Racism in "The Flowers" by Alice Walker: Analysis

Topics:	The Flowers
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Updated:	15.10.2024

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There are major events or experiences that you can go through that will play an important part in adulthood. In the story “The Flowers” the author Alice Walker showed this by using the time period of which there was racial discrimination towards the African Americans. A moment in this story that changed the main character Myop is when she discovered a dead man in the woods. It wasn’t just any man it was one of her own kind, a black man. This discovery caused Myop to lose her innocence and childhood. Also, it caused Myop to realize that there is much darker and racist stuff in the world.

At the beginning of the story, Myop is characterized as joyful and excited to adventure the new world. In the story, while myop is just adventuring the outside world it says “it seemed To Myop as she skipped lightly from hen house to pig pen, to smokehouse that the days had never been as beautiful as these.” (Walker). The phrase skipped lightly in this quote shows the excitement in Myop as she was just walking around and admiring the day. Also, Myop was characterized as a very adventures child and loved to explore new things in the outside world. In the story it says “ today she made her own path, bouncing this way and that way, vaguely keeping an eye out for snakes.” (Walker). The phrase ”bouncing this way and that way” in this quote introduces how not only is myop an animated child, she is also exploring the outside world and discovering new surroundings.

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Towards the middle of the story, a huge event causes Myop not only to scare her for life but causes her to lose her innocence and childhood. While Myop was adventuring the outside world she ran into something very disturbing for a child her age and race. She discovered a black man that had been murdered and hung by most likely a group of white men. In the story, it says ” it was only when she saw his naked grin that she gave a little yelp of surprise.” (Walker). This quote not only shows the disturbing image that Myop had just seen. But also introduces the point in the story when Myop’s joy had turned into fear. This story was also told in the time period of the 1800s which had been when discrimination was most likely a big deal to a lot of people. Not only was the man that had just been murdered black Myop herself was a young black girl. After Myop had seen this man, it says ”Myop laid her flowers down.” this quote is a huge symbol to this story. It introduces the fact that Myop had just lost her innocence and childhood.

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Racism in “The Flowers” by Alice Walker: Analysis. (2022, September 27). Edubirdie. Retrieved October 20, 2025, from https://hub.edubirdie.com/examples/representation-of-racism-in-the-story-the-flowers-by-alice-walker-analytical-essay/

“Racism in “The Flowers” by Alice Walker: Analysis.” Edubirdie, 27 Sept. 2022, hub.edubirdie.com/examples/representation-of-racism-in-the-story-the-flowers-by-alice-walker-analytical-essay/

Racism in “The Flowers” by Alice Walker: Analysis. [online]. Available at: <https://hub.edubirdie.com/examples/representation-of-racism-in-the-story-the-flowers-by-alice-walker-analytical-essay/> [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].

Racism in “The Flowers” by Alice Walker: Analysis [Internet]. Edubirdie. 2022 Sept 27 [cited 2025 Oct 20]. Available from: https://hub.edubirdie.com/examples/representation-of-racism-in-the-story-the-flowers-by-alice-walker-analytical-essay/

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