African-American Literature
Unfortunately, the perverted socio-economic institution known as slavery has always had significantly greater psychological ramifications and horrors for women, than it has traditionally had for men. This is particularly the case when one considers chattel slavery, such as that which was prevalent in the United States in the inception of this country's founding. Many of the perverse manifestations made evident by slavery's effects upon women are detailed in Harriet Jacob's thinly veiled fictional/autobiographical accounting of her life entitled An Incident in the Life of a Slave Girl. hile the inhumane, unnatural occurrence of having one's body, soul and mind owned as a piece of property by another is similar for both men and women, the effects of this perceived ownership are inherently different for women and affects the nature not only of their servitude, but of their attempts to escape it.

The attempt to escape slavery is one point of…...

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Work Cited

Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. New York: Barnes and Nobles. 2005. Print.

The resistance tactic of educating black youth is challenged and despite the fact that the boy has likely been told that this education will free him of prejudice, through proof of his intellect he is called back and told to keep the error to himself, so as not to overturn the apple cart. The idea that adopting the ideals and goals of whites, in this case education as resistance has proven, at least in this case to be ineffective as the boy is crushed by his awareness of the fault in the message of his grandmother and others about his power through education.
Both the Morrison and the right works demonstrate that social change, through the economy of legitimate society is the real nature of the oppression of blacks. There is a clear indication that though these messages have only limited connectivity to black identity, they mark a thematic source…...

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Works Cited

Morrison, Toni Song of Solomon, New York: Vintage, 2004.

Posnock, Ross, Color and Culture: Black Writers and the Making of Modern Intellectual. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000.

Wright, Richard Native Son, New York: Harper Perennial, 1998.

He had lived his life as a white child, and even after his discovery of his true race lived as a white man. He was allowed to pass as white, and therefore turned his back on his real heritage. Thus, his blackness became a secret, something to be ashamed of and hide; "I know that in writing the following pages I am divulging the great secret of my life, the secret which for some years I have guarded far more carefully than any of my earthly possessions," (Johnson 2). This shows a much different reaction to the understanding of oneself as black in the United States.
Both these texts involve understanding oneself relative to how others view you. Realistically, from a physical standpoint, being African-American means little difference to being white. However, from a social and psychological standpoint, it is a major difference, especially in the tie period these stories…...

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Cornell University Law School. "Civil Rights." Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 10 Sep 2009 at  http://topics.law.cornell.edu/wex/civil_rights .

Hurston, Zora Neale. "How it Feels to Be a Colored Me." Mules and Men. The University of Virginia. Retrieved 10 Sep 2009 at  http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA01/Grand-Jean/Hurston/Chapters/how.html .

Johnson, James Weldon. Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. Kessinger Publishing. 2004.

The two have a unity in their interactions, wanting essentially the same things.
The family forms a social system based on the interactions among the members of the family. This is seen throughout the book as each member shows that what he or she has, needs and values depends upon the nature of the social system to which he or she belongs. In this case, Maya, as do other people, belongs to different social systems at the same time. The family is one such social system, and in that system Maya interacts with Bailey, Momma, and Uncle illie according to their specific roles in the family group. The individual has different roles in the system according to whom they are interacting with -- Maya shows one kind of behavior with Bailey and quite another with Momma.

These authors write about the black experience, and just because this is only a portion…...

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Works Cited

Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Bantam Books, 1970.

Chesnutt, Charles W. The Marrow of Tradition. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1969.

Ellison, Ralph. The Invisible Man. New York: vintage Books, 1989.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Perennial Classic, 1990.

Politics of Motherhood: African-American Literature
It is fairly apparent from an examination of the following texts that depict slave narratives and those of indentured servitude -- Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet ilson's Our Nig and Frances Harper's Iola Leroy that both in literature, as well as in life itself, the conception of a mother both denotes and connotes images of home. hat sort of images, of course, are largely determined by the nature of the relationship that one has with his or her mother. In some narratives, that relationship is unabashedly positive and is one in which the mother represents the stability, peace and domesticity (as much as is possible for slaves and those who have been newly freed from slavery to have). In other narratives, based on the marked dearth of a relationship with the principle characters mothers, matriarchs are representative of a distinct…...

