Mirza Jahic

Professor Deck
EWRT 1B:62z
10-19-2003
Respect ro! Withi"
#" $a"%sto" &'%hes( poe! )R'*+ Bro,"-. the tit/e character 0he ,as too prett+-
too %oo1 for the cit+ of Ma+2i//e *'t the oppressio" of 3frica"-3!erica"s 1'ri"% this
perio1 for*a1e her to take co"tro/ of her /ife a"1 rea/ize the 1rea!s she ha14 0he ha1 t,o
optio"s i" her cr'e/ a"1 1esperate /ife4 #" a "'tshe//- o"e optio" ,as to po/ish si/2er for "o
!o"e+ or t'r" to prostit'tio" for so!e,hat a 1ece"t *'ck *'t at the cost of /osi"% respect
a"1 1i%"it+4
The poe! starts off 1escri*i"% a" i""oce"t- +o'"% a"1 *ea'tif'/ %ir/ ,ith the sk+
*ei"% the /i!it4 5"fort'"ate/+- as the poe! pro%resses- o"e /ear"s that *eca'se she is
co/ore1- her *ea't+ a"1 her +o'th ,i// o"/+ %et her that far4 There are restrictio"s thro,"
'po" her4 The poe! is 1escri*i"% a ,aste of "at'ra/ %ift4 Basica//+ ,hat # !ea" *+ this is
that a// of the %ifts that she ,as %i2e" 'po" *irth are restricte1 *+ the ,hite !a"4 0he is
,orki"% for a ,hite ,o!a" for /itt/e pa+ a"1 if the ch'rch ref'ses to !e"tio" +o'r "a!e-
+o' k"o, that +o' ha2e officia//+ scre,e1 'p4
T,o partic'/ar choices of ,or1s ,ere re6ectio" of the ch'rch fo/k a"1 accepta"ce
of the ,hite !e" 7s'!!arize1 i"to o"e8 a"1 the" the start of the thir1 para%raph ,here
&'%hes !e"tio"s the streets a"1 their k"o,/e1%e a*o't a 1iffere"t R'*+ Bro,"4 What ,e
ha2e here is a s,itch that ,e"t fro! co!p/ete i""oce"ce a"1 i%"ora"ce to co!p/ete %'i/t
a"19or sha!e4 The t'r"i"% poi"t ,o'/1 1efi"ite/+ *e at the e"1 of para%raph t,o- ,here
t,o 2er+ i!porta"t :'estio"s ,ere aske1- *'t '"fort'"ate/+ /eft '"a"s,ere14 This %oes to
sho, !e that he 1i1 "ot ,a"t the! a"s,ere1 *eca'se !a+*e of sha!e- e!*arrass!e"t or
so!e ki"1 of preparatio" or s!ooth tra"sitio" i"to ,hat he ,as %oi"% to sa+ "e;t4
We ha2e to keep i" !i"1 that these occ'rre"ces happe"e1 1'ri"% the peak of the
&ar/e! Resista"ce a"1 that &'%hes ,as hi%h/+ !oti2ate1 *+ it if "ot o"/+ it4<&o, so =
%i2e so!e specific the!es that p/a+ o't i" this poe!> # thi"k that this ,as sort of a
&'%hes artistic /itera/ propa%a"1a that he ,as tr+i"% to portra+ to ai1 the */ack
co!!'"it+4
0he is re6ecte1 *+ e2er+*o1+ e;cept for the ,hite !e"- ,hich as ki"1/+ p't i" the
poe! are )&a*it'?s of the hi%h sh'ttere1 ho'ses. i" the *otto!s4 0he %ets !ore !o"e+
"o, *'t ,here is the happi"ess a"1 se/f-respect@ 0he ,as /ooki"% for a"s,ers i" a// the
,ro"% p/aces4 0he ,as a co"f'se1 +o'"% ,o!a" ,ith "o pri1e a"1 &'%hes is tr+i"% to
sho, this a"1 sa+- 1o "ot /et the ,hite !a" take o2er- *e pro'1 of ,ho +o' are- "o !atter
,here +o' are- *eca'se it 1oes "ot rai" e2er+1a+ a"1 happi"ess ,i// *e achie2e1 soo"er
or /ater4