Sunday 12 February 2012

"Blackout" by Roger Mais

 'Blackout' is a short story by Roger Mais. It is set in Jamaica and is about racism and the contrast of two different races, sexes and cultures! 


The story starts off explaining the blackout in the city and the general atmosphere of uncomfortable and tense over the city. At this point the story builds an expectation of some sort of conflict. An American women was waiting at a bus stop. Suprisingly she was not bothered by the darkness, and she was not nervous. 


A black man slowly approaches her and asks for a light for his cigarette. As she does not have matches she offers her cigarette and as he thanks her she flicks the cigarette away. She does that because she is disgusted that a Black man touched her cigarette and therefore she doesn't want to smoke it anymore. After the flicking, there's a moment of discomfort and she asks him why he was still there. He replies with an apology as a comment on her action. He stays and keeps talking about her apparent wealth and as he talks she becomes more uncomfortable. The conversation between the two then focuses on gender and race. At that moment the reader can sense that actually the woman is interested in the current situation and she might actually be looking for an adventure, but he tells her that she is not his type of women which undermines her. During the conversation the reader can also see that the woman has some very racist thoughts. 


After a while he sees the bus coming and points at it. She gets on the bus and as it starts moving, she urges herself to look back at him and challenge her prejudices, but thinking of the society and worrying about how unacceptable it would seem she can't succeed and doesn't look back while the man picks up the cigarette from the gutter. 


During this short story there is always this feeling of menace and some kind of threat which is created by the blackout and the odd conversation between the two. This feeling is created especially at the beggining, introduction of the story when the blackout and the loneliness were being described by Mais. He used words and phrases such as; wave of panic, bands of hooligans roaming the streets after dark and assaulting unprotected women, slinking black shadow, to reinforce his point.





72 comments:

  1. This was a fantasic essay.

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  2. excellent I now understand the story thanks alot

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    Replies
    1. yes it is indeed an excellent site

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    2. Marvelous, this revolutionary site does posses rather intriguing information

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    3. This is so nice I love this short story blackout its real good we should introduce it to ohters

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    4. follow me on insta xxchelsy_.bz._xx

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    5. What would suggest the woman is free from her racist attitudes

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    6. Thanks very much for this review of this short story

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  3. Excellent. What a fantastic essay. It made me understand the story in a musch more simplier way...
    Thanks alot

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  4. thanks alot .i now have a better understanding on the story

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  5. As i set out for my exams in 2015 i have started using this site an it has been helping alot.. Thank you very much, i can now have a better understanding of short stories an also poems :)

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    Replies
    1. yep its always helping

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    2. idk why but i wanted to reply to this comment from 2014 which feels ancient ,,btw how did you do on your exams? really intrigued to know

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  6. This helped a lot! Thanks! :)

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  7. Awesome Essay keep it up

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  8. thank you a lot. Now i can understand the essay.

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  9. Wasnt helpful at all!

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    1. Dude that is disrespectful someone worked hard to get such an essay and u just say not helpful

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    2. It his/her opinion if it did not help them and they leave their thoughts like what everyone else is doing then how is that disrespectful? I don't think the person who wrote this would want someone to be telling her it was of help if it really wasn't. Honesty. Helps her to improve if she has to and at least she's getting the truthful opinion. I won't even remember my comment or see if someone replies but I am posting it for whoever happens to see your comment and have a biased judgement.

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    3. Just saying take it into consideration before accusing someone

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  10. Was really helpful tnks

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  11. very help full thanks for the help

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  12. At the story looked so boring but later on you will find out that it is interesting

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  13. At the story looked so boring but later on you will find out that it is interesting

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  14. All these comments saying that this is a good essay? Not trying to be a party pooper but this is not an essay but pretty much just a plot summary? A good plot summary, but not an essay. An essay should include the writers thoughts on the

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  15. What are the consequences of the story

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  16. I have 10 questions to ask about the story may I ask my questions

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  17. you copied this summary from another site i just read it

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  18. Replies
    1. Yes you may have...the info is from a variety of sources 2hich was stated on this blog

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  19. Great help for my assignment

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  20. how was the black man treated in the short story?
    p.s. good essay

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  21. what are the themes

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  22. Why was the city in oarticular blackout

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  23. can some one please tell me the form of the poem? and its tone,,needed for an assignment

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  24. This site is fantastic....thanks alot...this helped me passed my English b exam...😘

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  25. This site is the best helped me pass my English b assignment , thank you

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  26. Thanks alot i have a test tomorrow on literarure and this help me alot. God bless you.

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  27. what are the literary devices in this story?

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    Replies
    1. it must be nice im trynna get like you my boi

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  28. This site is the best it helped me alot but what were some of the conflicts in the story and how did the setting of the story affected it ??

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    1. How does seeing in the woman's mind help with the readers understanding of the story?

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  29. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  30. What is the cause of racism the main character experienced

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  31. what is the cultural setting

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  32. what is the POV? and if third person which one limited or omniscient?

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  33. What are the narrative techniques used??

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  34. Thank you this was so helpful amazing site πŸ’―keep it upπŸ’ͺ

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  35. This was super helpful thanks to whoever did thisπŸ˜˜πŸ’―❤️πŸ’™

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  36. Significance of the settings on the development of the story

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  37. how is contrast use to develop the story?

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  38. What’s and alternative ending for this story ??

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  39. What’s and alternative ending for this story ??

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    1. the poet wakes up and initialized that it all was a dream. In the year 1937, Mr. Mais conveys his dream to the world yet seen ridiculed as a psychopath to have dreams of war. His determination to discover if WWII was gonna occur sent him mad, walking on the streets with papers in his left hand and a whisky bottle in the right. The people had enough of his friskiness until was taken to an asylum for assistance.2 years passed, its the year 1939, in Arkham Asylum he was. Mr. Mais awoken by gunshots, missiles, tankers , planes , little did he know WWII was at the other side of the wall. Realizing he wasn't mad gave him so much joy he jumped and sang, his realization becoming more focal than WWII. The war lasted 6 years, its the year 1945, buildings chopped, roads sunk, air acidic, lands morphed , Mr. Mais died during the war, but with no regrets. ----> PLEASE note this is not serious, i have all respect to Mr. Mais and his amazing work. Thank you for understanding <3

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  40. What effects does mais achieve by giving us access to the womens consciousness but not the man's?

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  41. What are the literary devices in this story?

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  42. describing the general atmosphere over the city, the racial tension between the two characters and how irony is used in the story?

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  43. what effect does mais achieve by giving us access to the woman's consciousness but not the man?

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  44. THE STORY WAS NICE A LIT BIT

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