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Works Cited

Harper, F. (1892). Iola Leroy. Free Books. Retrieved from http://www.fullbooks.com/Iola-Leroy2.html

Jacobs, H. (2005). Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. New York: Barnes & Noble.

Wilson, H.E. (1859). Our Nig: Sketches From the Life of a Free Black. Full Books. Retrieved from http://www.fullbooks.com/Our-Nig1.html

The Black Arts Era is characterized by powerful voices such as that of Ishmael Reed or Amiri Baraka. In his poem Black Art, Amiri Baraka potently draws attention to the need for a self-conscious black poetry which would accentuate intentionally all the features specific to the African-American culture. The harsh tone of the poem at the beginning and the almost raging, ferocious rhythm indicate the desire to awaken the spirit of the black to their individuality: "Poems are bull***** unless they are / teeth or trees or lemons piled / on a step...Poem scream poison gas on beasts in green berets / Clean out the world for virtue and love, / Let there be no love poems written / until love can exist freely and / cleanly."(Gates and McKay, 935) the poem starts in a harsh and even violent tone, to end in a soft voice speaking about love. The…...

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Works Cited

Dept. Of State: International Information Programs: Publications - Outline of American Literature." International Information Programs. Apr. 2002. U.S. Department of State. 18 Mar. 2008 http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/oal/amlitweb.htm.

Gates, Henry L., and Nellie Y. McKay, eds. The Norton Anthology of African-American Literature. New York W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.

Gorski, Paul C. "Classic African-American Literature." EdChange Multicultural Pavilion. 2008. EdChange. 18 Mar. 2008 http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/sites/aframdocs.html.

Keenan, AM. "African-American Review." African-American Review. 5 Mar. 2008. Saint Louis University. 16 Mar. 2008 http://aar.slu.edu/.

The effect this had on many slaves was to make them determined to gain their freedom at all costs.
Family relationships, something most people take for granted, were not considered in the lives of slaves. Two of the narratives note, "At the close of that year I was sold to a Thomas Stanton, and had to be separated from my wife and one daughter, who was about one-month-old" (Smith 13). "Could you have seen that mother clinging to her child, when they fastened the irons upon his wrists; could you have heard her heart-rending groans, and seen her bloodshot eyes wander wildly from face-to-face, vainly pleading for mercy; could you have witnessed that scene as I saw it, you would exclaim, Slavery is damnable!" (Jacobs). Masters commonly sold one or two members of the family, and they were often separated for life.

The families of the enslavers in contrast, were relatively…...

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References

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Dover Publications, 1995.

Equiano, Olaudah (Gustavus Vassa). "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African. Written by Himself." I Was Born a Slave: An Anthology of Classic Slave Narratives, 1770-1849. Ed. Yuval Taylor. Vol. 1. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 1999. 34-180.

Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. 2004. 20 Oct. 2006.  http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/JACOBS/hj-site-index.htm 

Smith, Venture. "Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa: But Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America." From African to Yankee Narratives of Slavery and Freedom in Antebellum New England. Ed. Robert J. Cottrol. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1998. 1-31.

African-American Literature
The Implications of African-American Literature

Social

Economic

Environmental

Cultural

How African-American Literature Has Changed -- Across the Genres

Slave Narratives and Biographies

Novels

African-American Literature and Its Impact on Society

Literature is very important. Many people love to read, and still others love to write. Together, they make a winning combination. Literature is often studied, but one aspect of it has been getting very little attention. African-American literature has often times been ignored, or been only selectively visible. hether or not African-American literature is influential on society, and whether or not it can be considered important and viable are questions and concerns that need to be answered.

The intent and purpose of this paper is to answer those questions, and others. However, in order to do that, there are several issues that will have to be discussed. Naturally, the importance of African-American literature will be discussed, but one must delve further into the topic in order to come…...

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Works Cited

Associated Press. "90% of public school teachers white, national study finds." San Francisco Chronicle, (17 Oct. 1996): A2.

