![Picture](/uploads/5/5/5/5/55550837/_______463446.jpg)
In the short story "Nineteen Fifty-five," Alice Walker portrays the sorrow of powerlessness that a Black woman named Gracie Mae feels in American society. The setting of the story is the 1950s, when the civil rights movement spread. During that time, African-Americans fought for racial equality; despite their efforts and the progress they made, racial discrimination against African-Americans still exists today ("The 1950s"). At that point in history, Blacks lived separate from Whites, as shown in the story: "They are white, and I wonder what in the world they doing in this neighborhood" (81).
In the story, the narrator, Gracie Mae, who is a very talented singer and songwriter, sells her songs to a White man named Traynor for one thousand dollars as Traynor requested. Thanks to Gracie Mae's songs, Traynor succeeds, as a famous Rock and Roll singer, and he makes a big fortune. While he becomes a famous singer and earns "forty thousand dollars a day," the only thing that returns to Gracie Mae is just one thousand dollars and her name, which is written on his record (82).
The relationship of Traynor and Gracie Mae should be viewed in terms of power dynamics. Traynor (the White exploiter) satisfies his selfish interests and desires by depriving Gracie Mae of her talents, skills, and even her identity. While she watches Traynor on the road to success, Gracie Mae feels indefinable sensations such as regret and sorrow: "Lord, if it wasn't Traynor" (82), "If I'da closed my eyes, it could have been me" (82).
She also feels the sorrow of powerlessness because of people's racial discrimination which is hidden in their minds. When she and Traynor are invited to The Johnny Carson Show, they sing a song by turns. Gracie Mae, who is aware of her self-identity, is full of confidence, and she enjoys the moment that she sings a song: "I commence to sing. And I sound-wonderful. Being able to sing good ain't all about having a good singing voice a'tall" (86). In contrast, Traynor, who does not really know who he is, just imitates Grace Mae and even forgets the lyrics while he sings a song. "He sings it just the way he always did. My voice, my tone, my inflection, everything" (86). However, she is disappointed at the behaviors of the audience. Regardless of the result of her singing performance, the audience cheers louder for Traynor than Grace Mae.
In the story, it seems that the barriers between Black Americans and White Americans disappear because Traynor constantly tries to keep a close connection with Gracie Mae. However, even this kind of behavior is his strategy for achieving his goal. By approaching her, he tries to know the hidden meaning of her songs. She is a victim and a person who is taken advantage of by an exploiter from the dominant White class.
The society filled with racial discrimination makes Gracie Mae feel the sorrow of powerlessness. However, ironically, the White exploiter, Traynor, who loses his own identity and his voice, seems less happy than the exploited, Gracie Mae, who discovers a way of living a satisfactory life after enduring a tough life. Gracie Mae experiences conflicts as an exploited Black woman. However, she resolves her conflict and lives a happy life by being content with the things that she already has and by keeping her own identity.
Works Cited
"The 1950S." H History. A& E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 13 Jul. 2015.
In the story, the narrator, Gracie Mae, who is a very talented singer and songwriter, sells her songs to a White man named Traynor for one thousand dollars as Traynor requested. Thanks to Gracie Mae's songs, Traynor succeeds, as a famous Rock and Roll singer, and he makes a big fortune. While he becomes a famous singer and earns "forty thousand dollars a day," the only thing that returns to Gracie Mae is just one thousand dollars and her name, which is written on his record (82).
The relationship of Traynor and Gracie Mae should be viewed in terms of power dynamics. Traynor (the White exploiter) satisfies his selfish interests and desires by depriving Gracie Mae of her talents, skills, and even her identity. While she watches Traynor on the road to success, Gracie Mae feels indefinable sensations such as regret and sorrow: "Lord, if it wasn't Traynor" (82), "If I'da closed my eyes, it could have been me" (82).
She also feels the sorrow of powerlessness because of people's racial discrimination which is hidden in their minds. When she and Traynor are invited to The Johnny Carson Show, they sing a song by turns. Gracie Mae, who is aware of her self-identity, is full of confidence, and she enjoys the moment that she sings a song: "I commence to sing. And I sound-wonderful. Being able to sing good ain't all about having a good singing voice a'tall" (86). In contrast, Traynor, who does not really know who he is, just imitates Grace Mae and even forgets the lyrics while he sings a song. "He sings it just the way he always did. My voice, my tone, my inflection, everything" (86). However, she is disappointed at the behaviors of the audience. Regardless of the result of her singing performance, the audience cheers louder for Traynor than Grace Mae.
In the story, it seems that the barriers between Black Americans and White Americans disappear because Traynor constantly tries to keep a close connection with Gracie Mae. However, even this kind of behavior is his strategy for achieving his goal. By approaching her, he tries to know the hidden meaning of her songs. She is a victim and a person who is taken advantage of by an exploiter from the dominant White class.
The society filled with racial discrimination makes Gracie Mae feel the sorrow of powerlessness. However, ironically, the White exploiter, Traynor, who loses his own identity and his voice, seems less happy than the exploited, Gracie Mae, who discovers a way of living a satisfactory life after enduring a tough life. Gracie Mae experiences conflicts as an exploited Black woman. However, she resolves her conflict and lives a happy life by being content with the things that she already has and by keeping her own identity.
Works Cited
"The 1950S." H History. A& E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 13 Jul. 2015.