The Fourth of July
Introduction
Using irony depends on the so-called share understanding between the reader and the writer, if there were no common understanding established at the beginning of the text it is possible that the readers would be left clueless of what has been red and meaning does it want to convey. In Lorde’s writing, she presented her views about the American history in a different manner. For instance, she mentioned about being disappointed about not passing by the Liberty Bell, which constitutes a contradicting meaning. First, the author could mean being disappointed because she anticipated seeing the Liberty Bell while aboard the bell. On the other hand the reader could also engage himself into a deeper understanding of the passage by concluding that the author could mean that the social behavior she observed from the people have dramatically changed. Another possibility also points to the difference on how Americans treat non-white citizens in New York as compared to the other places in America. That racial discrimination is more eminent in other places than in New York that is why she no longer sees the Liberty Bell.
The second example is on how her father compares their brown color as similar to the blacks. Although they are from the Caribbean, their much lighter skin color does not exempt them from the harsh realities of discrimination. When she mentioned about her father’s description of the hotel being a measly fleabag, it also constitutes several meaning depending on how the readers would want to interpret them. The author could mean a lousy hotel or something deeper than a mere description of the place. The passage might constitute another meaning that points directly to the people that did not allow them to come along with the rest of the students for the graduation trip because they are not white and that the hotel does not rent a room for non-whites. It is apparent that the statement of the Lorde’s father could mean that the description of the place actually points to the people that denied her privileges as an American and as a student because of the color of her skin.
