daughters of the dust
In the article, The Black South in Contemporary Film, I read about the usage of religion in Julie Dash's movie, Daughters of the Dust. The way religion is used in this article is not the standard way we think of it, for an example going to church or celebrating Sabbath, but religion as a cultural system. I would like to begin my paper by just explaining what I mean by a cultural system and how it's used in the movie, then go on to talk about what the article had to say about religion in African American culture. When I say religion as a cultural system I'm talking about religion as a set of beliefs, and traditions then anything. A cultural system is based on things that have been passed up and practiced over many years. These beliefs and traditions don't have to be found in a bible or torah, but are held within the society and family. They are things that are revered in the population that make up their own religion. We see this cultural system flourish greatly in Daughter's of The Dust. The sea islands of the Gullah, which are located off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, are worlds of their own. They have their own set of laws, responsibilities and a different way of living. On the
It then went on to talk about Viola Peazant how her feeling towards their cultural system. Just a few aspects of this cultural system can be seen through the bottle tree and charms. I believe that Julie Dash showed religion as a cultural system very well in her movie Daughters of the Dust. I do believe that keeping tradition and memories of the past is very important, because it identifies you and where your family has come from. Essentially this article was a perfect persuasive essay. Another thing we saw was the use of charms. The article then talks about how Dash mediates the old and the new by introducing the character of the Unborn Child. The bottle tree was just one of the many things that have been passed down from generation to generation that the Gullah believe in. It's a gathering to say goodbye before they head off to their new worlds. In one of the concluding scenes of the movie, Nana attaches an ancestral charm to the bible and makes each member kiss it. In general terms the article talked about how Dash authenticates the memories and traditions essential to African American cultures, but at the same time incorporates and legitimizes the future and technology. It began by introducing Nana Peazant and how she really cares about her roots and wants to maintain them in the future. At the same time I believe that everyone should move to the future and take advantage of new technology and development of the world. What I got out of it was something in between keeping the past with you and letting it all go.
Common topics in this essay:
African American,
Gullahs It's,
Daughters Dust,
Nana Peazant,
Yellow Mary,
South Carolina,
cultural system,
Unborn Child,
Viola Peazant,
African Americans,
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african american,
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beliefs traditions,
yellow mary,
bottle tree,
african american cultures,
american cultures,
nana peazant,
memories traditions,
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movie daughters dust,
african american culture,
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Acceptance Essays
