Ellen Foster, Racism free essay sample

Racism In the book Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons, Ellen is a lonely child. She is in a family where she is responsible for her mothers health and receives little love from her parents. She has few outlets and is forced to suffer the many traumas of her life alone. She eventually gets away from her family only to find more unhappiness while continuing to observe the happiness of families surrounding her. And throughout the entire book she is yearning to belong and become loved. It took Ellen five moves and many hardships to find her true caregiver. But through her Journey she forms a icture in her mind of what the perfect family should be like. Simultaneously she comes to understand herself better through her friendship with her black friend Starletta. Although Ellen finally realizes that she is wrong to feel superior to blacks throughout most of the book, Ellens racism keeps her from getting a family. First, when Ellen visits Maviss family, she has grown more aware of racism but is still ignorant and fails to see that even though they have nothing physically they have everything emotionally. Maviss family was everything that Ellen wanted, but because hey were black, the thought that they could take Ellen in, never crossed her mind. Ellen begins to eavesdrop on the colored house so she can form a list of what she wants her family to be like. While she is watching Maviss family, she decides she wants one of those. Ellen thinks, l had not fgured out how to go about getting one but I had a feeling it could be got (67). She knows that she wants a family like Maviss, one that is caring and one whose members love each other. However Ellen just doesnt understand that money doesnt buy love and happiness. Then Ellen ontinues saying, l want one white with a little more money (67). All the black families she knows are poor, but so happy. The only happy white family Ellen knows is Roy and Julia. Yet Ellen still seems to insist on a white family when there are numerous black families that she could be Just as happy with if they accepted or had room for her. When Ellen sees how loving Maviss family is she envies them and wishes she could have a caring parent, yet still continues to not respect blacks. Next, when Ellen stays with Starlettas family, she encounters problems due to their race. Ellen is troubled by the fact that they are black. She goes over to Starlettas family for dinner one night and at the door Starlettas father greats her. Ellen remembers, Come into the house is what her daddy says to me and takes my package. They pay grown men to do that in the more stylish places (29). Ellen knows that Stilettos family has class. She is drawn to Stilettos house because she likes the fact that they are a loving family. She knows they will always be there for her, she just doesnt know that that is how her family should be. But because they are black, nd poor, they are not good enough for her. Ellen says, As fond as I am of all three of them I do not think I could drink after them (29). Because Ellen has been brought up in the South she is led to believe that whites are superior to blacks. Ellen continues to be confused about why Starlettas family seems to be welcoming even though they are black. Because of her beliefs Ellen feels as if blacks are like aliens. She fails to see that there is no further difference between Starletta and herself than their skin color. blacks are not as good as whites. Because she has been brought up around a racist community Ellen lacks hospitality and respect. Finally Ellen comes to an understanding with racism through her black friend, Starletta. At the end of the novel Ellen invites Starletta to spend the night at her house. Ellen is engaged in a conversation when she says, And when I thought about you I always felt glad for myself. And now I dont know why. I really dont (125). Ellen realizes that she has no reason to feel superior to Starletta. She is now aware that Starletta has always had everything Ellen has ever wanted. Starletta has a family who will love her unconditionally. She now knows that money doesnt buy happiness. Starlettas family is poor and still happy and Ellen has finally seen this. She has no reason to feel glad for herself because she is white because Starletta isnt any different because she is black. After the conversation with Starletta Ellen says, l came a long way to get here but when you think about it real hard you will see that old Starletta came even further And all this time I thought I had the hardest roe to hoe. That will always amaze me (126). Ellen closes the novel with these lines. Starletta spends the weekend at Ellens house after Ellen came to a huge new reality that Starletta has gone through so much also. Starletta and her family have had harsh weathers to push through also, and now that Ellen has realized this, she wants to make things right. After a long confusing friendship with Starletta, Ellen can finally see beyond the racist prejudices that she was brought up with. Because she can set these biases aside, Ellen realizes that it is Starletta who has had it the worst not herself. Ellen has uffered plenty abuse neglect, and a constant feeling of displacement. Starletta has suffered racial prejudice, which will take years to change. Ellen begins to realize that Starletta will not be able to overcome the things that life has handed her as easily as Ellen has herself. Through Ellens friendship with Starletta, Ellen sees beyond what she has been raised around and is capable of many more things. In conclusion Ellen traveled a long road. Ellen realized the wrong of her earlier beliefs towards blacks, but unfortunately she lost the chance of having a great family. Ellen ealized at the end of the book that whites and blacks arent different and she was wrong to think that. She has lost many opportunities to a great family through her lack or respect caused by racism. Because of the strong person Ellen is she becomes more aware of her surroundings and is capable to set aside the biases she has been raised around. This allows Ellen to continue a firm relationship with Starletta while being aware of the wrongs of the community she has grown up in. By the end of the novel Ellen has finally come face to face with racism and is able to overcome the biases she has always known.