A Critique on Alice Walker’s Two Essays: “Looking For Zora,” and “Zora Neale Hurston: A Cautionary Tale and Partisan View” One can hardly speak of Alice Walker without referring to Zora Neale Hurston in the same breath. Many critics have observed the literary, cultural and spiritual similarities between these two black female writers. In fact, a collection of essays, Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston: The Common Bond, was published on this very subject. Alice Walker first created this intertwining connection between her and Zora Neale Hurston partly based on being black and being a woman. So, it would be interesting to explore how Walker uses this blackness to her advantage.
Langston Hughes Research Langston Hughes (1902-1967) is one of the most influential African-American writers of the 20th century. His poetry represented a significant chapter in American literature. He always wrote about the current events of what is happening to African-Americans in his time. It is because of his original poetry that engraved his name forever in not only African American history, but in American Literature as well. “Through his long career as a professional writer, Hughes remained true to the African American heritage he celebrated in his writings, which were frankly ”racial in theme and treatment, derived from the life I know” (1131 Meyer) .
Zora Neale Hurston depicts the Harlem Renaissance in many different ways and with many different methods. She uses many concepts of the Harlem Renaissance art to describe happy situations in colorful ways through Janie’s thoughts. Hurston also effectively uses language to understand African-American culture depicted in Harlem Renaissance paintings. Hurston controls description to demonstrate the accentuated feature of artists. “Then again the gold and purple, the gloat and glamour of the secret orders, each with its insinuations of power and glory undreamed of by the uninitiated.”(Their Eyes were Watching God 88).
According to Mo Walsh “…southern gothic literature [is] popular across the globe…” (Walsh 1), due to the historical appeal of the storyline described above. One of the greatest Southern Gothic writers of all time is Zora Neale Hurston. Her societal views on racism expressed heavily in her writing challenged commonly held beliefs among a myriad of individuals. Hurston’s works such as Their Eyes are Watching God and “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”, display her use of literary elements to describe the racial injustices and cultural pride throughout her time period. In “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”, by Zora Neal Hurston, Hurston employs the oyster knife symbol, the rock symbol and the brown bag symbol to illustrate her pride in her racial culture and identity.
Although her poems were mostly moral and religious, she stood up against slavery in her poems. Her poem on the death of Reverend George Whitefield is what made her famous. She was an accomplished African American woman of letters. She was the
STILL I RISE BY MAYA ANGELOU- She is speaking to her audience of oppressors about how she has overcome racism, criticism, sexism, and personal obstacles in her life with pride and grace. this poem is also historically rooted with the mentions of slavery. HARRIET TUBMAN BY ELOISE GREENFIELD. LANGSTON HUGHES- MY PEOPLE, I TOO SING AMERICA.- this poem describes the pain felt by an african in a world dominated by the whites. lansgton expresses the agony with a hope that tomorrow will definitely bring a change( whites will treat blacks with equality in all the aspects of life) AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNITED STATED AND ALSO THE WORLD.
When War and Oil Ended the world There is no denying Joy Harjo uses poetry to get her inner thoughts out so that the world can read and cherish her poetry. She is a big writer on politics, and her Native American heritage. Joy’s poetry can be said to use language as a way to move people toward an Idea or action (Goodman). With that being said there are many of her poems that express her feelings but the one that will be focused on the most is “When the world As We Knew It Ended”. This poem uses a lot of imagery with what is being said, not only is there a story being said, there is a statement.
Zora effectively drew in individuals with her enthusiasm forever. In the wake of moving on from Barnard with a degree in Anthropology she got a cooperation to come back to Eatonville and considered and recorded the oral customs of that range. With her enthusiasm for black people, she was well known as a storyteller and casual execution craftsman. Her written work concentrated on the society conventions and she was an extraordinarily skilled author with ability for catching the voice of her
Self-love and racism play a very important role in Zora Neale Hurston's “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” The theme of love with her Granny was force upon Janie and finding love within her was described as a pear tree and the horizon. Janie spent her days looking for passionate love in three different marriages. With the character of Mrs. Turner, she shows how everyone is racist in the world, and she is black herself but don’t want to realize it because she’s biracial. Hurston’s theme of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” was based on the Harlem Renaissance and was shown dramatically throughout of the book. First, the theme of love with her Granny was force upon Janie and finding love within her was described as a pear tree and the horizon.
All the challenges were so real to me that I felt that I could have written the poem. This poem showed the transformation in vivid details. It gave us the struggle the young girl faced in an era that was full of racial uncertainty. This also was a time when women roles in society were depicted as inferior. References Clugston, R. W. (2010).