...Harlem Renaissance Strayer University Humanities 112 Professor Renee Pistone November 30, 2014 Harlem renaissance poetry comprises of poems composed in the 1920s by poets such as Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Sterling Brown. All these poets had different items illustrated in their poems, though they all pointed the oppression of the minority race in America, and their fight to achieve freedom. The focus of this essay is to analyze poems by two different poets during the Harlem Renaissance period, describing the role played by each author in this period. The poems to be analyzed are If We Must Die by Claude McKay and Let America be America Again by Langston Hughes. These two poems pass different messages and show the different wishes of the two poets. McKay and Hughes each contributed to the Harlem Renaissance poetry in varying ways. Hughes was a well-known artist who wrote essays, short stories, poems, and children’s books. He used his poetry to celebrate the African American community and tried to capture the life of the African Americans in his work. His major focus is on dreams, and he gives suggestions of what happens when dreams are ignored and postponed. He, therefore, played a role in airing the dreams of the black Americans who lived in Harlem, and how these dreams were shattered (Bloom, 2004). His poetry is a way of showing that the black Americans had dreams, which if they did not come true would lead...
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...Claude McKay, an important writer of the the Harlem Renaissance, wrote “America” in 1921. The poem describes the speaker’s love-hate relationship with America. McKay considers the country to be “a cultured hell,” and yet he admits that he also can’t help loving and admiring the country. These two intense emotions come from two of the completely contradictory aspects of American culture that are most well known: oppression and freedom. One Harlem Renaissance theme in this poem is “determination to fight oppression.” Lines like “as a rebel fronts a king in state, / I stand within her walls with not a shred / Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer” show that although American culture is deeply rooted in racism, it wont always be that way. Equality is something worth fighting for, and African Americans are not just going to stand the hatred from racist whites. This poem reflects the hope and excitement of the Harlem Renaissance mixed with the equally important pain and struggle that was also going on. McKay uses personification to compare America to a female, perhaps a mother or even a romantic interest; someone who he theoretically despises, but can’t help depend on. Although she has wronged him and hurt him deeply, “Her vigor flows like tides into [his] blood.” She gives him the strength he needs to fight against her oppression. American culture is founded on racism and oppression, but also values freedom and equality, allowing the oppressed to fight back and win against...
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...on the problems associated with racism that was prevalent in the southern states. Racist oppression is a common theme in the book that is portrayed by all the major characters; in fact, all the other themes in the book are closely related to racism, identity and segregation. In addition, the style and genre, and the structure of this literary work make significant contributions towards its thematic development, which focus on resistance to racism, the significance of the family, self-identity and definition and independence. Walker (95) argues that I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings is characterized by thematic unity, which is achieved using the structure adopted in the text that takes more of a thematic form rather than a chronological form. In addition, Angelou managed to emphasize on the universal ideas in her literary work irrespective of its periodic quality. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou used the major characters of the book to facilitate its thematic development identity, racism and literacy throughout the text. Basing on this assertion, this essay uses evidence from the book to affirm the role that the major characters played in the development of the major themes in the book. The first major theme in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is identity. In the course of the text, Maya is depicted as symbolic character representing every African American girl growing in America. Maya is depicted as...
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...discrimination he experienced at the hands of his white counterparts. Hughes was a prolific writer and his themes were driven by the racial oppression that he witnessed all around him and that he experienced first hand as well. Hughes was a prominent member of the Harlem Renaissance, which was a time in America when African Americans experienced a flowering of intellectual and cultural activities in the African American communities in Harlem, New York. Alain Locke referred to this era as the New Negro Movement. During this time, Langston Hughes and other African writers’ words were full of protest and great expressions of the social injustices that were bestowed upon African Americans. Langston Hughes often wrote about the second class citizenship status that African Americans experienced, and the ills of segregation were key themes in his writings. His writings not only voiced protest, but the theme of rejection was present in his writings. He wrote about his personal rejection from everywhere when searching for work. In addition, like other New Negro Movement writers, Hughes spoke out against and provided vivid descriptions of how African American were viewed and treated as inhuman and inferior. Hughes also included ways that he thought the discrimination and oppression should change. Hughes was considered a literary giant whose works included poetry, novels, essays, and short...
