Analysing a Passage

"You know, honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways. You in particular. Ah was born back due in slavery so it wasn't for me to fulfill my dreams of whut a woman oughta be and to do. Dat's one of de hold-backs of slavery. But nothing can't stop you from wishin'. You can't beat nobody down so low till can rob 'em of they will. Ah didn't want to be used for a work-ox and brood -sow and Ah didn't want mah daughter used dat way neither. It sho wasn't mah will for things to happen lak they did. Ah even hated de way you was born. But, all de same Ah said thank God, Ah got another chance. Ah wanted to preach a great sermon about colored women sittin' on high, but they wan't no pulpit for me. Freedom found me wid a baby daughter in mah arms, so Ah said Ah'd take a broom and a cook-pot and throw up a highway through de wilderness for her. She would expound what Ah felt. But somehow she got lost offa de highway and next thing Ah knowed here you was in de world. So whilst Ah was tendin' you of nights Ah said Ah'd save de text for you. Ah been waitin' a long time, Janie, but nothin' Ah been through ain't too much if you just take a stand on high ground lak Ah dreamed."

1. Instead of narrative, Hurston uses dialogue to express Nanny's thoughts and wishes.
2. Also in the dialouge, the word "Ah" is used often. Most of the thoughts expresses in this passage is how Nanny's feelings.
3. The passage reminds me of a Shakespeare style soliloquy. Nanny is the only one talking and is revealing her innermost thoughts.
   
4. The idea of oppression is brought up again in "be used for a work-ox and brood-sow."
5. In the previous quote, Hurston uses imagery to emphasize the exploitation of people, in this case women.
6. "But nothing can't stop you from wishin'." In a way repeating the point that women hope and that they "remember the things they want to remember."
7. "Freedom found me wid a baby daughter in mah arms, so Ah said Ah'd take a broom and a cook-pot and throw up a highway through de wilderness for her." Nanny was willing to do extraordinary things for her daughter to have the life Nanny never had. She is reacting to changing circumstances.
8. "Ah got another chance" Nanny realizes that her hopes for her daughter can never be realized and that see must "act and do things accordingly."
9. Hurston has Nanny talk in a flashback fashion to explain the reason of her hopes from Janie.
10. "Ah wanted to preach a great sermon about colored women sittin' on high, but they wasn't no pulpit for me." In this quote, the author uses a metaphor referring to religion. It brings the idea of God and religion up again.
11. The previous quote could also be a metaphor for how colored women are not listened to because of their race and gender. Race and gender also play a role is defining who Nanny is.
12. "You know, honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways." This metaphor uses trees as its imagery. In the previous pages, the image of trees is used very often.
13. "Freedom found me" the author in a way personifies Freedom. Freedom "finds" Nanny.
    
14. Before this passage, Janie imagined herself as a pear tree. Nanny's view of people is radically different from Janie's. Whereas Nanny sees colored people as broken, Janie views herself as a great tree looking for love. In a way it is a metaphor for themselves. Nanny sees herself as broken and old, while Janie is looking for love.
15. Nanny seems to be a very static and flat character. Her purpose in the story and for herself is to try to give Janie the best life see could have.
16. Nanny talks about "colored women sittin' on high" and again "if you just take a stand on high ground lak Ah dreamed."