Essay # 3

I find "Becky" to be a story filled with cultural and historical allusions. The time in history in which this story takes place, as well as the cultural beliefs and norms of the time play a major role in the way the society accepts (or in this case, does not accept) Becky and her behavior/morals. The story was written in the 1920s. At this time interracial relationships were unaccepted and denounced within the community, mainly because they were not very common in those years.
The cultural/historical clues are presented in the way the public shuns and isolates Becky and her family. Clearly they disassociate themselves out of fear of what is different. These clues prove to be significant in that the culture's acceptance greatly influences the acceptance within a society. I am aware of the past racial issues. I know interracial relationships and marriages were accepted [by some] much later than integration, and that they are still unaccepted by many people today.