African-American Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the literature of various black American writers and poets. The paper explains that numerous black writers found new ways to express the feelings of their people and created a rich canon of thought and expression leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. The paper looks at how some of these writings show an underlying demand for change. The paper also points out that many of the early literary figures, like W.E.B. DuBois, wrote against slavery. In addition, the paper looks at how, in the latter part of the 20th century black, nationalism was influenced by Darwinian science and by Victorian conceptions of virtue. The paper cites "Coming of Age in Mississippi" by Anne Moody, as an example of the nature of the threat to black Americans.

From the Paper:

"DuBois also celebrates aspects of black culture, from the songs of the slaves to and the music they and their descendants make to their religious belief and the special religious observance they developed in the black church in America. He sees the black community then standing at the dawn of freedom, a freedom not yet fully achieved but set out as a potential for all.
"The nature of the threat to black Americans is evident in Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody. She becomes very aware of why as she grows to adulthood and sees more and more racism all around her."

Sample of Sources Used:

• DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. New York: Penguin, 1989.
• Hughes, Langston. Selected Poems. New York: Vintage, 1958.
• Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. 1937. New York: Perennial Classic, 1998.
• King, Martin Luther. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." In The Aims of Argument, Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell (eds.), 114-125. Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing, 1995.
• Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York: Del Books, 1968.

More papers on African-American Literature:

• Analytical Essay # 28327 : "African-American Literature"
• Analytical Essay # 118059 : "African-American Literature"
• Analytical Essay # 85180 : "Victims in Contemporary African-American Literature"
• Persuasive Essay # 120650 : "African-American Literature"

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