Old Folks At Home Meaning

Words: 748
Pages: 3
Open Document
“Old Folks at Home,” by Stephen Foster is a happy tune sung by a sad slave. He is singing about his good old days back when he was a child on a slave plantation in the south. During the mid nineteenth-century this song was sung by a white man wearing black makeup in a show that was known to mock black people. This dense mix of contradictory sounds, music, language and messages and also its assault on social norms illicited a plethora of reactions. This reaction is amplified once the listener knows what the meaning of the song really is and what the author’s intentions really were. “Old Folks at Home’s” joyful tones and ironic lyrics are alluring and offensive at the same time. Seemingly happy but, also deeply haunting, “Old Folks at Home,” …show more content…
It is accompanied by a joyful melody and an upbeat tone. It sounds like a song about the happy sentiments of a man missing his childhood home. It is actually a song about a slave missing childhood life which he remembers fondly. It is written in the dialect of a mid-nineteenth century Southern United State’s slave. The song elicited a variety of responses. Some of them where not very positive. Many believed it was inappropriate and made a mockery of black people. It was uncomfortable to think that a slave could possibly enjoy his life being a slave. A slave’s life could not possibly be happy. Generally accepted, the slave’s life was full of sadness, toil and hardship. Yet, the song does not describe it this way.The song was written in 1851 prior to the beginning of the Civil War while the filth of slavery was about to start a war among ideals. This song stirred many feelings and made many people feel uneasy. Slavery was a very controversial subject at that time. The air of irony expands once you realize the song was “performed in minstrel shows by white performers in blackface and sung in Foster’s approximation of southern slave dialect, and seeming to justify all the “happy days” the singer has spent on “de old plantation.” (Civilwarfolkmusic.com) By knowing the song was written by an abolishilist and slave sympathizer the listener realizes it actually is a very sad song expressing joylessness and fear. Foster in no way is justifying nor promoting slavery. In contrast, he is throwing a swift blow at it’s morality right where it hurts, in the head. It’s ironically cheery feel and with it’s dreary sentiments of a tired soul moving from one joyous hell to a new one is filled with an dread and hopelessness. He sings, “All de world am sad and dreary,” (Foster) as he sadly moves forward into the unknown bleakness of new unknown hardships. Yet, the music is
Show More

Related Documents: Old Folks At Home Meaning

Essay about to kill a mockingbird 3 min speech

issues of racism, inequality, class and prejudice are explored throughout the novel. Through going on a journey with Jem and Scout we become more aware than ever of the sufferings people endured during those times. Lee uses the innocent eyes of 9 year old Scout, to discuss the controversial topics discussed throughout the novel, making it more acceptable. These are Scouts first times experiencing immorality and even though she doesn’t quite understand the full significance of her experiences, the reader…

Words 854 - Pages 4

Belonging essay

fuelled by the need to search for meaning in our lives and ultimately find where we belong. The texts that will be discussed in this essay are 3 prescribed peter Skrzynecki poems; Postcard, In the Folk museum and the migrant hostel and one related text film; The Island Man Connections to our surrounding environment deeply shape the person we are and who we will grow up to be. Postcard describes the poet personas lack of connection to the places his parents call "home". When he receives a postcard of…

Words 1331 - Pages 6

A Cleaned Well-Lighted Place Literary Analysis

Place,” Hemingway proposes that life has no meaning. When reading this short story, we can see inside the mind of the old waiter, and we get to know his thoughts from his point of view. The most ironic situation in the story, that enhances the readers experience, is that only the reader and the old waiter know what is really going on in the mind of the old waiter since he is the narrator of the story. The old waiter makes it clear that his life has no meaning when he says, “It was all a nothing and a…

Words 895 - Pages 4

Fishhawk Poetry Analysis

Poetry is the earliest anthology of poems in the history of Chinese literature. Fishhawk also belongs to the selection of Airs, which is a genre of the Classic of Poetry assembling the folk songs collected from residents. Furthermore, Fishhawk is the first piece of poem in the collection, which has significant meanings. For the ancients, the relation of husband and wife is the foundation of human beings. The perfection of morality, therefore, is intimately associated with the establishment of marriage…

Words 1367 - Pages 6

Growing Up In Lois Lowry's The Giver

something about becoming more mature. For example, at every age a child gets a new item to show them how to become more independent. Then when they are twelve, they learn how to make new friends and become more social. Lastly, when they have grown old they have a very well cared for life and ‘release’ where they don’t have to worry about anything. Comparable to real life, these characters have many milestones they meet the older they get. The Giver there is one ceremony every year for all the children…

Words 666 - Pages 3

Essay about Understanding The Differences Of Dee And Maggie In Alice Walkers

Another huge difference between Dee and Maggie would be their educations. Dee whom was sent to college thanks to Mrs. Johnson and the church that raised the funds for her to attend school, “She used to read to us without pity; forcing words, lies, other folks’ habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice.” (Walker 492) but for Maggie things were very different, she stayed with her mother throughout this time learning the ways of how to take care of the house and such…

Words 955 - Pages 4

Soggy Bottom Boys Essay

communication at that time; radio. He used “You Are My Sunshine” song as his trademark song to promote himself and his flour’s company. Pappy likes the old-timey material which indicates his optimism to keep the old, in other words, to maintain his position as an incumbent candidate for another four years. He took advantage of Soggy Bottom Boys’ performance who sings old-timey material which apparently becomes famous and used his power to pardon them. Similarly, Homer Stokes also used popular music for his political…

Words 2433 - Pages 10

Semicolon: Grammatical Number and Plural Verb Essay

heavily during the night; some of the local streets were flooded during rush hour. I am going home; I am not attending the concert. They couldn’t make it to the meeting; they are detained on a project. 2. Use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb: however, moreover, therefore, consequently, otherwise, nevertheless, thus. Examples: I am going home; therefore, I am not attending the concert. It rained heavily during the night; however, the…

Words 1327 - Pages 6

Perception Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee utilizes various adolescent illusions to advise Scout the reality of adulthood. First and foremost, Scout’s perception of courage had been altered tremendously when she finally registered the accurate meaning of courage.…

Words 1293 - Pages 6

All Quiet On The Western Front Theme Essay

because the soldiers share a similar connection to Jake. Both Jake and the soldiers have the inability to form emotions and connections. This then leaves them lost and unsure of what to feel and how to go further in life if they cannot grasp the meaning of comradeship with who they are friends with. The strong bonds that are formed through friends is something that should not be forgotten, yet it is one of the primary issue that was assessed in both…

Words 1323 - Pages 6