The Poem “ Choices” explicates how Giovanni feels being an oppressed, black woman in a white man’s world. Clearly, this is one of her works written during the Civil Rights Era. The piece is trying to convey that everyone within a society doesn’t have equal opportunity and choices because of certain factors( in this case, race and gender). Because of this, citizens learn to develop frustration and bitterness towards their own society. " If I can't do what I want to do, then job to not want what I don't want to do... and none of it is equal." Here, she is trying to say that if she cannot do what she wants because of her limits as black and female American, then she is not obligated to do anything that she doesn't want to do. She uses some imagery in her writing as well," Mankind amongst the animals learns to cry." This phrase is perhaps the most important part of the poem due to the fact that the phrase is a symbol for how frustrated and neglected people feel by the people that make up their own environment. These people of this time period were racist, cruel, and unjust. The poem is very powerful, yet subtle at the same time. Reading this, most people wouldn't have just picked up the true message if they didn't know the historical context behind it. It's very interesting to me.




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