Word Entry #3 "A Good Man Is Hard To Find"

1. "children were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right then. Oh look at that cute little pickaninny!" (301)

2. My guess: I had never seen or heard the word "pickaninny" before so if I were to just look at the original statement made by the grandmother, the word could really mean anything that could be described as cute. However, based on the rest of the conversation about the "pickaninny" it is clear that the grandmother is talking about a young African American child. The narrator refers to the child as a "Negro" and the grandmother uses the term "Little Niggers" when she talks about him. I understand the term a little bit now but it leaves me wondering, was "pickaninny" a common term for children during the time period or was it a derogatory term used to refer to African Americans?

3. Definition: Often offensive: A black child
( http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickaninny )

4. Explanation: Well, even the short, five word definition of "pickaninny" cleared up the confusion I had about its meaning. It clearly states that "pickaninny" is not just a term used to describe black children, but it is often offensive. Looking back I should have known that it was offensive because the grandmother, the same person who used the offensive term "niggers" was the one who said "pickaninny", where as the narrator was the one using the term "Negro".