Answers to "The Middle Class Black Burden"

The following are sample answers. You may have a similar answer that is also correct. Remember the context of the article: American in the 1980's. Post a comment if you have a question.

Meaning
1. Incongruities (n)= inconsistencies. In this context, her life has incongruities because, even though she is middle class and educated, she is still discriminated against because of the color of her skin.
2. The "middle class black's burden" is the challenge of living more richly than the majority of your family or race in America. Whites look down upon her because she is blacks; blacks treat her differently because she's rich.
3. This quote means that she's "caught" between two time periods and two worlds. In other words, she cannot fully participate in the past/lower class or present/middle class.
4. proverbial (adj)= commonly mentioned
antiquated (adj)= obsolete, old-fashioned (old in a bad way)
ideology (n) = a group of beliefs
berate (v) = to scold, punish with words
reproach (v) = to berate, but less harshly
nemesis (n)= an enemy (person or thing) that cannot be beat
vernacular (n) = ordinary, every-day language
to run the gauntlet= to suffer severe criticism
assuage (v) = to calm
tenuous (adj) = weak, uncertain
amenities (n) = objects that provide comfort
oblivious (adj) = unaware
denigrated (adj) = to be criticized or treated as if you have no value

Method and Structure
1. The main comparison is between the author's childhood in an impoverished black community and the author's current state as a successful middle class woman.
2. The text before paragraph 6 describes the transition of blacks into the middle class. The text after paragraph six describes how "uncomfortable" the author's middle class life is.

Language
1. bitter, ironic
2. Some examples (there are more not written here):
"I am cursed and I am blessed" (13)
"whites won't believe..." (17)
"uncomfortable middle class" (8)
"patted on the head by white hands. and slapped in the face by black hands" (1)
"I have overcome the problems of food, clothing and shelter, but I have not overcome my old nemesis, prejudice." (11)