Asim, Jabari. African-American literature in the black. 1 June 1997. The Washington Post. 17 March 2003.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/25thann/asim.htm .

Beyond Academics: Harvard's Dream Team Has Salvaged Black Studies." Emerge (1999):38.

Blackface Renaissance: Scholars discuss the resurging interest in." Black Issues In Higher Education (1999): 14.

African-American LITEATUE/MUSIC ON AMEICA/AMEICAN CULTUE
Music is one of the most important elements among the African-American culture, through songs culture's history was revealed, pass information about events and activities to be done, evaluate and criticize a group effort or tell of some emotional apex. Music also played a significant role in comforting and healing. Africans in America used music in different situations such as; in their labor, sadness, happy moments, communication and resistance against oppression.

George, Games, etl. (2006) said that African-American music has great melodic lines and rhythm that has remained famous and influential. The African-American music comprised of sounds of gospels and revival of spirituals that accompanied the civil rights movement (adano, onald, etl 2003). Jazz which was later named "American classical music" was the beacon of the height of birth of African-American music, it was not only music of generation but also music that motivated the generation, it…...

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References

1. Johnson, James Weldon, and J. Rosamond Johnson. The Second Book of Negro Spirituals. New York: The Viking Press, 2006.

2. Johnson, James Weldon, J. Rosamond Johnson, and Lawrence Brown. The Book of American Negro Spirituals. New York: Viking Press, 2005.

3. Monson, Ingrid, and Freedom Sounds: Civil Rights Call Out to Jazz and Africa. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007

4. Radano, Ronald Michael. Lying Up a Nation: Race and Black Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.

Fences, by August Wilson. Specifically, it will contain an analysis of the following essay question: Develop the theme of "responsibility of family." Throughout the play, the importance of Troy's family plays an all-important place in his life. His responsibility to his family is paramount to him, even though he does not always show it, and they do not always know it.
FENCES

Death ain't nothing but a fastball on an outside corner" (Wilson 10).

Troy Maxson is not a model father and husband by any means. He alienates his wife who loves him by siring an illegitimate child with his mistress, who dies giving birth. ose, Troy's wife, agrees to raise the child, but the love between the two is forever damaged, and ose will no longer give Troy all her love. "ose... I'm standing here with my daughter in my arms. She ain't but a wee bittie little old thing. She…...

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References

Wilson, August. Fences. New York: New American Library, 1987.

That being said, it is quite difficult to be honest with oneself, even thought as we stand in front of the mirror, naked and bare, Didion says we remain "blind to our fatal weaknesses." One might think that being too self-critical would damage the ego, but for Didion, it is completely the opposite -- by knowing out flaws, accepting some and working towards the goal of solving others, we become more actualized and powerful. Without this realization, "one eventually discovers the final turn of the screw: one runs away to find oneself, and finds no one at home."

Both Didion and Walker focus on self-respect, self-actualization, and in a very real way, a pseudo-Marxian approach to alienation from society. There are several points in common for the authors: one's own approach to self; seeking and finding self-respect; and taking an active role in our own place in the universe. Conversely, Didion…...

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Hooks, B. Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem. Washington Square Press, 2004.

Sanford, L. Women and Self-Esteem: Understanding and Improving the Way We Think

About Ourselves. Penguin, 1987.

The Evolution of American Identity Through Literature The diversity within the American experience, and as well within the canon of American literature, precludes the possibility of singling out two or even ten of the novels, poems, or short stories that best encapsulate what it means to be American. From the colonial and early national era and the fledgling formation of national identity through the struggles of emancipation from slavery and transcendentalism, onwards to the industrial and capitalist eras, American literature has provided an accurate reflection of the lives of individuals and communities that comprise life in different regions of the country. Geographic and cultural differentiations also help to expand what it means to be American, taking into account race, class, gender, and generation. Threads that tie together Americans throughout time and in spite of radical differences in worldview include staunch independence and self-reliance, coupled with a profound optimism. Trust in the…...

