Ernestine

Question 1

Escapism

Answer 1

• describes new home in Brooklyn as ‘like a Parisian artists’ flat’ - optimism, romanticising the flat
  Cinema
• Sat between ‘two White gals’ and ‘we all wept’ - releasing emotion, comfort, unity between races, escape
• encourages her to believe ‘we could be tragic in Brooklyn’ - allowing her to romanticise life, hope they can get through struggles like Joan Crawford on the screen’
  Graduation dress - dreams of future

Question 2

Isolated, lonenly

Answer 2

• Godfrey won’t let them listen to the radio - ‘tomorrow we’ll have nothing to talk about in school’ - doesn’t want to feel isolated
• Ermina grows more popular - ‘ why don’t you run off to the pictures, you’re cramping my space’

Question 3

Timid/introverted - change, finds voice?

Answer 3

• girls bully Ermina + Ernestine at school - Ermina fights like a ‘wild animal’, but Ernestine doesn’t talk to the girls, voices her opinions (to audience)
• Ermina undercuts Ernestine’s actress fantasy by saying she isn’t going to be in a romance ‘until she get rid of some of the butt’ - Ernestine ‘sucks her teeth’ in response, doesn’t retaliate
  Finding voice
• fights back when Lily criticises her love for cinema, calling them ‘stupid picture shows’ + Ernestine retaliates with ‘they ain’t stupid’ —> gaining voice, influence of Lily?

Question 4

r/ship with Lily/ influence

Answer 4

• Ernestine in awe of Lily’s appearance/glamour —> stage directions tell us ‘Ernestine studies her aunt’ - fixated, aspirational figure to Ernestine
• tries to win Lily’s approval —> Lily says Ermina looks like Sandra (their mother) and Ernestine responds ‘Back home everyone says I look like my mother also’ —> desperately tries to get admiration, Lily abruptly changes subject ‘ Are my bags okay in the hall?’ - cruel
• Lily defends Ernestine after Ermina makes a cruel comment about her body - ‘Hush! Romance is overrated’ - distracting her, showing care
• Lily metaphorically talks about a war, ‘we’re at war, babies’ but Ernestine takes it literally as she wants to ‘fight alongside her’ —> undercuts Lily’s metaphor, show Ernestine’s admiration
• ESSAY - inspired by Lily to write an essay on black rights —> shows Lily’s impact on Ernestine, Ernestine starting to gain a voice

Question 5

Graduation

Answer 5

• Ernestine ‘stands in spotlight’ holding her diploma —> centre of attention, emphasises triumph
• Godfrey wants to ‘take the diploma down to the job’ with him to show the boys —> diploma = symbol of achievement, G wants to show it off
• Godfrey says he’s got her a job at the bakery + Ernestine responds ‘I don’t know that that’s what I want to do’, with the stage directions being towards Godfrey —> E only uses voices opinions to audience, shows growth
• tells Godfrey she is ‘going to Harlem’ —> still influenced by Lily, following her own path
• ‘Im not Darling Angel, I’m Ernestine Crump’ —> embracing identity, growing up