Hurston begins her essay with a sarcastic line. From the very beginning readers know how her essay is going to be. The statement "I remember the very day that I became colored." (Hurston 265), makes the reader think and it begs the question, "How did she not know that she was colored?" and "When and How did she find out? " The reader wants to learn more aboout Hurston.
Hurston goes on to explain how she lived in an small exclusively colored town in Eatonville, FL (265). She explains as the tourist would come through her town some of the townfolk would hide inside, while some would stand on the porch as to watch them go by. Zora as a young girl, didn't see much difference between being colored or white. She was innocent when it came to the concept of racial prejudice. She says, "During this period, white people differed from…show more content… Then she uses more satire by saying, "The operation was successful and the patient is doing well, thank you." (267) By using satire, it helps the reader come to the conclusion and understand that Hurston did not conform to seeing herself as a victim. She stated, "It fails to register depression with me." (266). She uses a positive outlook to say, "Slavery is the price I paid for civilization, and the choice was not with me." (267). Here she shows that she accepts what happed in the past and greeted the current status of civilization, then notices she had no choice when dealing with slavery. "It is a Bully adventure and worth all that I have paid through my ancestors for it." (266), She is enjoying her freedom as an American Citizen and instead of looking at the past and having hurt feelings, she is proud of her ancestors and what they have accomplished. What did her ancestors have to lose from standing against slavery? Hurston says, "The world had to be won and nothing to be lost."