I happened apon this story and at first didn't really feel like reading a whole story, short or not but as I began I was moved by the authors writing and the message she was sending. The story is narrated by a woman who is recalling her childhood and specifically her relationship with Annette, her familys maid. The narrator describes Annette a like a second mother to her, always there when she need her and wise beyond the times. The setting is not described but it is portrayed as being durring a time of partial racial seggregation. Annette was an African American woman who belived that everyone should be treated equal, no matter what their color, religion, or background. This was a belief that she implanted into the narrators mind forever. And which the narrator has carried with her through life and has passed down to her own children and the children she tought. She reminisces in the story about a time when she was 15 years old and was working at a resturant. She became friends with a boy named Jimmy, she talked of him as if he was just like anyone. So you are taken aback when you read on and the owner of the resturants threatens that unless she stops associating with him, she will lose her job. She couldn't understand this and refused, the next time she was at work Jimmy was gone. He was African American and her associating with him "didn't look good." It really reminded me of how hard it is for people to move forward and accept the idea that everyone was created equally. You see in the innocence of the young girl and wonder, why can't everyone think that way? It seems obviouse to me that the color of your skin does not affect your personality or anything about who you are. If everyone was blind, and there were people with white skin or the people with black skin could you tell who was who? NO! Yet to this day people judge others and treat them differently because of the color of their skin. This was a very touching story about the innocent life of a girl who we can all learn something from, and I would definitely recomend reading it.
http://www.jhedge.com/story/nofic/namejim.htm
Monday, October 27, 2008
"His Name is Jimmy"
Posted by Callan B. at 12:49 PM
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3 comments:
In my opinion, people treat others differently because subconsciously people want to make themselves feel superior to others, and when something is a threat to that it makes them lash out. Obviously, the main character had a better understanding of equality, but the restaurant manager had been raised that way and didn’t know anything else.
I think that this story just goes to show how important it is to have someone we can look up to in our lives. This person has to have a good understanding of equality in order for them to be a good role model. The story also made me realize how fortunate I am to have good role models in my life, role models that have a good understanding of equality for all people.
It is very hard to imagine why anyone would care what color another person's skin is. It obvioulsy doesn't make any difference. It seems that anyone not yet conformed to the world (for example, children) hardly even notices that another person looks different from themselves much less care. Unfortunately, once they have lived in a society that is full of prejudice and hatred, it rubs off on them. Children are really better than adults in a lot of ways.
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