Brownies by ZZ Packer

Brownies

by

ZZ Packer

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

ZZ Packer

FREYTAG'S PYRAMID

Brownies Climax

The moment of greatest tension in a story. It is the event that the rising action builds up to and that the falling action follows.

- The Brownie troop confront the girls of Troop 909 in the bathroom and learn that they are mentally challenged

"What I hadn't expected was the voice in which the denial was said. The girl sounded as though her tongue were caught in her mouth. "That's a BAD word!" the girl continued. "We don't say BAD words!"(576)

" " I think," Octavia said, whispering to Elise, "they're retarded."

"We ARE NOT retarded!" the big girl said, though it was obvious that she was. They all were." (576)

CLIMAX

Brownies Rising Action

The rising action is a series of events that create suspense and tensions that lead to the climax of the story.

-The rising action of this story occurs after the Brownies learn that Daphne was slandered, to which Arnetta and Octavia decided to take action.

-They plan with the Brownie girls to go and confront Troop 909 while they were alone during their shower time.

-Their goal was to openly accuse the girls for their misconduct and have Troop 909 apologize.

-The end of the rising action is when Octavia and Arnetta go inside the bathroom and the other Brownie girls are outside waiting for the signal.

FALLING ACTION

RISING ACTION

Brownies Falling Action

The events the directly follow the Climax

- The ruckus causes the 909 troop leader, Mrs. Margolin and the ranger to come to the girls bathroom

- The 909 troop is huddled under their troop leader

"...little hogs would gather around the mother at feeding time, latching on to her teats." (p.577, Packer)

- 909 troop leader concedes some girls are echolalic and may have overheard the word from their non-progressive parents and said it unintentionally.

- Arnetta still claims she heard the girls say the word. however the girl she claims to have said it is mute.

Theme(s)

Racism and Racial Stereotypes

Brownies Resolution

"On the fourth morning, we boarded the bus to go home" (Packer, 579)

"I sat besides Daphne, who gave me her prize journal without a word of explanation" (579)

Arnetta and company make fun of the troop 909 girls

O: "Why did we have to stuck at the camp with retarded girls?"

A: "...this white lady just kept looking at us. I mean, like we were foreign or something. Like we were from China" (580)

"I wanted nothing more than to be through with it all... there was nowhere to go." (580)

"Go on Laurel... What happened?" (589)

Brownies Conclusion

Laurel/ Snot's story about the Mennonites

"My father and I were at the mall, but I was the one doing the staring" (580)

"he said, I began, only then understanding the words as they uncoiled from my mouth, "it was the only time he'd have a white man on his knees doing something for a black man for free"" (581)

I was already trembling before Daphne asked quietly "Did he thank them?" (581)

"...[Laurel] suddenly knew there was something mean in the world that [she] could not stop." (581)

"Maybe they would. Just to be nice"

Brownies Exposition

Basic Info: Provides background information on the characters, settings, and etc. which helps build up the events to take place in the story. The story's introduction essentially.

Begins with a description of the Troop 909's members:

"they were white girls, their complexions like a blend of ice cream; strawberry, vanilla" (Packer 562).

Then it continues with the other Brownie group having a conversation, which invokes much racism against Caucasians:

"Troop 909 were 'wet chihuahuas,'" (Packer 563).

This conversation especially gave much insight on the major/minor characters such that it gave info. on their origin and personalities

For example, Mrs. Margolin "saw the position of troop leader as an evangelical post" (Packer 563)

Brownies Inciting Incident

RESOLUTION

-Jokes about "Caucasians"

-Wanting to beat up Troop 909

The inciting incident is an episode prior to the rising action in a story. It is the event that starts the story's problem and occurrences in the past serve as background information.

-The inciting incident in the story occurs when Troop 909 was accused of calling Daphne the "n word".

-This was the event that gave Octavia and Arnetta incentive and reason to harass the troop 909 girls, which eventually led to the dispute in the bathroom.

CONCLUSION

EXPOSITION

INCITING INCIDENT

Rebellious Behavior in Children

-Defying Ms. Hedy and going to Troop 909's washroom

Setting/ Imagery

Discrimination against People with Mental Illness

Imagery

-Arnetta first describes Troop 909 to smell like "wet Chihuahuas

-The word "Caucasian" has a negative connotation

- “The sun was setting through the trees, and their leafy tops formed a canopy of black lace for the flame of sun to pass through”. This descriptive language creates a serene scene of nature as the sun sets and the tress create a black outline on a flame background.

-The bathroom was reported to be in horrible shape as it says “Inside, the mirrors above the sinks returned only the vaguest of reflections, as though someone had taken a scourging pad to the surface to obscure the shine”.

-While the Brownie girls were strolling through the woods at night to carry on the plan, they were frightened as the scene before them was terrifying; “The tree branches that had shaded us just hours earlier, along the same path, now looked like arms sprouting menacing hands”.

-Arnetta and Octavia mock them by calling them "retarded girls."

-Camp Crescendo: cabins, bathrooms,

-The Brownies come from Woodrow Wilson Elementary school in Atlanta.

-The setting in the woods plays multiple purposes: it tests the courage of the girls and it educates them about nature. When walking to the restroom at night, the Brownies are so scared of the darkness that it leaves them speechless. During this time, Janice learns that the scent of her house is actually pine.

Question 2:

The number 909 symbolizes a message from the guardian angles that we should expect change in our lives.

How does 909 connect to the characters in the story

Narration/ Narrative Point of View

-First person narrator: Laurel/Snot

-Internal narrator--> character in the story

-The story is told retrospectively

-Limited point of view, nothing is told or known except what Laurel knows and experiences

Figurative Language

Similie:

Comparisons made using 5 senses, food.

- Smell like wet Chihuahua

- Straight as spaghetti hair

-Complexions like a blend of ice

cream, strawberry, vanilla

- Michael Jackson as a meal

Question 1:

Question 3:

How do you think Packer's usage of brownie scouts as characters project the themes of racism, power, peer pressure, and hate?

What is the significance of Daphne's poem to Laurel, and why do you think she is so fixated on it?

Allusions and Symbolism-

Greek Mythology: Names

Society: Mrs. Margolin

The Mennonites

Troop 909

Baby pigeon feathers

Irony

What is a Brownie?

Who do we feel sorry for?

Singing songs

Alienation of "equals"

Follow up question: What is the significance of Daphne giving Laurel the Journal?

Characters/ Characterization

Drema

Elise

Janice

Mrs. Margolin

Mrs. Hedy

Arnetta

Octavia

Daphne

Laurel (Snot)

STORY ELEMENTS

Analysis

THE END

THANK YOU