- the excerpt from "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens"
- "Everyday Use"
- The Help, and
- your own experience as a creative person and that of thecreative people in your life.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Critic's Corner: page 527
According to one critic, Walker's mother "has given Walker insight not only into the lives of black women but into the essential nature of art as a human process of illuminating and cherishing life."
Do you agree with this assessment? How and/or Why?
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Give at least TWO examples in your response.
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I agree with the critic that Alice Walker gave us more than a look into the live of a black woman. She also gave us a look into all human beings as they make the best of life. Like Walker's mother with the garden, that was something she did to enjoy life and it made her happy. Everyone does something to make onself happier and make life be better than what it is at times. In the Help Skeeter has a passion for writing. She enjoys it and that's something that makes her get away from her mother and telling her to get married. Miss Leefolt likes to sew so she can hide the imperfections of her house. It makes her forget the imperfections of her own life. No one of just a certain heritage or gender illuminates and cherish life. We all try to make our lives shine bright and do something that makes is enjoy it. Whether it be gardening or writing.
ReplyDeleteI think that in most if not all ways the statement "has given Walker insight not only into the lives of black women but into the essential nature of art as a human process of illuminating and cherishing life." There is only one thing that I could thing of to argue this. If someone were to create 'art' just to make money. But then there could be the counter arguments that in return the money would illuminate that persons life. And also it could be argued that the art could in turn make other peoples lives illuminated. Otherwise I would agree with the line stated above. This can be shown all over the world because all over the world artists create things and people are joyed to either look at it, or discuss it, and many have replicas so they can enjoy it anywhere.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statemebt that Walker shiwed us more than just the life of a black woman. She also showed us that art is a way that everyone expresses themselves. Walkers mother is poor and expresses herself through planting her garden so she can feel like everyone else. In the Help Abileen writes her prayers to express how shes feeling about things everyday. Like Kelly said some people change things in thrier lives to hide other imperfections. Art can bring people peace in their life and a lot of people use art as a way to help themselves feel better about things.
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ReplyDeleteI agree that Walker showed us that art is not only a way of expressing feelings and emotions, but also an expression of oneself and lifestyle. All art can have hidden meanings that go deeper than most see the peice of art as. Like Kelly said, everyone has their own way to entertain themselves, and make themselves happy. The mother in the story keeps a garden to express herself, while Mrs. Leefolt does things by hand to make her life and house look nicer. These simple things comfort and make these people happy. Every person does something in their life that keeps them happy or content.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with this assessment because I feel like Alice Walker gave us that little peek into a black woman's life and it really showed that art can be an expression of emotions without necessarily having to speak it. In that time period, a black woman could get in trouble for speaking her mind, art can be a way of expressing the feelings that have built up insider her. I think that is why Aibileen agrees to help Miss Skeeter write her book in The Help.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with the critic mentioned. The garden is used to express Walker and is truly a form of art. Many think of art as being limited to paintings and sculptures, but this is a narrow minded thought in my opinion. The garden expresses her love and appreciation of life and the beauty of nature. In The Help, Skeeter uses writing to convey her thoughts, opinions, and feelings. There is little difference between Walker's and Skeeter's methods of conveying their thoughts, and both are forms of art.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the critic saying that Walker gave the reader an insight to a black woman's life and also helps us understand the meaning and power of art. In "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens" the garden was what the mother really loved and she took pride in the work she has done to it. It allowed her to express he feelings through the garden. Like Nagle said, in "The Help" Aibileen is expressing herself through Miss Skeeter's book and that is why she agrees to do it despite the risks.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the critic saying that Walker gave the reader an insight to a black woman's life and also helps us understand the meaning and power of art. In "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens" the garden was what the mother really loved and she took pride in the work she has done to it. It allowed her to express he feelings through the garden. Like Nagle said, in "The Help" Aibileen is expressing herself through Miss Skeeter's book and that is why she agrees to do it despite the risks.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the critic saying that Walker gave the reader an insight to a black woman's life and that art can express oneself."In Search of Our Mother's Gardens" her mother did not have any money but rearanged her flowers in her garden to express herself. Also in "The Help" Miss Skeeter writes and although it's not her answers at first they are aibleens the writting is still art to people who read the colum.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the statement that Walker showed us the life of a black woman and that people express themselves through art. Even though they were poor, her mother could still create something beautiful that she could be proud of. Like Kelly said, Miss Leefolt in "The Help" sews things to hide the imperfections in her home because she wants to be able to be proud of her house. Art can help people feel better about things that they don't like about their life.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the critic where she says the writer gives insight into the life of a black woman and the essecial part art plays in our lives. For example the mother in "In Search of Our Mothers Gardens" where she creates this sort of "art" and uses it to enrich her life in times of trouble and dark. ALso Skeeter in the book "the Help" when she is going through hardships with her world around her and how she dosnnt belive in it all. So she creates this writing/"art" that releves this tention and helps to beautiuful and change her situation around her.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the critic. Walker gave the reader an insight to a black woman's life, but she continues and goes beyond that. In "In Search of Our Mother's Gardens," she tells of the creation of art through her mother's gardens. In "Everyday Use," you get a sense of Maggie's life with Dee and her mother from the short story. In "The Help," Ailbileen is similarly expressed through her story, being told through Miss Skeeter's book. The critic is accurate in their statement about Walker.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the critic saying that Walker gave the reader a look into the life of a African- American women and she showed that art can truly be an expression of ones emotion or personality. For an example about art, Skeeter from "The Help" is passionate about writing and she is good at it, and that is a form of art and a reflection of her life. Also in "In Search of Our Mother's Garden" Walker's mother enjoys her garden and she takes pride in it. The garden makes her happy. Clearly Walker's mother cares about nature and cherishes life of all kinds.
ReplyDeleteI too also agree with the critic. Walker didn't just sugarcoat the life of a black woman, she told the reader about it and gave details. In "Everyday Use" Walker explains how Maggie lives and what she does daily. Her life is hard and Walker lets us know that.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the statement that Alice Walker showed readers the life of African-American women and ways art can be used to express feelings and emotions. In "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens" the mother uses her garden to bring herself happiness. She sees past the imperfections and deals with them by doing something that she enjoys. Everyone has something they can always rely on to make them happy. I also agree with the others who have mentioned Miss Leefolt and Skeeter from "The Help" and how they create art for themselves and others to admire.
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