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...The experiences of an author often reflect themselves in their work. Nawal El Saadawi’s protagonist, Firdaus, in Woman at Point Zero and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ stream of consciousness in his memoir, Between the World at Me both depict an experience of institutionalized oppression. El Saadawi utilizes numerous references to the Christian ideology of a Christ-figure and of rebirth through baptism by depicting Firdaus’ experiences of escaping numerous abusers throughout her life. In contrast, Coates alludes to Malcolm X’s, his childhood idol, tendency to defend what he believed was right and just, even if it went against societal standards instilled by the same Christian Bible. Through Coates’ self-proclaimed identification with Malcom X’s life and...
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...Hughes) who lived in several times, however who shared constant theme in the analyzed works. Our intention is to indicate how society has not developed when it concerns the position of negroes: either as voters or persons. Through two selected poems and their analyses, it's supposed to indicate how the tones may change, however the theme remains the same. 1. Introduction Many things may inspire somebody to write down – be it poetry or prose. it has been like this since communication established itself, through generations and throughout time the writings have had a very important role. for some folks writing is also solely how to establish communication, as newspapers and magazines. For some others, it's an inner pleasure to share feelings and concepts, like in journals and theories. However, for others it is an instrument for additional definite purposes, like awareness regarding movements or a personal catharsis – Sylvia Plath’s poetry, for example. Therefore, the power of words helped mankind to change the globe. Bearing in mind this concept that literature may renew and reinforce a belief or an idea, the theme of the analysis supposed in this work comparing Phillis Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought From Africa To America” to Langston Hughes’ “I, Too, Sing America” is somewhat known and reassure aspects that are still a part of society nowadays: be it prejudice, racism or oppression. In order to grasp how their poems differ it's necessary to understand...
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...Avatar as an Allegory HUM3321-14 Sean Gilman Sean Gilman Jeffrey Bennett HUM3321-14 13 December 2011 Avatar as an Allegory In the 1600s and 1700s, the British began to migrate to and colonize “The New World”, America. As they arrived, they met a society for whom they displayed little compassion and much hostility. The British invaded their land and oppressed the Native American people for hundreds of years due to their cultural differences and lack of understanding. James Cameron’s 2009 film, Avatar mirrors the discovery of the new world, albeit in a very different light. The American military colonizes and destroys land on Pandora, while showing no regard for the welfare of the Na’vi. Avatar serves as an allegory for warfare and cultural hatred based on ignorance and a lack of multi-cultural acceptance and understanding. The Na’vi society of Pandora is an extremely naturalistic people. The Na’vi are the dominant species of Pandora, much like humans on Earth. They are a humanoid species that very much believes in the spirituality of nature and the world around them. In Na’vi society, there are marriage parallels, and they believe in an all-knowing God figure. This is itself, is a very strong correlation to the Native American cultures of early North America. Many of those cultures had similar beliefs. A lot of these Native American cultures believed in a strong connection between the physical world and the spiritual world, just like the Na’vi and their connection with...
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...and one by Susan B. Anthony who pioneered Women’s Suffrage, illuminate a recurring theme that a...
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...The type of ideologies an individual forms varies directly on the type of oppression they’ve endured. Children Of The Sea is a story that took place in Haiti with the main characters being two teenagers in love. The male character was forced to flee after soldiers put a price on his head due to some comments he made in his radio station. Because of this the boy decide to hop on a boat and began his journey to America and during this journey he formed a lot of opinions on society such as how people create superior complexions of themselves and how people within the same race can easily turn on each other and savagely murder one another. The female narrator only wrote about her experiences, what was going on back in Haiti, and her...
