Ann Petry, a female Afro-American novelist, published her novel The Street in 1946. The setting of this novel is Harlem in the 1940s. The story deals with the life and trials of the Mulatto woman Lutie Johnson and her struggle to find a place in this environment for herself and her son. Hence, The Street is also concerned with different aspects of urban life.
Thus, one might also claim that Petry’s novel is about portraying the difficulties a single coloured woman and mother had in Harlem, living on 116th Street in New York City. Apart from being an urban novel, Petry also captured the symbolic character of Harlem in The Street, namely that it is a “(…) symbol of the Negro’s perpetual alienation in the land of his birth”. Hence, this novel also touches upon the topic of disillusionment in city life.
In the following analysis, we will primarily deal with the last chapters of the novel and in particular with the end of the novel, which shows Lutie Johnson leaving Harlem and moving to Chicago. On the one hand, we will be concerned with the reasons and motifs why Lutie is disillusioned and finally leaves Harlem. On the other hand, we will deal with the implications and possibilities that Lutie’s movement to Chicago brings with it.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- An Analysis of the Novel's End and Lutie's Moving to Chicago
- The Second Part of the Novel: Lutie's Disillusionment
- Implications of the Novel's End
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This analysis aims to explore the ending of Ann Petry's novel, "The Street," focusing on Lutie Johnson's decision to leave Harlem and relocate to Chicago. The analysis will delve into the reasons for Lutie's disillusionment with Harlem and examine the potential implications of her move.
- Lutie's disillusionment with Harlem
- The impact of societal and racial prejudice on Lutie's life
- The cycle of poverty and violence in the ghetto
- The struggle for autonomy and self-determination in a hostile environment
- The implications of Lutie's move to Chicago for her future and her son's future
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The novel "The Street" can be broadly divided into two parts. The first part (chapters 1-9) narrates Lutie's efforts to establish and maintain her independence in the ghetto. The second part (chapters 10-18) focuses on Lutie's growing disillusionment, culminating in her departure from Harlem for Chicago, leaving her son behind.
The first part of the novel depicts Lutie's internal conflict between self-doubt and self-confidence, ultimately leading to a period of success (chapter 9). However, chapters 12-17 reveal Lutie's deep sense of disappointment at having been exploited. This betrayal leads to feelings of anger and hatred toward her environment, highlighting the dangerous consequences of societal and racial prejudice.
Lutie's vicious cycle is further compounded by her desire for autonomy and her overwhelming sense of guilt, mirroring the plight of impoverished Black individuals in the ghetto. Her son Bub, who shares Lutie's values, reinforces this cycle through his own struggles.
Chapters 17 and 18 depict Lutie's attempts to cope with her desperation. She seeks legal advice but is misinformed (chapter 16) and ultimately rejects alternative ways of life (chapter 17). Her awareness of a conspiracy against her (chapter 18) triggers an uncontrollable outburst of violence.
Driven by her yearning for autonomy, Lutie accepts her situation as an inevitable consequence of the power dynamics within the ghetto, becoming isolated and burdened with guilt (chapter 17). This ultimately leads to her becoming a "pushover" (chapter 18), highlighting the exploitative nature of the ghetto's environment.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The novel "The Street" explores the themes of racial prejudice, poverty, and urban life in Harlem. The text focuses on the protagonist Lutie Johnson's struggle for autonomy and self-determination in a hostile environment. Key concepts include disillusionment, the cycle of poverty, social isolation, and the limitations of the American Dream.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Sirinya Pakditawan (Author), 2006, An Analysis of "The Street" by Ann Petry, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/284087