Ella Mae

Improved Essays
No matter where people ranked in the socio-racial system in America during World War II in the 1940s there existed a hierarchy of power having white males on the top following: white females, light-skinned colored male and women, then black man, and lastly black women. A power play, military, diplomatic, political, or administrative maneuver in which power is brought to bear, took place within the concepts of race and gender to maintain control on a large group of people or between them. Complications of integration between colored and white people in the workplace exposed how the Double V Campaign, signifying a victory abroad will also be a victory at home, did not diminish the constant internal and external conflicts African Americans dealt …show more content…
In the past, she had sexual interactions with Bob but they stopped since he found out it was due to pity; yet, they remain to be friends coexisting in pleasant environment. Their relationship hence how direct they are with each other even if their opinion were not asked. In chapter 6, Ella Mae states how Bob cleans up very nicely for Alice. Thus, Bob replies in a sarcastic tone, “I’m tryna turn white” (47). Alice, Bob’s girlfriend is a light-skinned highly educated social worker who comes from a wealthy family. Her family background, current social status, Caucasian facial features and skin color help Alice pass as a white female in the socio-racial system in America. Thus, his tone of voice explains how he finds Ella Mae’s comment as a joke. Bob does not clearly understand his housemate. Therefore, frustrated Ella Mae conveys, “All that talking you do ‘bout ‘em all the time. I see you got the whitest coloured girl you could find” (47). She has heard him time and time again how much he dislikes them due to the social issues emplaced on him yet blinded by his rage of emotions Ella Mae suggests he pursued a woman who embodies the white ideals. Ella Mae’s honesty uncovers their communication on the struggles of being black. His housemate bluntly speaks out for what she sees happening in Bob’s life, a type of hypocrisy toward the whites. Ella Mae foreshadows how this …show more content…
She displays "crazy, wild-eyed, frightened act(s)” each time he comes in contact with her (123). Cleverly, Robert reveals this all a performance, “she had put on” due to the power of “the white armour plate she'd wrapped herself up in” (123). He recognizes Madge puts on a show, to hide her lust. Bob describes her superiority over him as a white armor plate since she was white Madge could get him easily in troubled; they -the American people- believed a white female than a black person. After an argument between the two at the workplace, Bob gets demoted from supervisor. He addresses her power, which he contemplates to himself, “was worst possible thing I could have said. It acknowledged her power over me, and that was wrong” (130). Bob’s word choice on acknowledged exhibits that power was already in placed the only difference now was he recognized her control. Initially race regulators their relationship but speaking about it with Madge meant he allowed himself to be weak by her. Bob fell for her not due to her beauty but to, “the notion; just because she was white…got me, set me on edge” (147). He became attracted to what her skin color represented, power. Their interaction divulges how greatly inappropriate she is acting; projecting her dominance to a black man. Thus, Bob fights back wanting to demand control by raping her as well as to those around him

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