Natasha Trethewey

McCarthy in The Road and Trethewey in Native Guard both struggle with the ambiguity of legacy after death, searching for a purpose in mortality and for a way to entwine one’s existence with the rest of history to create progress. However, McCarthy, writing about the apocalypse in The Road, does not specifically focus on the mortality of humans, but the mortality of morality itself, the slow death of the goodness of people. Each author deals with the concept of legacy after death--McCarthy with a…

on the journey that they all take. Through a discovery of culture, knowledge, religion, skills and self-discovery the characters each finds a means to survive their navigating through the middle passage or in the case of the book of poems by Natasha Trethewey self-acceptance to survive in their individual journeys. In the terms of each of the novels the term “othered” bodies are a means of separating a specific or generalized group of individuals. Connecting the three texts A Mercy,…

Natasha Trethewey’s “Incident” and Claude McKay’s “The Lynching” are both written about hate crimes. “Incident” is the generational retelling of the author’s family that witnessed a cross burning on their lawn, as a warning, with unsettling images of the aftermath as well as hints of fear permanently embedded in the family’s memory. Each time it is retold, the experience becomes more dauntingly descriptive. “The Lynching” illustrates the picture of a grim and saddening sight of a malicious…

African American literature has been sustained by the work of Black women. Their works have center the Black community and the era they were in. From Phyllis Wheatley in the slavery and freedom era to Lorraine Hansberry during the Civil Rights Movement, Black women have a significant role in the literature of the time. As the United States transitioned into the 1970s, a new wave African American literature was born: the Black Women’s Literary Renaissance. Wanting to alter the depictions of Black…

The Truth Within Imagery is an effective part of poetry. It allows readers to see what they are reading, and if the image is vivid enough, perhaps even feel the intensity of emotions within. Poems like “White Lies,” by Natasha Trethewey, and “Theme for English B,” by Langston Hughes, are saturated with color and carry a powerful voice. The imagery of these poems suggests a prominent theme of truth and identity as a critical topic for black Americans. By utilizing literary techniques such as…

heavens and the horizontal piece extending outward to humanity. However, these literary symbols also represent the daily struggle between good and evil in every individual’s life that instigates a hope for a better world. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Natasha Trethewey’s Native Guard both emphasize…

they speak about and understand his grandfather. This shows that our generations are influenced by ourselves, and our choices. Showing us that, people are shaped by their parents, and influenced greatly by the people around them. “South” by Natasha Trethewey, tells us about the many things that describe a place. This place held stories of colored troops, who had died. It also talks about the slaves that were once abused, and treated…

Trethewey describes her yard being lit up like a christmas tree when the “angels” came. It doesn’t say what age she was, but one can assume she was a child at the time of the incident. Analyzing the poem, it seems like she is in also in an innocent stage.…

A mother, that glorious creature, that carries in her womb, unconditional love. Nature grants her the ability to embrace with her heartbeat, the life that nurtures off her. Undoubtedly, the mother-child relationship is indispensable for the child prosperity; nonetheless, the father-child relationship is as important. He symbolizes that rational yet sensitive embrace that every daughter needs to evolve healthily. However, a father is human; a man that struggles and isn’t immune to an…