аЯрЁБс>ўџ 13ўџџџ0џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅСG ПшbjbjŽйŽй .ьГьГшџџџџџџ]вввввввццццц ђ$циЖ********ŸŸŸŸŸŸ$Žє‚ЮУв*****УЊвв***ЊЊЊ*в*в*ццвввв*ЊZЊBSвв*рvМKЇ*Оцц@j•African-American Literature of the 20th Century Objectives: The purpose of this course is twofold. First, it is simply to acquaint you with a variety of classic texts and writers that have shaped modern and contemporary African American writing. Second, it is to introduce critical questions and paradigms that are central to African-American Literature and to enable you to apply these to your future reading. I have chosen texts to exemplify the following categories: the influence of folk elements (oral tradition of storytelling) quests for freedom and literacy and the related movement from South to North the influence and role of music (spirituals, blues, gospels) the role of religion the use of irony as a mechanism of survival the choice of language and register (dialect, formal E, Black English) the subject of dual consciousness (am I American? am I African?) and identity (where are my roots?) While working on these topics we will also practice the following skills: writing summaries writing short stories note-taking and response journals writing literary essays giving oral presentations proper quoting Afro-American Literature and its Tradition A short introduction The Afro-American novel is a hybrid form combining indigenous roots of black American folklore with the literary traditions of the Western World. Due to the lack of educational opportunities most black Americans could not read or write! Thus the spoken word and oral tradition of storytelling were very important. Myths, legends, fables and folktales were commonly used to transmit knowledge, values and attitudes from one generation to the next. Many Black writers have successfully combined these folk elements with literary techniques and traditions of the West. Watch out for such folk elements! Who is the narrator? Is there a story in the story? Are any myths or legends mentioned? Black American writers often write from a perspective of outsiders and marginal people. They write about their quest for status, power and identity in a racist, capitalist and patriarchal American society. They write about their struggle for freedom from all forms of oppression. Watch out for the role that literacy and education play in this struggle for freedom. Also watch out for characters moving from South to North. What is the symbolic meaning of this move? What do the South and the North stand for? A number of “survival strategies” have been developed, by which Black Americans as an ethnic group come to consciousness of themselves and celebrate their quest for personal and social freedom, literacy and wholeness. The most common of these survival strategies are: the use of vernacular (Black English), music (blues, gospel, spirituals) religion irony Ralph Ellison (the author of Invisible Man) interprets these strategies as an effort to overcome oppressive social circumstances. Let us look at each of them in turn. Black English: Watch out for the use of Black English. Who speaks vernacular, who speaks standard English? What effect does the choice of language and register have on the reader? Analyze a sample of Black English and translate it into standard English. What are the typical features? How is it different from standard English? Music: In a large number of texts you will find a blend of oral narrative, song, chanted sermon and very poetic, metrical, ordered language. You will find the call and response pattern derived from African musical practice of alternating improvised lines with fixed refrains (also in Jazz). This pattern is also typical of the exchanges between the preacher and his congregation (especially in revival meetings, see Baldwin, Go Tell It On the Mountain) You will find elements of spirituals, hymns, work songs, blues, gospel and jazz. These songs of sorrow and joy retain their authentic purpose of decrying oppression and celebrating freedom. Watch out for the following elements to recognize musical influences: occasional rhyme call and response patterns improvisations on a theme (repetition of a standard phrase + variations....) strong beat (rhythmic language) blues structure:aab, 3-line stanzas with 4 beats in each line, typical phrases: “Oh Baby...” “Yes, Lord”... moans, growls, shouts,... Religion: Many African-American writers draw heavily on the Bible for plot and character. Traditionally Blacks have seen a parallel between their oppression and the oppression of the Jews. Common topics are: earthly salvation, the savior is coming back, divine judgment (“the first will be the last...”). As mentioned above, religious influences also come in through gospels, spirituals and chanted sermons. Many of the well-known Black writers have had a very strict religious upbringing (fathers were preachers) and have strong (pos. and neg.) feelings about this experience. Watch out for symbols, names and other references drawn from the Bible. What do they mean? What is the role of religion in a particular text? Is it a survival strategy? Does it give strength or hope? Is it rigid and gloomy? Does it lead to freedom or to feelings of guilt?... What churches are mentioned? What is the author’s belief? How can you relate to these experiences? Irony is another widely used survival strategy in African-American literature. Many writers use irony to describe the bluesque absurdity of life. We often see a wide gap between the apparent reality of the situation and what the protagonist professes to be the case. Watch out for ironic situations in your reading. How does the ironic incident effect your moral judgment of the situation? Double Consciousness/ Identity: One of the pertinent questions of African-American writers is the question of their true identity. Due to their history as descendants of slaves their true origin is often a mystery. Many carry the names of their ancestors’ masters, not their true names. This is also why Malcolm X chose an X rather than his original lastname ‘Little’. For many Black writers the search for their origin is an important topic.(see: Alex Haley, “The Furthest-Back Person- The African”) Who am I? Where do I come from? Moreover many African-American writers find it difficult to define their identity as either American or Black (African). Is the Negro only an American and nothing else with no values and culture to protect? If he is not - what is black culture and character? This dilemma has been expressed by W.E.B. Du Bois as follows: “The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife- this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double-self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. ... He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in his face.” (W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk) Collect instances where the characters of your stories are searching for their roots or their true identities. 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