Betsey Brown (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Paulette Williams
- First Published: 1985
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Bildungsroman
- Time of Work: 1959
- Setting: St. Louis, Missouri
- Principal Characters: Betsey Brown, Jane Brown, Greer Brown, Vida Murray
- Genres: Long fiction, Bildungsroman, Domestic realism, Family literature
- Subjects: 1950’s, African Americans, Civil rights, Girls, Maturation or coming of age, Family or family life, Self-discovery, Racism, Adolescence, Race, Self, Midwest, Class consciousness, Doctors, Schools or school life, Social work
- Locales: St. Louis, MO
The Novel
Betsey Brown explores the interior workings of an upper-middle-class black family in 1959 St. Louis. The family’s dynamic structure is juxtaposed against a changing social climate, particularly desegregation of the schools, and the changing and growth of Betsey. Betsey and her siblings are reared in a household of privilege. Shange pays especial attention to the rendering of upper-middle-class black family life as she presents the unfolding of the title character.
The novel, as a Bildungsroman, traces Betsey’s progressive awareness of herself...
[The entire page is 3271 words long]
Navigate
- Betsey Brown (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
- Betsey Brown (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
- Betsey Brown (Magill’s Choice: American Ethnic Writers)
- Betsey Brown (Magill Book Reviews)
- Betsey Brown (Masterplots II: Women’s Literature Series)
- Betsey Brown (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
See Also:
Ntozake Shange (Cyclopedia of World Authors)Ntozake Shange (Identities and Issues)Ntozake Shange (Drama)
See Also:
- - Betsey Brown summary and study guide in the eNotes.
- Add Betsey Brown to your favorites