Words are more than letters on a page or sounds that comes out of ones` mouth. Words are a
form of expression conveyed by a person that reveals their thoughts and even their motives.
Because words are in the eye of the beholder, they have different connotations in different
situations. The power of language formed in a society is determined by the meaning behind the
words that the culture speaks. In the essay, “Mommy, What Does ‘Nigger’ Mean?” Gloria
Naylor also states that spoken and written words have power and meaning. However, words
themselves are not offensive or harmful, but rather it is by the general agreement among society
that gives them their true power. Naylor creates a persona throughout her essay by using
anecdotal evidence, comparisons, pathos, and ethos. By …show more content…
By sharing this personal story, she constructs pathos and ethos within the
reader. Naylor, even at the age of seven or eight, knew that what the boy had stated was not
socially acceptable even if he did not fully understand the impact of the word that he had said
himself. Mommy, what does ‘nigger’ mean?” was the question that Naylor addresses to her
mother later on about the circumstance that had occurred at school (234). By tugging on the heart
of the audience, Naylor presents herself as though she is superior to this boy in this situation and
wants the reader to acknowledge this also.
Naylor continues to develop her persona on this issue by enlightening her audience that the
word ‘nigger’ holds many diverse meanings in different situations. The reader may automatically
assume ‘nigger’ is a derogatory term used towards African Americans, but Naylor informs the
audience that for African Americans it is just the opposite. It created liberation in certain racial
groups that can be degraded for the color of their skin. When used in a relationship it “became a
term of endearment” for the male significant other (235). The men, in particular, used this
form of expression conveyed by a person that reveals their thoughts and even their motives.
Because words are in the eye of the beholder, they have different connotations in different
situations. The power of language formed in a society is determined by the meaning behind the
words that the culture speaks. In the essay, “Mommy, What Does ‘Nigger’ Mean?” Gloria
Naylor also states that spoken and written words have power and meaning. However, words
themselves are not offensive or harmful, but rather it is by the general agreement among society
that gives them their true power. Naylor creates a persona throughout her essay by using
anecdotal evidence, comparisons, pathos, and ethos. By …show more content…
By sharing this personal story, she constructs pathos and ethos within the
reader. Naylor, even at the age of seven or eight, knew that what the boy had stated was not
socially acceptable even if he did not fully understand the impact of the word that he had said
himself. Mommy, what does ‘nigger’ mean?” was the question that Naylor addresses to her
mother later on about the circumstance that had occurred at school (234). By tugging on the heart
of the audience, Naylor presents herself as though she is superior to this boy in this situation and
wants the reader to acknowledge this also.
Naylor continues to develop her persona on this issue by enlightening her audience that the
word ‘nigger’ holds many diverse meanings in different situations. The reader may automatically
assume ‘nigger’ is a derogatory term used towards African Americans, but Naylor informs the
audience that for African Americans it is just the opposite. It created liberation in certain racial
groups that can be degraded for the color of their skin. When used in a relationship it “became a
term of endearment” for the male significant other (235). The men, in particular, used this