Lorde vs. Cruse The authors, Lorde and Cruse, share many similar characteristics within their writings. Both authors try to show how African Americans have numerous challenges with race, sexuality, identity, and respect from others. The two authors also have differences in their writings. For example, in Lordes story "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle The Masters House", the struggle is personal; the events that occur are those in which Lorde has to battle herself. She then tries to proclaim why her struggle is so important and how it effects so many other people like her. Unlike Lorde, Cruse writes about a general struggle. The story "African American's cultural Views", is based on numerous events that occurred to African Americans, Cruise tries to unify these struggles. The two authors stand up for their beliefs and try to break the identity boundaries that were set up for them.
Lorde has a very unique writing style.
Presentation inscription, dated 1861, from Henry C...
Argenton sur Cruse
Louis and Ruth Cruse Shown Planting Fruit Trees Ou...She writes what she feels and how it effects her. Within this story Lorde battles with three main issues; race, sexuality, and class. She tries to explain to her audience how black women, especially, do not get the rights and respect they deserve. For example, in her story she describes how "women of today are still being called upon to stretch across the gap of male ignorance, and to educate men as to our existence and our needs". In my eyes, this has a lot to do with the title of the story, the masters house is the world women live in that was built by men. The reason the house will never dismantle is because men are unwilling to face the needs and wants of women, and women are still accepting this ignorance.
The battle she describes with sexuality is one that she is extremely partial to. Being a black woman who is also a homosexual, Lorde is disgusted with the way that women like her do not stand up and get the respect that is long overdue. She speaks about how she was at a conference for strong feminists, and there was "an absence of discussion about the mutuality between women, no shared support, no interdependence as exists between lesbians and women-identified women". The class struggle is about how women in third world countries do not "stand in the spot light", these women are taught to stand behind men. Lorde speaks out to these women and urges them to gain their own identity and break out of the mold that was created for them by men.
Cruse is extremely similar to Lorde, because they are both African American writers who try to speak out against the "norm" , they also stand up for what they believe is right. Cruse does not just speak for African women, he speaks for all African Americans who have ever struggled with race, sexuality, and culture. Cruse discussed the life of African Americans during slavery and how they' re lives have changed over the years. He also discussed how African Americans are still oppressed. He states that they need to let go of past and step forth into the future, he wants his people to embrace their qualities; such as music, song, literature, ect. Cruse discussed culture by speaking about heritage and labels. He spoke a lot on how some African American prefer the name Afro-Americans, and how some despised this name. This is an example of how people of the same race can have different views. In my eyes, the people who oppose the name Afro-American are worried that people will see that as a regression, a step down, from becoming respected in this Americanized world.
These authors stand out as inspiration leaders, they stand up for what they believe and they proclaim that to other who fight the same battles they faced. They are very similar, they bring people together through their writings. Although Lorde focuses on women she is still comparable to Cruse in many aspects, because they are battling to overcome a common goal; to gain respect for all man-kind, to have all people be seen as equal.
1980, Austin, TX. I took it in very poor light wit...
Pie chart of religions of African Americans