Negro spirituals

An Analysis of the First Paragraph of O’Connor’s The Artificial Nigger ?In “The Artificial Nigger,” Flannery O’Connor commingles characteristic Christian imagery with themes evocative of her Southern setting. In this essay, a close reading of the first paragraph of this story elucidates the subtle ways in which O’Connor sets up these basic themes of redemption and forgiveness. An additional paragraph will examine the ramifications of this reading on the intertwined racial aspects of the

The struggle of African Americans to live freely and without discrimination is a problem that has persisted for centuries and is still very well alive today. Going all the way back to the times of colonial America and coming all the way to today’s world and age, one can see attest to the fact that black people still live at a disadvantage because of their skin color. In his letter to his nephew in his book The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin educated his nephew on the struggle of African Americans

What does Du Bois mean when he talks of ‘double-consciousness?’ How, if at all, might double-consciousness be overcome? “What, after all, am I? Am I an American or am I a Negro? Can I be both?”- (Du Bois 1897) Introduction Double consciousness is one of Du Bois’ most important tools in understanding the African American experience. In what follows I first give my interpretation of what Du Bois means when he speaks of double consciousness and suggest that it is caused by the fact that the American

Flannery O’Connor’s short-story work occurred during the 1950s and 1960s, a time in which race caused significant tensions among Americans. Raised in the south, Flannery grew up in an atmosphere of overt racism and Catholic fervor. Both of these influences affected the way she wrote. Flannery O'Connor conveyed both her moral and religious values in her writing, and she consistently wrote about religion and race within this narrow perspective. “Many of my ardent admirers would be roundly shocked

Prejudice Prejudice, the chain of hatred and ignorance, has haunted our history at every step. In the twenty-first century prejudice and its destruction can be viewed in many forms of modern literature. Two of the most famous and rejoiced literatures that examine the theme of prejudice are Harper Lee’s realist fiction novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and Martin Luther King’s heart warming speech ‘I Have a Dream’. Both texts explore the theme of prejudice of white Americans on the Blacks in the racially

“I AM AN invisible man.” A story of obstacles of durable struggle, but hope, and everlasting search for voice in a narrow-minded society; The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison depicts the dehumanization and feeling of being ostracized in society, of one man. Imagine a time when everyone you encounter have a racial thought or credibility toward your own races, never considering the fact that who you are as a person does not matter worth a dime. You are better determines on shade of your skin which hide

The author, Curtis J. Evans, argues that African Americans and images of black religion in American culture have been key to the development of American ideals and culture, as well as a reflection of the nation’s failures as a country. Throughout the text, Evans never truly offers any added narrative to the events in history he speaks on, but simply historicizes the burden that has been placed on black religion, and by natural extension, black people. He documents the changes in how black religion

characteristics, virtues, and perils of womanhood.” (154). The idea of uplifting women to better the race was the fundamental principle may club women agreed upon. In the 1930, the women’s clubs supported an increase for racial solidarity, promoted by the New Negro Movement. Club women during this time focused on political and economic awareness and demanded an increase in citizenship rights on a national level. Bethune, a club women in the 1930’s, was an example of the change that had taken place. She and the

The role of African American literature in recent years has been to illuminate for the modern world the sophistication and beauty inherent in their culture as well as the constant struggle they experience in the oppressive American system. When writers such as Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois and Alice Walker present their material, they manage to convey to a future world the great depth of feeling and meaning their particular culture retained as compared with the culture of their white counterparts

Tar Baby by Toni Morrison 7. What is the symbolic function of the African woman who spits at Jadine? Tar Baby Toni Morrison’s novel might for some be a novel of cultural awakening. One also might at their first reading and perhaps also by reading the different studies made on Tar Baby, restricted to an interpretation that sees Jadine, Morrison’s protagonist, as woman who has, consciously or unconsciously, lost her “ancient properties” (305) and internalized the values of a white culture. Jadine