“The Street” by Ann Petry Essay

In this novel, The channel by Ann Petry, tells just how firm support can be on the streets of Harlem. Reading Petrys Novel, I mentally put myself in the shoes of, Lutie Johnson. Lutie is an African American fair sex who is also a one find. Lutie tries her best to provide the best life she can for her and her son, Bub. Lutie experiences racism in the novel, and also discrimination and sexism. To sign up the life that she wants for herself and for Bub, Lutie must make some very hard decisions. This book took me through all the hard work and steps that Lutie must make and go through to make her and her sons life better. This novel begins in November 1944, a cold and windy day in New York City. Petry glorifies the tendency for gentle independence by developing a plot in which she has to provide for her and her son all by herself, she is put threw racism, sexism, and hardship.The Street is a classic example of Petrys naturalistic talent. Petry illuminates the anger, frustration, a nd resignation felt by Negroes during World War II. The spirit level is written in the third person omniscient point of view. Although Lutie is the principal(prenominal) character in the novel, Petry provides powerful insight into the lives of Bub, Min, Jones, Mrs. Hedges, and Boots. Each characters point of view weaves unitedly with the others to better show what a devastating impact racism, poverty, and gender had during that timeframe. The adult male characters in the story show what little respect they hold for women. They see the women as little more than sex objects. The women in the story show how their past experiences and current circumstances makes it virtually impossible for a black woman to ever achieve anything more than what they run through managed to achieve thus far.In our society of today, there argon many images that ar portrayed through media and through personal experience that speak to the issues of black motherhood, wedding party and the black family. W herever one turns, there is the image of the black woman in the projects and very seldom the image of undefeated black women. Even when these positive images are portrayed, it is almost in a room that speaks to the alleged(a) 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.Therefore, many black women do not see a source of opportunity, a way to escape the statistics of their everyday existence. For example, if I were to ask a black mother if she would change her situation if it became possible to do so, some women would change, but others would say that it is not possible This root would be the result of living in a society that has conditioned black women to accept their wads in lives instead of fighting against the system. A lot of women today fall victim to system and in reality content with that life style.If more women had the amount of determination that Luti e Johnson had it would defenliaty be a lot more successful black women in todays society. The reason I chose Ann Petry, novel was because the message that she is sending is real, granted this novel was written in the 1940s, the same experiences that she had to face, black women are still dealing with them today. The only differences are the black women in todays society lack the drive and determination of Lutie. I in person see young black females go though the same issues, but now days they are looking for the easy way out. Which would more than likely be, Mrs. Hedges, a older lady in Lutie apartment building who runs a little whore house. If you live on this damn street youre supposed to want to earn a little extra money sleeping around nights.With nice ovalbumin gentlemen. Chapter 3, Pg 86 So in order to make a long story short, Ann Petry novel Street, portrays, world The tendency to view or represent things as they really are. The meaning of realism and the novel goes sight and hand. The novel was very much straight forward or maybe it was just easy to ascertain the struggle that Lutie was in counting, is the same thing a lot of females that I know personally got though every day. That moment when you can read something or see something, and it makes you remember that just when you think that you have it bad, it always someone who has it even worst. In Lutie case no matter how hard she tries to get her address above water, it always something to drag her rite back down. So I say that to say this, you never know the hand that you being dealt, but you have to play to win.