Journal 10: Theme and Supporting Quotes

Theme: Modern day society is structured around survival. Although vital needs such as food and water are now in relative abundance, the competition for social dominance is still prevalent.

Questions: Clarification on the phrase competition for social dominance?
Survival and dominance synonymous?

Supporting Quotes:

"Mis' Woods, Ah have often said to mah husband, Ah don't see how uh lady like Mis' Woods can stand all them common niggers round her place all de time." (140).
Hurston uses connotation in the above quote with the phrase "common nigger." In addition to the degrading manner in which Mrs. Turner says it, Hurston's use of the phrase adds connotation.

"You'se different from me. Ah can't stand black niggers. Ah don't blame de white folks from hatin' 'em 'cause Ah can't stand 'em mahself." (141).
As previously mentioned, Hurston again uses connotation and adds to her theme of social competition.

"...Who wants to be mixed up wid uh rusty black man..." (141).

"...Ah got white folks' features in my face. Still and all Ah got tuh be lumped in wid all de rest. It ain't fair." (142).
Again, Hurston points back to the theme of social dominance. Mrs. Turner makes it very clear she believes whites are a socially dominant class, and she is upset because she believes that physical features should be enough to get herself thrown in. She uses some level of diction (lumped in wid all de rest) to further invoke connotations of the african american race being negative.

"...Her look like uh white woman! Wid dat meriny skin and hair jus' as close tuh her head as ninety-nine is tuh uh hundred!" (143).
Hurston uses diction (meriny skin) and simile (ninety-nine is...) to contrast the characters of Tea Cake and Mrs. Turner. This also points to the fact that not all characters view the social dominance chain in the same light.

"Dey don't always know. Indians don't know much uh nothin', tuh tell de truth. Else dey'd own dis country still. De white folks ain't gone nowhere. Dey oughta know if it's dangerous." (156).
Hurston uses paralell structure to contrast Tea Cake's views on whites and Indians, and also describes how their lack of knowledge led to the loss of their country.