Question

In “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” Zora Neale Hurston discusses her awakening to race. In this section of ​A Raisin in the Sun,​ Beneatha and, to a lesser extent, Walter, grapple in various ways with finding their identity and exploring their African heritage. Compare and contrast how the awareness of one’s race and identity plays out in these two texts. In a brief essay, analyze how this theme is explored in both texts, citing evidence from each to support your analysis.

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

"How It Feels to Be Colored Me," features a more direct and punctual breed perception than "A Raisin in the Sun." This is because it addresses the first person account of someone who must build their racial identity in the midst of a racist and oppressive community. In addition to developing her racial identity, the narrator shows how the status of "dominant race" misrepresents the image of citizens, who may be full of content and who hide wonderful personalities, but are judged on account of their skin color, preventing them show what you have inside.

"A Raisin in the Sun" on the other hand, reinforces the idea of creating identity within the family, showing that it is difficult to relate to the African heritage itself, even within African-American family nuclei, as this heritage is often left to back, due to desires considered more important and the discrepancy between one desire and another. We can see this, when Walter is unable to position himself and find his place within his own family, due to the discrepancy and desires that each one acquires, hiding issues of race.