The Blacker the Berry · Question
How does The Blacker the Berry develop the theme of Family and Legacy of Color Prejudice?
Answer
The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman develops Family and Legacy of Color Prejudice across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Emma Lou's family—her mother, grandmother, and relatives—actively reinforce color prejudice, mourning her darkness and hiding her from guests, showing how intraracial bias is passed down through generations.
The Morgan family's history of color prejudice, embodied by Aloysius McNamara's disdain for dark-skinned Blacks and Jane's regret over Emma Lou's skin color, shows how this bias is passed down through generations.
Evidence in the book
- Part I: Emma Lou
The Morgan family's history of color prejudice, embodied by Aloysius McNamara's disdain for dark-skinned Blacks and Jane's regret over Emma Lou's skin color, shows how this bias is passed down through generations.