Names and Titles in Gloria Naylors novel, Mommy, What Does Nigger Mean

Names and Titles in Gloria Naylors novel, Mommy, What Does Nigger Mean Words themselves are innocuous it is the consensus that gives them true power. (Naylor 344) A hit is a mark of classification, a basis for self identity. Able to elevate or annihilate a persons perception of herself and the surrounding society, these designations can uplift, joke, chide, mock, insult, degrade. Society implies the hatful and the atmosphere encompassing an individual in her daily life. Culture is closely tied to the society of a person--it is the aspects of her life which are directly influenced by such(prenominal) issues as race, color, nationality, religion, sexuality, and any other number of things that mark a person as distinct. Culture, though an integral part of everyones lives, is frequently misunderstood or seen as threatening by people outside of the group in question. This ignorance of other people leads to judgments and assumptions, which frequently cloud daily issues. The most ignorant people influence to name-calling, a painful slap of hatred. Stereotypical, racist, religious, and sexist name calling, especially, can affect the victims views and opinions for life. Most vulnerable to these taunts are children, innocent and uncallused, who hear these names and know incomplete their true meanings nor the depth of senseless hatred behind them. As shown by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Gloria Naylor, these labels can be taken in and their meanings rendered harmless. By prehend and possessing these hateful words, a group can reshape the meaning of the slurs once wielded so forcefully against them. In Gloria Naylors novel, Mommy, What Does Nigger Mean? she tells of her experience as a young child called a ni... ...round the family. While terms such as nigger remain excruciatingly prevalent in todays society, victims of racist slurs have entrap healthy ways of dealing with the abuse. By projecting new meanings onto old words and focusing on the ever-changing names for African Americans for reassurance, the victims strengths allow them to reroute hate, sooner creating a more positive recognition of intelligence, beauty, and individuality. Works Cited Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. Whats in a Name? Some Meanings of Blackness. American Mosaics Multicultural Readings in Context. Eds. Barabara Roche and Sandra Mano. capital of Massachusetts Houghton Milfflin. 1996. 424-38. Naylor, Gloria. Mommy, What Does Nigger Mean? New World of Literature Writings from Americas Many Cultures, second edition. Eds. Jerome Beatty and J. Paul Hunter. New York Norton. 1994. 344-7.