black mother living on the street. Her world revolves around providing for her son, and trying to make sure that they ar... ...courage to survive in the world. On the other hand, her portrayal of marriage and the black family appears to be negative. Marriage is seen as a convenient thingas something that is expected, but not worth having w hen quantify get rough. At least this is what Luties and Jims marriage became. The moral attributes that go along with marriage do not seem to be prevalent. As a result, because marriage and the black family are seen as the core of the black community, blacks become more divided and begin to work against themselvesreinforcing among themselves the white male supremacy. sort of of being oppressed by another race or community, blacks oppress themselves. Petry critiques these issues in the black community and makes them more applicable to our lives today. These issues still exist, but we move over to realize them because of our advancement in society today.