Analysis Of The Poem Portrait Of Georgia - 1451 Words

Jean Toomer’s Cane is a violent, nightmarish tour of African-American perceptions of the northern and southern United States in the early 1900s. Reading the poem â€Å"Portrait in Georgia† about a beautiful woman described with hair that reminds one of a lynch mob, I considered the deeply southern references, taboo, and evil. When examined in the context of the passages immediately preceding and following it, as well as a particular passage further in the book, some things ring a bell and make me think of her hair. I especially want to examine the passage following it, one about an African-American man being burned to death by a mob (or, lynch mob) after slashing a white man over an African-American woman, in depth because it adds a lot of†¦show more content†¦My perception is that the woman’s breath sets the stage for the plot twists, and that her hair represents plot twists. There is no telling what the characters will do if their actions are held (lik e her hair is held together) under the negative energy of sugar. So, it is â€Å"cane† that I take for a southern air that might be a constant thematic element that keeps the reader’s mind tied up on what will happen next. â€Å"Cane† represents the states of enlightenment that will satisfy a reader as a symbol. When taken in the context of the passage preceding it, entitled â€Å"Conversion,† the scent of â€Å"cane† on the breath of the woman described in â€Å"†¦Georgia† is like so much voodoo, or supernatural force, to the great South: African Guardian of Souls, Drunk with rum, Feasting on a strange cassava, Yielding to new rods and a weak palabra Of a white-faced sardonic god— Grins, cries Amen, Shouts hosanna. (Toomer, 26) That passage spawns ideas of African-American men sinfully lusting after women as a way of mocking the church. Alcohol is known to twist people, and symbolizes trouble and violence, citing how the loss of inhibitions may lead to an outburst. Cassava (more commonly known as tapioca) is the same substance as the â€Å"cane† spoken of in â€Å"†¦Georgia† that represents the inescapable temptation held in place by alcohol leading to negative occurrences such as sexual violence andShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesUniversity Joe Rode, Miami University Bob Roller, LeTourneau University Andrea Roofe, Florida International University Craig Russell, University of Oklahoma at Norman Manjula Salimath, University of North Texas Mary Saunders, Georgia Gwinnett College Andy Schaffer, North Georgia College and State University Elizabeth Scott, Elizabeth City Uni versity Mark Seabright, Western Oregon University Joseph Seltzer, LaSalle University John Shaw, Mississippi State University John Sherlock, Western Carolina University