Textual Anaylsis

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Will correct this textual analysis

Keenan Bratcher
English 1010
Mrs. Sumner-Winter
09/25/07
Textual Analysis
The Fourth of July

The article "The Fourth of July" was written by Audre Lorde. A simple concept that Lorde stresses in this article is color. The variation of colors and the different ways Lorde uses in her sentences conveys this simple concept. Lorde’s sister was denied the opportunity to attend her class trip to Washington D.C. The reason for this denial was because she was black. Lorde's father decided if the white administration at his oldest daughter's school wouldn't allow her to travel to the nation's capital, he would take her, along with the rest of his family.

During her trip to Washington D.C., Lorde experiences situations that hurt her emotionally but make her stronger in the end. Audre Lorde describes different foods and items by detailed colors. The pattern in this story stays consistent with the contrast of the adjectives of colors. The arrangement of these colors was used to relate to the racism of black and white. An example of color description is when she was standing next to a white marble counter, and their skin reflected off of the white surface. Another example of the adjective in the word color is ‘little violently yellow iced cakes’ which vividly describes the color.

Lorde also shares how her parents will not allow her to have sunglasses, because of the product and expenses. She could not see the monuments in Washington D.C., because of the brightness caused by the "white" of the capital. Lorde noticed that it was "lighter" in Washington D.C., and it was "darker" at home in New York. She compares these two shades to symbolize racism between whites and blacks. Her experience made her realize that her race is not allowed to do some daily tasks, because whites did not let it happen.

I think Audre Lorde learned from this experience because she didn’t let that stop her later in her life. Lorde did something immediately after her experiences in Washington D.C. Lorde's attitude toward this experience led her to write an angry letter to the President of The United States.

In conclusion, Lorde's word choice was very understandable. Further into the story, one begins to comprehend the message she is trying to present. Color symbolizes racism, because the author would describe the different shades of brightness between two different states. Everything in Washington, D.C., was centered on the color white. Lorde really thought about what she was writing to make this story a complex structure.

Works CitedEscholz, Paul Alfred Rosa Virginia Clark. “The Fourth of July.” Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers, 9th Edition 2005: 567-570.