SETTING: TIME - in the recent past - nowadays

PLACE - the Southern States of America

(The average reader is familiar with the history of racism in this part of
America.
Is it now, thankfully, a thing of the past? oes it appear in more su!tle
forms?
"ow does one recognise a racist?
The setting of this story allows the writer to e#amine these $uestions in
the events of the story and in the characters.%
- n.!. how hostile the setting is to &arion
- n.!. how it influences the behaviour of all the characters - all of them
feel that they can or have to !ehave in a certain way.
- n.!. the use of contrast - although her life in the 'orth is only
referred to
in passing, the !ias of the South contrasts starkly with the li!eral 'orth(
- in one she was a college graduate with a driving licence
- in the other she is presumed to !e illiterate and fails her test twice
N.B. TE SETTING !" PA#TIC$LA# M!MENTS:
i- &arion drives through %sha&'( su!ur!an streets
ii- she fails her test on a bri&)e which is a S*MB!L of her situation. As
far as the Inspector is concerned, &arion is trying to cross a !ridge that
)arches high* from the world of the !lack woman to the world of the
white woman....
n.!. -)Procee& +ith caution, &an)erous in sli--er' +eather*
The sign seems to !e warning+ She has almost made it, endured the
a!use..she must practise even more self-control
n.!. - she is isolated - away from &ain Street with a racist - she is
vulnera!le to someone as prepared to a!use his power as he is.
PL!T:
This descri!es &arion,s second driving test. -arly it is clear to the reader
that she should pass( she is a competent driver who was failed in this
state !ecause of the !ias of her previous Inspector. The Inspector in the
story appears to !e $uite different( he is smiling and genial. "owever, the
reader realises almost immediately that &arion will fail again( it is not her
driving that is !eing tested. The plot and its ending are designed to(
- challen)e our sense of fairness
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- -rovo.e an)er an& in&i)nation
- /a.e us reflect on the s/all, unnotice& acts of racis/ +hich still
occur.
CA#ACTE#S:
MA#I!N: - a picture emerges of a young woman who is( - intelligent,
perceptive, discrete, self- controlled determined, hard-working, relia!le
aware of her personal dignity and she is - ./, coloured, from 0ennsylvania
(no accent%, college graduate.
M#S. E#ICS!N:
If asked if she were racist, &rs. -ricson would deny it and yet, not only is
she very aware of &arion,s colour, it also influences her attitude and
!ehaviour towards her. (n.!. how unwittingly patronising she is to &arion+%
She gives the impression of !eing culpa!ly unaware of what is happening
around her and appears to !e a rather silly, selfish, inefficient woman
whose fondness for &arion does not e#cuse her !ehaviour towards her.
n.!.- she is nervous a!out &,s driving she asks her if she remem!ered the
documents she reminds her of her last failure
she sees &. as the ideal nanny and wants her to !e a!le to drive so that
she can use her
she tries to deny the real reason for &.,s failure.
TE INSPECT!#(
espite his genial e#terior, he is clearl' racist. "e degrades &arion !y
changing her name, winking at &rs -. 1hen he is alone with &. he is
deeply insulting
- he does not understand her need to drive unless it,s to meet a )young
!lood*
- he whistles Swanee 2iver and uses a caricatured accent and voca!ulary
when speaking to her
- he pretends to !e surprised that she is literate, laughs at her degree
and assumes that she has several children.
N!NE !" IS C!N0E#SATI!N 1!$L2 BE ACCEPTABLE T! A
1ITE 1!MAN.
CA#ACTE#ISATI!N:
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In a variety of ways, !ut very economically, we are given a vivid picture of
three characters.
2ESC#IPTI!N - MA#I!N
)soft, unaccented voice* - gentle, educated )set profile* - determined,
no!ody,s fool )dark,competent hands* coloured and efficient )"er voice
was not $uite steady* - at !reaking point
(n.!. a word or a phrase can convey a great deal%
n.!. at end - )she slid over to the car* no protest - resignation
INSPECT!#
)genial, middle-aged man who grinned !roadly*
c.f. other -)very !risk and military* stocky, self-important man*
n.!. how appearances can !e deceptive - he seems a decent man
immediately he sets her difficult tasks and be)ins to /oc. her:
)"e laughed.*3.)The Inspector feigned astonishment*
)The Inspector !urst out laughing*3..)wiping his eyes*
*ET -when she turns on him, his true self emerges(
)The Inspector lost his 4oviality in an instant*
)The Inspector 4umped out and !rushed past her, his face purple*
- here we see the anger that lies !eneath the veneer.
2IAL!G$E:
The characters are revealed !y the way they speak.
MA#I!N: is intelligent and perceptive(
)They pro!a!ly do like it !etter if a white person....*
)I sat for my college degree last year*
!ut not servile( )amn you+*
M#S. E#ICS!N: )5h I don,t think it,s that+* (racism%
)they only want you to slip them a little something*)It will !e marvellous
to have someone dependa!le....*)if only I could pay you half of what you,re
worth*)5h, &arion, A6AI'?*
- -7-28T"I'6 S"51S 1"AT A STI998 15&A' S"- IS.
INSPECT!# )Turn right at the corner, &andy-9ou*
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)old enough to have a flock of pickaninnies*
)Sure you don,t want meet some young !lood?*
)&andy got her degree, did she? og my cats+*
ST*LE: this is deli!erately simple so that the reader can focus on the
events of the story. "owever, note the significance of(-
):our very !lack crosses at random*
A$T!#3S P$#P!SE AN2 ATTIT$2E:
Angelica 6i!!s, like all writers is simply using the events and the
characters in this story to make a comment on life as she understands it.
1hat is her purpose here? 1hat does she feel a!out what happens to
&arion? "ow do you know? Similarly, each character represents a type of
human !eing. 1hat does the writer feel a!out the* &arians* of this world
and the* &rs. -ricsons* and* Inspectors*?
PE#S!NAL #ESP!NSE:
. things are important ;
<. That the story made some impact on you - perhaps the one the author
intended, perhaps not
.. That you understand the techni$ues !y which this effect was achieved
1hat did you feel when you had finished reading this story and which
techni$ue, for you, was most successful?
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