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...Women’s Empowerment in Beloved and “The Yellow Wallpaper” Women today are still facing the same types of oppression that they did in the nineteenth century. However, the oppression that women faced two centuries ago was by far worse than it is currently. “The Yellow Wallpaper” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the late nineteenth century speaks to women because of the oppression and unequal treatment the heroines received. The story also shows that women no matter race were oppressed. Beloved, written by Toni Morrison in the late twentieth century, is a neo slave narrative that discusses a woman who ran away from slavery. The novel’s present takes place soon after the thirteenth amendment was passed. As a piece of historical fiction, Beloved shares several themes such as women’s empowerment with “The Yellow Wallpaper” and displays the white male’s dominance over women and its detrimental impact on their mental state. Jane, the protagonist in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” conveys to readers her oppression due to being a female. Since her husband will not let her express her ideas openly, writing in her diary is Jane’s only...
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...showed an immense appreciation about life in his literary pieces. Kurt Vonnegut continued to pursue his goal of demonstrating to the world how wonderful life is through creations in the graphic arts. In 1950, Vonnegut published his first short story, “Report on the Barnhouse Effect” followed by “The Sirens of Titan” (1959), “Cat’s Cradle” (1963), “Slaughterhouse-Five” (1969), and “Breakfast of Champions” (1973). The society in which Kurt Vonnegut was a part of highly valued the ideal of equality; the short story “Harrison Bergeron” was written to foreshadow the oppression that such a society can cause if these ideals are taken too literal. In 1961, this short story was one of the most impactful short stories he has ever written, “Harrison Bergeron” critiqued an authoritarian government by using tone, theme, and symbolism. Vonnegut uses a satirical and humorous tone while presenting a serious topic to critique America in the 1960’s, both politically...
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...Just as in America, hip hop music caused the dominant culture to depict the listeners of this music and its creators within negative depictions, when in reality the stories and experiences that are being expressed within this music are accurate portrayals of the current realities of these people that are being denied by the institutions who created and maintain this oppression. This music in both Tanzania and the states is used to empower those whose dignity and humanity has been stolen. Tanzania’s depicted “hooligans” of this music is the states’ “thugs,” which are both racialized stereotypes. As one anonymous writer describes the loss of jobs has led to increased drug dealing and crime in these Tanzania neighborhoods within Dar es Salaam,...
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...Identity Introduction to Literature 125 April MacGrotty Aug 22, 2010 Lost Identity Literary works have been around for centuries to be enjoyed by its many readers, keeping them enthralled and mystified at the same time. Authors that write literature generally write with the intent of conveying a message to their reader. Not all messages are easily conveyed and many times readers develop their own interpretation of what the author’s meaning or the moral to the writing is. Literary works are written as short stories, poems, dramas and plays incorporating different elements, such as the setting, theme, characterization and conflict to tell their story. In the short stories “Shiloh”, by Bobbie Ann Mason, and “Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin along with the poem, “Lost Sister”, by Cathy Song a common theme is shared, a theme of women seeking individuality and later being met with a new freedom. Although, the literary works are not from the same genre or share common historical context the woman’s place in their society is exhibited. In this paper I will show the comparisons of how each woman is bound by a certain restriction which is released at the end of the writing. There is something special about every individual and that is their personal identity. It is hard to live a life when your personal identity is taken away from you to satisfy the needs of others. When one loses their identity at the hands of another they lose the connection to...
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...Zinn’s view of European colonization in America was that it brought many negatives to people and land. America’s success and growth could not have happened without the Europeans’ neglection, oppression, and exploitation of groups like the Indians that Schweikart left out to conceal events of brutality to teach America’s past with virtue. Examples of brutality include Cortes, Pizarro, and the English settlers, who abused and risked many groups of innocent people in order to obtain land. Many Americans remember Columbus as a hero for discovering America, but he was hostile to Arawaks and had no intention of finding America. His impact on discovering the Americas was that it decreased the Indian population dramatically from wars like the Pequot...
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...“I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves” (Wollstonecraft, Poston). This quote, which Mary Wollstonecraft eloquently stated in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, portrays the exact feelings of Offred, the main character in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Taking place in a dystopian future, The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a totalitarian government under which women are harshly subjugated. Instead of accepting her current position as a handmaid. Offred longs to return to her previous life; however, in the Republic of Gilead, gender-based oppression is commonplace and often prevents Offred from achieving both her short and long-term aspirations. Similar to the painting Fair Rosamund by Arthur Hughes, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale examines how sexual oppression leads to the loss of identity, shaming of...
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