高级英语第七课 (2)

Unit seven

Everyday Use for your grandmama Alice Walker

时代背景——美国黑人民权运动故事发生的背景 是20世纪六七十年 代美国兴起的旨在 发展黑人文化艺术、 推进黑人解放的黑 人权力运动。 阿拉巴马州蒙哥 马利市是南北战争 期间美利坚联盟国 的首都，也是实施 种族隔离制的代表 性城市之一。

马丁· 路德· 金博士于1954年到该市担 任牧师工作，1955年成功带领该市黑 人公民，以全面罢乘反对公共汽车上 的黑白隔离措施。经过一年长期抗争， 终于迫使蒙哥马利市的巴士取消种族 隔离措施。这次的罢乘公共汽车运动 虽然成效有限，虽然未达全面性废除 种族隔离措施，但对全美各地的黑人 却起了鼓舞作用，并启发他们的灵感， 开始一波波争取民权的运动。

运动的高峰是在1963年8月，金博士在 华盛顿的林肯纪念馆前广场聚集了二十五 万名群众，并发表他著名的演说《我有一 个梦》,这次集会所产生的舆论压力，终 于迫使国会在翌年通过民权法案，宣布种 族隔离和歧视政策为非法，成为美国民权 运动史的关键事件。

民权运动的影响它不仅改变了美国黑人的命运，赋予了他们很大 程度上的平等、自由和尊严，也深刻影响了所有美 国人的生活与观念。具体来说，民权运动推动联邦 政府实行铲除种族隔离制的改革，最终消灭了公开 的白人至上主义，为黑人赢得民权。它把美国从一 个容忍种族主义、歧视黑人的社会转变为一个不管 肤色与种族，承认每一个公民的平等权利的社会， 从而深深改变了民众的思想。不仅如此，民权运动 也激发了新时期美国社会的民主和自由斗争。现代 妇女运动、反战运动、新左派运动和其他族裔争取 权利的斗争等都受到民权运动的推动和影响

本文旨在通过对迪伊回家后的种种表现 分析在美国黑人权力运动的社会背景下个 体面临的矛盾和挑战,揭示个人在轰轰烈烈 的社会运动中的迷失状态。

The Author1. Alice Walker’s Early Life Date of Birth: February 9, 1944 Birthplace: Eatonton, Georgia

Marriage: Mel Leventhal, a Jewish Civil Rights activist/ lawyer Child: Rebecca born in 1969

2. Education:1961-1963 Spelman college, a college for black women in Atlanta 1963-1965 transferred to Sarah Lawrence College in New York (once traveled to Africa as an exchange student)

3. Career 1983 received the Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple (1982)

1984 started her own publishing company, Wild Trees Press

Characters

Mother 捍卫者

physical strength,mental toughness, the good-hearted, down-to-earth

Dee 叛逆者 bright, confident ,smart , beautiful, well-educated likes to produce herselfMother seems to range between them, both Maggie’s conservative, and quiet side and Dee’s independence,

strong side.

Maggie继承者

lack of self-confidence

shy ,conservative ,inheriting Africa American culture

Maggie A shy, conservative young woman made even more self-conscious by scars she got in a house fire years ago. She hasn‘t had much formal education but has learned traditional skills, such as quilting, from her family.

Mama (Mrs Johnson) The narrator of the story. She is a middle-aged or older African-American woman living with her younger daughter, Maggie. Although poor, she is strong and independent, and takes great pride in her way of life.

Dee (Wangero) Dee is Mrs Johnson's older daughter. She is attractive, sophisticated, and welleducated. She is also very selfish; she may even have caused the fire that disfigured her sister. Mrs Johnson calls her "Dee/Wangero".

HeritageThe definition of heritageThe property or interests the decedent can get from their ancestor and the law can be inherited. Including positive legacy and negative heritage. But in the text the heritage symbolize the black people’s cultural tradition and heritage.

Heritage1.The quilt and churn are the grandma’s entire heritage 2.The quilt symbolize the black people’s cultural tradition and heritage 3.The quilt is the most important heritage

American quilts (patchwork)