Ethnicity and Individualism- Brown Girl, Brownstones
“Native always means people who belong somewhere else, because they had wants to belong somewhere else.” Gertrude Stein said these powerful words to depict the need to belong. Everyone feels as if they must find themselves and along that journey, many obstacles could be in the way. Brown Girl, Brownstones, written by Paule Marshall, is a novel about a young girl named Selina who struggles in this exact way to find herself through the experiences she faces and people she encounters. This novel investigates three major forces in Selina’s life: her parents, surroundings, and her maturity. Growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn during the Depression and World War II, Selina is surrounded by her community’s strong influence. Though she wasn’t from the country of her parent’s origin, Barbados, Selina’s parents instilled in her loyalty for the country. Many people in the community were similarly from Barbados and she was constantly reminded of her heritage.