The representation of groups of people in the media has constantly changed with the times. “Still I Rise” and “The Necklace” are both forms of writing written in contrasting times and by two contrasting people. 'The Series was written during the 'Belle Époque', which in France was a time of art, economic optimism and regional peace, partly fueled by France's many colonial enterprises. It was a time when the need for more jobs was increasing, which meant that much of the population was given low-paying jobs and kept grouped together. This created great class disparities between both the rich and the poor. This topic is mainly mentioned in 'The Series'. “Still I Rise” was written in 1979, a time of poverty and racism in America – mostly aimed at the African-American community – despite bills like the Affirmative Action and Civil Rights Acts of 1957, '64 and '68. Blacks were still shunned by the majority and did not have equal opportunities. Yet in both of these literary passages they show that people do not back down when there are difficulties in front of them. They demonstrate the wonder of the human spirit. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The main message of “Still I Rise” is about the prejudices of outsiders against the African American community, especially African American women. The Poet uses lines like “Does my shamelessness disturb you?” and “Does my pride offend you?”. Brashness and haughtiness were seen at the time primarily as feminine qualities. Maya Angelou uses them to say that she is unapologetic or insecure about her femininity. The main message of this quote is that “you should feel comfortable in your own skin.” Don't apologize for your bold, unique laugh or your opinionated personality. This gives the reader the understanding of a sense of pride and inner strength. It allows anyone to relate to the message. The writer puts the hatred against her in a positive light. He uses sarcasm and writes in a determined manner to express his strength in always reacting, regardless of the obstacle. The phrase “Still I Rise” is constantly written in the poem. This line is used to denote that despite all the difficulties that African American women faced at the time, they will overcome the hatred. This gives the public the courage to stand up to people who oppress them or send hatred towards them. That feeling that this poem gives to the audience is the reason why it has been so successful. He gave hope to a group that needed it most. One thing you notice when you read Maya Angelou's poetry is the repetition of the phrase “I Rise.” The phrase is used three times before the last two verses, which helps present a theme within the song as well as a rhythm. This also gives the poem a sense of order. All the different topics are intertwined through the phrase “I Rise” and this results in the audience being able to understand the theme easily. In the last two paragraphs the word is used much more prevalently, often used to separate different statements. The poem ultimately ends with a trio of “I Rise.” This rapid use of the word is reminiscent of the phrase “I Rise.” This sums up the main moral of the story for the reader. The moral that African American women will not be ignored despite the hardships they face. The poem “Still I Rise” and the short story “The Necklace” both connect through a similar struggle. Both characters fought through adversity, Maya Angelou did so by not listening to the hatred and animosity. Mathilde Loisel doesputting his head down, working hard and paying off his debts. In the past both of these things were vital for women to even want to climb the social ladder. This helps give a past reader an example and a call to action for people to emulate them. 'The Necklace' is set in 19th century France, where the population was divided into different sects. During this time women had much less power than men and usually relied on men. There was little chance of them marrying above their own class and even less chance of them marrying below it. During this time women did not work and relied on men to provide income for the family. This story is about a woman named Madame Loisel who is tired of being part of the middle class and dreams of being part of high society. Madame Loisel speaks of the "large living rooms, decorated with antique silk, with their delicate furniture, supporting precious knick-knacks, and the flirtatious, perfumed little rooms, prepared for the five o'clock chat with the most intimate friends, very well-known and sought-after men, whose attentions all women envied and desired. " This shows that she doesn't like the fact that she was born into a certain group because of her gender. She feels that because of her beauty she deserves to have all the riches in the world and that's why she deceives herself. This sends the character into a spiral of desire that leads to self-loathing. This ends up being her downfall in the story. When she goes to the ball she is so overwhelmed by being treated like an upper class person that she forgets about her necklace and ends up losing it to 10 years of hard work that ends up being a wake-up call for her that she should accept her place in society. The worst part is that Madame Loisel has always dreamed of the luxuries that come with being high class, but she is not. never managed to do it. trying to get the kind of money needed for that kind of lifestyle when there is a need for money she and her husband are able to earn enough do nothing about it. If you try, your goals seem more attainable. The writer manages to convey Mathilde's character to the reader from the first paragraphs. Although most of the story concerns the events surrounding the ball, the narrator recounts Madame Loisel's birth into a humble family and marriage. born, as if by an error of fate, into a family of employees. “She had no dowry, no expectations, no means to make herself known, understood, loved or married to a rich and distinguished man; and so she allowed herself to be married to a minor official of the Ministry of Education." The fact that the writer wrote this at the beginning of the story shows how much he wanted to convey this fact about the main character. The reason why the reader believes that this character may be real is the way the writer describes the plight of the middle class. The lack of demand for money but the desire to get it were perfectly portrayed in the first paragraphs where the narrator of the story talks about how Mathilde dreams of being part of the upper class. The story ends with Mathilde, having paid off her debts, approaching Madame Forestier and confessing to her that she has lost her necklace. Madame Forestier returns with this sentence: "Oh, my poor Mathilde! Mine was an imitation! It was worth at most five hundred francs!...". The surprise ending undermines the previously implicit premise of the story. Up to this point the reader has been able to interpret Mathilde's ten years of poverty as a penance for the night of pleasure stolen from the party and for having carelessly lost the necklace taken.