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Excerpt from Paul Laurence Dunbar's "Sympathy" -

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,-- When he beats his bars and he would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core, But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings-- I know why the caged bird sings!

--

Excerpts from __The Bluest Eye__, by Toni Morrison:

"They are in the second row, white blouses starched, blue skirts almost purple from ironing" (Morrison, 82).

"They go to land-grant colleges, normal schools, and learn how to do the white man's work with refinement...The careful development of thrift, patience, high morals, and good manners. In short, how to get rid of the funkiness" (Morrison, 83).

"Colored people were neat and quiet; niggers were dirty and loud. He belonged to the former group: he wore white shirts and blue trousers; his hair was cut as close to his scalp as possible to avoid any suggestion of wool, the part was etched into his hair by the barber..." (Morrison, 87).

"Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes" (Morrison, 46).

"Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signs - all the world agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every child treasured. 'Here,' they said, 'this is beautiful, and if you are on this day 'worthy' you may have it'" (Morrison, 21).

"It was extremely important that the world not know that i fully expected Maureen to buy us some ice cream, that for the past 120 seconds I had been selecting the flavor..." (Morrison, 69).

PICTURES: "Identical Twins" by Diane Arbus - (top right) "Ice Cream Dessert I" by Andy Warhol - (top left)

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