Hurston explains how she was not born colored, but she became colored. "I remember the very day that I became colored" (114) explains how one is not born colored. Being colored is simply an emotion one feels. This is seen when Hurston explains how she "was not Zora of Orange County any more" but "a little colored girl" (115). By focusing on verbs, Hurston emphasizes that she is colored at times and simply Zora in others. This contrast between the two Zora's exemplifies how being colored is not something one is born into, but an emotion that people when they feel out of place like when she was "thrown against a sharp white background"(115). Diction is a strong weapon that Hurston uses to emphasize that no one is born colored. Even in her title, she says "How it Feels to Be Colored Me". The key word to the title is “feels”, the verb. Everyone is human, and being colored is an emotion felt when one believes he is out of place.
In Hurston's conclusion, she uses a metaphor. With the Great Stuffer of Bags, she explains that people are like bags. The bags are different colors like red, white, yellow, and brown (which she says she is). When emptying the contents of the bag, the jumble is all the same. This metaphor carries the deeper meaning that people, despite the different color of skin, are all the same. Everyone is human. This supports her argument that being colored is not a physical trait.
Hurston's use of metaphor and diction was an excellent and effective means of creating pathos. I was able to sympathize with Hurston and understand her perspective. Truly, the Great Stuffer of Bags has placed similar contents to those in the bags of my classmates, friends, and peers.
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