Implications of Naturalism in "Down by the Riverside"
Today, I am going to be talking about "Down by the Riverside," and the way that it relates to the movement for equal rights for black people during the the mid-1950s. "Down by the Riverside" is a very interesting text because of its naturalist tone. You might expect to have super hopeful and optimistic stories about black people finally being seen by their white peers as equal and not being looked down upon. However, what we see in this story is basically the opposite. Through every moment of the story, there is a feeling of hopelessness and inevitability that feels quite pessimistic. Reading this text makes you feel that this horrible situation that exists in the United States will not be changed by any effort that is made. I was surprised while reading how negative of a message this text seems to send when this feels like the time to be pushing back and hopeful for the future. Throughout the story, we see very strong themes o...