World Lit

Othman Alsufyani

Professor’s Name

World Literature

July 15, 2019

“Roselily” by Alice Walker

Roselily.

Introduction

“Roselily” was written with an author by the name Alice Malsenior Walker. The story was the first story to be published in the author’s number one collection of short tales referred to as “In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women”. The author was born on the 9th of February 1944. She hails from Eatonton Georgia. She was born and brought up in a poor black community in the rural south which taught her the value of respect, dignity and the command of language which formed her basis of writing. She attended segregated schools but was fortunate enough to attend and complete both high school and college education. When she was around eight years old, she was involved in an accident where her elder sibling accidentally injured her with a gun, giving her a permanent scar. Because of the injury, she was often shy and alone, which gave her ample time to engage her mind in studying different kinds of literature. One of her most recognised achievements is the book “The Colour Purple”. She is among the most recognised and appreciated African-American writers and some people recognise her as a poet and feminist altogether. The main idea of the story based on how poor African-American women undergo to face the impossible all for the promise of a better future for themselves and their kids. Roselily, whose is the lead character in the story, is quite fascinating. The fact that she is literally on the altar marrying a guy she barely knows and also the fact that she starts to doubt her decision about the marriage second. Therefore, the essay is based on the ambitious, thoughtful and hardworking character analysis of Roselily.

The main character is ambitious. The main character is ambitious because she is willing to marry a person who Roselily states she knows little about just as a means of survival. The potential husband who is wealthy and comes from Chicago a better place than Mississippi promises her once they are married, he will take them back to his home area. Also, the fact that the future husband promises her a good life for herself and the three kids, the character wages her bet on a promise of a better residing place, a place that was new to her. On page one it says “But in Chicago. Respect, a chance to build. Her children at last from underneath the detrimental wheel. A chance to be on top. What a relief, she thinks. What a vision, a view, from up so high”. This quote shows that our character is very ambitious and opportunistic and is willing to marry the guy all in the name of escaping the hardships from her current residential area. From the example stated above, it is clear to indicate that the ambitious trait was possessed by the character.

Roselily is also very thoughtful. She is thoughtful in the fact she tries to think the place she is promised by her betrothed to be a place of plunder where all her troubles will end, something that she is not sure about because she had never been to that place. She is also thoughtful because of thinks or ropes and chains when she thinks of his religion. On page one, Alice says “She thinks of ropes, chains, handcuffs, his religion. His place of worship. Where she will be required to sit apart with covered head, in Chicago, a word she hears when thinking of smoke, from his description of what a cinder was, which they never had in Panther Burn.” The author also says “She thinks of her mother, who is dead. Dead, but still her mother.” She thinks how it will be later in the night in the silvery grey car. How they will spin through the darkness of Mississippi and in the morning be in Chicago, Illinois. She thinks of Lincoln, the president”. Therefore, this shows that our character was indeed thoughtful, and from this example, it is clear to state that the character in question was contemplative.

The character was also portrayed as being very hardworking. The fact that she has three children of her own and herself to provide for explains the need for her to make ends meet for her family. An example of her being hardworking is the fact that she had to undertake two jobs for her to manage the expenses of her family. On page two of the story, it says “Memories of being bare to the sun. She wonders what it will be like. Not to have to go to a job. Not to work in a sewing plant. Not to worry about learning to sew straight seams in workingmen’s overalls, jeans, and dress pants.” This shows that she was actually working hard for the sustainability of her poor household. From the example, it is clear that Roselily was a hardworking woman.

Conclusion

Therefore, it is evident that from the above vivid illustrations, our main character was a very ambitious, thoughtful and a very hardworking woman. In life, nothing comes easy. Every grown-up individual has to toil hard and make ends meet. Also, it is in the human nature for people to desire better livelihoods than they currently possess hence the reason for working hard.

Work cited

Walker, Alice. Roselily. Goldmann, 1986.