Brownies Short Story

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Every action doesn’t need a reaction. In the short story Brownies by ZZ Packer The author uses the narrator Laurel to show the racial tension that exists between these two groups of brownies one being all white and the other being African American. Laurel struggles to keep her individuality being so that she is surrounded by prejudice due to her black community and her own troop. Packer can explore her struggle at the camp and the racially fueled society that the girls live in. Keeping your individuality in the wake of segregation and prejudice fueled on by your peers. This story focuses on the identity of Laurel when she is torn when the rest of the girls in her brownie troop want to get revenge on the other Troop 909. The head of the…show more content…
Being so her environment was mostly black she had limited exposure to white people she viewed them as mysterious stating “whites were like those baby pigeons real and existing but rarely seen or thought about” (186). Going forward she starts to distance herself from her peers and the prejudice language they use. Laurel realizes that the girl uses the word “Caucasian” not to describe their race but in use to be derogatory. Only one time in the story Laurel uses negative language towards the other troop but only to describe her jealousy of their long straight hair and it still doesn’t compare to the racial slurs. The girls continue to talk badly about Troop 909 by calling them “invaders” which only separates the two troops but most importantly points out the predominately white group as “villains”. The level of overall hate towards the other girls is fueled of a simple “rumor” egged on by Arnetta who initially heard the slur and the other girls just seem to follow whatever she says. Although Laurel wants to fit in with the rest of her troop she still doesn’t give in to their prejudice ways. Later on she realizes that the girls prejudice stems from their parents level of hatred towards the white community. “We had all been taught that adulthood was full of sorrow and pain, taxes and bills dreaded work and dealing with whites, sickness…show more content…
Laurel still doubts that the racial slur was even said but she still includes herself with the groups planned attack against Troop 909 because of her fear of exclusion from the group. After a while Laurel continues to get caught up in her groups antics towards Troop 909 “I felt like I was part of the rest of the troop; like I was defending something” (191). Laurel and her troop’s continuing to exclude themselves racially indirectly strengthens the groups solidarity. The group allow their perception of the white community enabled by their parent’s racists ways further provoke the tension between the two groups even though they haven’t encountered one another. It’s sad that none of the girls have never even been discriminated against but their so quick to assume that someone is being prejudice to them just because they are a different race. Packer still uses Laurel’s search for identity within her troop to show how bigotry and hate can be transferred throughout the black community. Laurel is the only one thinking logically and she doesn’t believe that the comment was even said but she still accompanies her troop to confront the girls of Troop 909. She still doesn’t agree with what her troop is doing but again referring to her not wanting to be excluded from her troop she went along with it. Thinking about her actions
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