Both short stories ÃÂCountry LoversÃÂ and ÃÂEveryday UseÃÂ highlight the importance of cultural society in the stories. In the stories blacks are discriminated by the society. The purpose of this essay is to show how the writers have highlighted the importance of culture and society in their stories considering segregation, poverty as well as the role of women.
During the time of the short story ÃÂEveryday UseÃÂ there was ÃÂBlack PowerÃÂ or ÃÂBlack NationalismÃÂ, and many blacks wanted to ÃÂrediscoverÃÂ their African roots, and were ready to reject and deny their American heritage, which was filled with stories of pain and injustice. In ÃÂEveryday UseÃÂ, Alice Walker argues that an African-American is both African and American, and to deny the American side of oneÃÂs heritage is disrespectful of oneÃÂs ancestors. She uses the principal characters of Mama, Dee, and Maggie to clarify this theme.
Country lovers, is a tale set in South Africa where whites are more privileged than black people. The story is set during apartheid. This is made clear in the first paragraph, as it says "but once the white children go away to school, they don't play together anymore." Also, "beginning to call their old play mates missus and baasie - little master." It is made clear that separation occurs at an early age, this is reinforced throughout the story. As it states later, whilst discussing how Thebedi's father works on Paulus's family's farm "it was part of her fatherÃÂs work to tend." It also mentions that Paulus' family owns a Mercedes. Also during the trial it was almost impossible for Paulus to lose the case as he was white. The majority of the people also believed that he was innocent.
In the story ÃÂEveryday UseÃÂ Mama...