Brent Staples and Jamaica Kinkaid have written seminal short stories, contained in anthologies of American and African-American literature. Although Kinkaid's "Girl" and Staples's "Just alk on By" were published about twenty years apart, they share in common themes related to racism and the experience of being black in the United States. Kinkaid and Staples both address the intersection of gender and race, with Kinkaid focusing on the role expectations of women in black society and Staples concentrating on the perception of black males by the dominant white culture. Both Staples and Kinkaid imbue their writing with emotional intensity, not shying from anger, but rather, transforming powerful feelings of frustration into points of liberation.
In "Just alk on By," the narrator describes his experience as a night walker, someone who enjoys taking long walks at night in the city. hat would typically be considered a normal activity takes on tremendous political…...

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Works Cited

Kinkaid, Jamaica. "Girl." Retrieved online: http://www.thesae.k12.ca.us/apps/download/mAyAZX5yjR1CTUVTqlvLuDtnyDIATlYLqshuMeIxmRxmz1AQ.pdf/Reading%20activities%20-%20Girl%20by%20Jamaica%20Kincaid.pdf

Simmons, Diane. "The Rhythm of Reality in the Works of Jamaica Kinkaid." World Literature Today. Vol. 68, No. 3.

Staples, Brent. "Just Walk on By." Retrieved online:  http://openhighschoolcourses.org/pluginfile.php/6364/mod_resource/content/0/TKAM/Just%20Walk%20on%20By%20 (Eng%209B).pdf

The fact that this figure remains a guess says something important about what orrison was up against in trying to find out the full story of the slave trade. uch of that story has been ignored, left behind, or simply lost.
Through her works she attempted to retell the stories of grief associated with slavery and terror, her characters living their lives with greater understanding of its value than almost any other set of characters in fiction today.

Within the genre of the autobiography there is a different tenor of thought the words and deeds are that of the author and the message is clearly self, devolvement. Angelou in the Heart of a Woman demonstrates the ideals of her time, as a civil rights organizer and protestor. She clearly spells out the strife that exists between whites, and blacks and the dangerous dance they are doing during what most would call…...

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Maya Angelou, the Heart of a Woman, (New York, Bantam Books, 1981) 97.

Maya Angelou, the Heart of a Woman, (New York, Bantam Books, 1981) 191.

Alice Walker in love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women (New York Harcourt Press, 1973) 47-59.

2.

In keeping with the theme of individuality highlighted above, each of the main characters in the assigned readings struggle to define his or her identity in terms of the dichotomies in the society they observe. Each point-of-view differs according to the person's stage of life and background, and each person seeks to establish an identity by means of the cultural and social tools they have at their disposal. At times these tools comprise family members, friends, or teachers, and at others they are something much more focused and personal, such as the intellect or determination.

Sylvia, the main character of "The Lesson," establishes her identity in terms of the financial contrast between her own social construct and those who can spend $1,000 on a toy. For her, the concept of financial security provides a platform for constructing an identity. Her determination to contend with the rich for a place in the…...

Literary Analysis and Criticism

The Power of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter: Explore the significance of the scarlet letter as a potent symbol of sin, shame, and redemption. Analyze how Hawthorne uses it to develop the characters' struggles and the novel's themes.
The Complexity of Hamlet's Character: Delve into the enigmatic character of Hamlet, examining his introspective nature, indecisiveness, and tragic flaw. Discuss his motivations and actions in light of Shakespeare's play.
The Feminist Critique of Jane Eyre: Examine the novel through a feminist lens, analyzing the portrayal of gender roles, female empowerment, and domesticity. Discuss the significance of Jane's....

1. Patricia Smith's Blood Dazzler poems confront the lingering trauma of the African American experience, highlighting the resilience that emerges from enduring and resisting centuries of oppression.

2. Through the exploration of personal and collective histories, Blood Dazzler unveils the complexities of trauma, showcasing its insidious effects while illuminating the path toward healing and liberation.

3. Smith's vivid imagery and lyrical dexterity in Blood Dazzler embody the resilience of Black bodies and voices, asserting their indomitable spirit in the face of adversity.

4. The interplay of personal narratives and collective experiences in Blood Dazzler underscores the universality of trauma while emphasizing....