Let Them Call It Jazz Essay

Let Them Call It Jazz Essay

“LET THEM CALL IT JAZZ” In our modern world, racism continues to affect our society in many negative ways. Authors have many influential techniques at their disposal to alter how people may perceive a certain issue. In this short story, ‘Let Them Call It Jazz’, Jean Rhys has used specific characterisation techniques to convey certain attitudes toward racial persecution/oppression. Selina’s narration/dialogue, her personality and the other character’s reaction to her are integral in communicating the racism message in the story to the reader. Jean Rhys was influenced by her own experiences and troubles with the white society and wanted to speak out about the disgraceful racist attitudes in today’s western society. The author has integrated narration/dialogue into the story to outline the difficulties Selina faces as a black woman in a white society. With Selina speaking in an uneducated foreign style and using poor grammar and phrasing, it is clear as day for the reader to realise that she is different and not ‘like us’, therefore a connection with the reader is not established. “You a dam fouti liar” is a phrase used by Selina, she has resorted to her foreign language when stressed which has made the great divide between her and the reader even wider. Selina is an unreliable narrator therefore the reader can not trust her throughout the story. Selina leaves many pieces of crucial information out and explains things as she sees them, which sometimes is not the truth. As Selina is driving towards the jail, she explains, “The car come up to a black castle and little mean streets”, Selina explained the jail as she saw it, and if we were to take her word literally, it would change the story, so we learn not to trust her. Through the narration/dialogue, we learn that Selina does not fit into the white society, and her personality magnifies her differences. Personality is the very essence of who every person is, it is what makes us unique. This is why it is such a...

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