Zora Neale Hurston - Sense of Self

In the essay "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" Zora Neale Hurston recalls her upbringing in an all black town, and her move to a mostly white town in the heart of racist Alabama. The author is exposed to racism and through the interaction school of symbolic interaction; she feels above the ignorance of society and negotiates her sense of self as a woman rather than as a colored person. The interaction school describes …

…all the same. She states that, "Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company! It's beyond me" (38). This quote shows that Hurston is above racism. She realizes that it is there and chooses not to let it influence her sense of self. She decides who she ultimately is and chooses not to let race influence her decision.