Book Reveiw

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
The Street (Ann Petry
A Theme of Personal Alienation
The impression of a keen investigative mind trying to explore and communicate
A revelation of personal level feelings of loss and deprivation
The society is unpromising with no friend to turn to
Time has come, to escape the ravage of an ill society
I do not want the perfect society
I want a human balance, humanly
To seek release and soul healing
I’m No longer the young, foolish black American woman
It’s time for a new revelation
The theme of personal alienation revolves around the entire novel; The Street by Ann Petry featuring the life of character Lutie. Lutie refuses to accept her place in the society filled with male chauvinists where women are violated and humiliated. She believes she does not fit in such a hostile environment (Petry 97). It is through inner personal struggle that one eventually gets freedom and alienates from the hostile society. Theme of Love
Embrace me in your open arms
Help me heal my bleeding soul
Help me find a healing place
And forget the misery of my wasted half life
My heart moves from cold to fire
You are my comfort when I am lonely
You’re my peace to swipe away the bitter moments
A vicious circle of love revolves around the novel as different characters get caught in love triangles. Lutie and Jones reveal the theme of love which began on the first day they met. Jones has a strong desire for Lutie, but he cannot approach her instead he keeps watching her with desiring eyes.

Jones failed to control his desire, “worse than he had ever wanted anything in his life” (Petry 87). According to Jone, Lutie is the only person to end the loneliness in his life. Similarly, Lutie wants to be loved by a man and forget all the miseries of her life.
The theme of Black masculinity
Walking along the city streets
A figure of black mother ringers in my mind
Strength and effort of a worn-out soul
Struggling to be a role model in a hostile marriage
The face of a lonely and stressed soul
Substantial family responsibilities with no man to offer relief
Inferiority and desperation run through the black mother’s lives
With no opportunity to escape the daily misery
The strength of a woman shines in her weak body and soul
Black masculinity is a common theme across the novel The Street. It is revealed through character Jones and the general society. The problems faced by women in a male chauvinist society are disclosed through Lutie. The theme displays the struggle of women to exist in such a society and families for the safety of their marriage. Women are violated and abused while the community; friends and neighbors watch without uttering a word (Petry 84). It is the norm of the society, and everyone has to conform and adapt.

Work Cited
Petry, Ann. “The Street. 1946.” Boston: Houghton Mifflin 1 (1991): 974.