“How It Feels to Be Colored Me” ~ Zora Neale Hurston (Quote Analysis)
Directions: Following the example below, select and analyze three quotes from the essay that support the above claim. Copy the quote down,
summarize the main idea of the selected text in your own words, and explain how your selection helps to prove the claim.
Quote (Document Evidence)
(copy the quote from the essay)
Summary of the Main Idea
(in your own words, what does the author
mean)
Explanation of Significance
(in your words, why and how does this quote
support the claim)
“…I am not tragically colored. There is no
great sorrow damned up in my soul, nor
lurking behind my eyes.”
Hurston is not ashamed of her race nor does
her being an African American cause her pain,
difficulty, or pressure.
While others might be harmed by racism,
Hurston refuses to be held back which
demonstrates her sense of self-worth and
confidence.
Quote #1
CLAIM: In her 1928 essay “How It Feels To Be Colored Me” Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston reflects on her identity as an
African America. While Hurston recognizes the power of racism and its impact on the nation both past and present, she
demonstrates a strong sense of pride, hope and connection to the United States.
