Question

Reread the following section.

I am colored but I offer nothing in the way of extenuating circumstances except the fact that I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mother's side was not an Indian chief.
I remember the very day that I became colored. Up to my thirteenth year I lived in the little Negro town of Eatonville, Florida. It is exclusively a colored town. The only white people I knew passed through the town going to or coming from Orlando. The native whites rode dusty horses, the Northern tourists chugged down the sandy village road in automobiles. The town knew the Southerners and never stopped cane chewing when they passed. But the Northerners were something else again. They were peered at cautiously from behind curtains by the timid. The more venturesome would come out on the porch to watch them go past and got just as much pleasure out of the tourists as the tourists got out of the village.

Question
What central idea does Hurston emphasize with the phase "became colored" in paragraph 2?
Select one:
a. She has no race.
b. Her skin color changed when she turned thirteen.
c. Her interactions with society determine how she feels about her racial identity.

Answer 1

Zora Neale Hurston's phrase "became colored" emphasizes the social construction of racial identity, impacted by societal interactions and perceptions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The central idea that Hurston emphasizes with the phrase "became colored" is that her racial identity was largely determined by her social interactions and how society perceived her race.

This transformation is not a physical change but a social one, where she becomes aware of her racial identity due to the perspectives and attitudes of others when she left her all-Black town of Eatonville. Hurston's use of the phrase signifies a critical moment in personal identity development, shaped by the social context and external views on race.

In paragraph 2, Hurston's use of "became colored" conveys the idea that her racial identity is socially constructed. It suggests that the perception of her race is not an inherent trait but is shaped by external factors and societal interactions.

This choice of expression implies a dynamic understanding of identity, highlighting how societal influences can impact one's self-perception and the way others categorize individuals based on race. Hurston's narrative suggests a nuanced exploration of identity formation, emphasizing the role of external perceptions and societal expectations in shaping her experience of being "colored."

Therefore answer is c. Her interactions with society determine how she feels about her racial identity.