Essay on "Night Life in Harlem During Renaissance"
Essay 6 pages (1843 words) Sources: 6
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Voices of the Harlem RenaissanceOne of the most significant events of the Harlem Renaissance was the rise of the individual voice. While many African-Americans were struggling with identity in a shifting society, some writers came along and presented them with the image of an identity that was not just a dream but a reality that could be achieved. It may be difficult to imagine now how it might have been in a day when some individuals were seen a lesser people because of their skin color. The angst of the tension between those refusing to allow freedom and those demanding it put the country on edge in many ways. The war might have been over but the wounds were still untreated. Art is one way in which this kind of pain can be addressed and even soothed. Through poetry and fiction, we see a type of healing take place. Through art, people are exposed to certain truths, whether they accept them or not. In addition, people began to see that they were not alone and they did deserve freedom. Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, Zora Neale Hurston, and Booker T. Washington are just a few of the writers that emerged from this era, making considerable contributions to the identity of the African-American during the Harlem Renaissance when freedom still seemed elusive.
Langston Hughes is a prolific writer to emerge in Harlem during this time. Passionate and poetic Hughes had no problem expressing his beliefs. Michael Schmidt claims to Hughes was so popular and influential during this era that he was nicknamed the "bard of Harlem" (Schmidt 707). Hughes' poetry gained momentum and attracted poets and musicians alike because of Hughes' style. This style includes "two modes, one drawing rhythms
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Another creative and inspiring writer to surface from the Harlem Renaissance was W.E.B. DuBois. One of his most widely accepted pieces of work is the Souls of Black Folk, an examination of identity from the African-American perspective. DuBois explains the problems associated with the African-American identity by describing an unseen veil that exists between races. This veil was responsible for preventing African-Americans from gaining respect and meaningful occupations in their communities. DuBois knew the "problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line" (DuBois). He also knew that changing a law would not change the hearts and attitudes of man. Of emancipation DuBois wrote, "Then amid all crouched the freed slave, bewildered between friend and foe. He had emerged from slavery . . . classed the black man and the ox together" (DuBois). He knew prejudice was a terrible condition and wrote that those who are prejudice can be "met in but one way, -- by the breadth and broadening of human reason" (DuBois). Prejudice is a heart condition and a stumbling block when it comes to growth of any kind and it leads to a "double consciousness" (Dubois). He said, "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" (DuBois). Here DuBois challenges men to put injustices in the past and move forward. DuBois knew changing the hearts and minds of men would be one of the greatest challenges of all but he was convinced that it could be done and his voice became one of reason at a tumultuous time.
Another piece of literature that sprang from the Harlem Renaissance is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Again, a central focus of the piece is identity. Janie's personal struggle for identity occurs when readers might think African-American oppression was over. Hurston demonstrates how it is not and how the issues of slavery run straight down to the heart of every man. It is a deeply personal thing and Janie must find strength by turning away from those that cause her pain. She finally confronts and tells Jody he must die to in order to discover out that "you got tuh pacify somebody beside yo'self . . . You ain't tried to pacify nobody but yo'self. To busy listening to yo' own big voice" (Hurston 82). The valuable lesson she learns from Jody is that people, any people, will treat you bad if you let them. She also learns to ignore what others think. She learns to understand the complexity of love and explains that it is like the ocean because "it'uh movin' thing, but still and all, it takes it shape from the shore it meets, and it's different with every shore" (191). Janie also realizes her spiritual growth along the way. She tells Phoeby, "You got tuh go there to know there . . . Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh themselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh do fuh themselves" (Hurston 183). Janie does discover her identity at a time when African-Americans are still pushed and pulled in different directions. As a female during this time, she remains a heroine.
Booker T. Washington died before the Harlem Renaissance but his work remains important aspect to African-Americans during this time because it is filled with hope and it encourages perseverance, which is what every African-American needed to hear during this time. His autobiography, Up From Slavery, explores what one can accomplish with perseverance. The novel covers several setbacks and disappointments met with determination. Washington writes, "The work to be done in order to lift these people up seemed almost beyond accomplishing" (Washington 118). Washington was also a speaker during this era and he pulled from personal experience to make an impact. He believed there could be a reconciliation between the races and he would tell groups of people that the "policy to be pursued with reference to the races was, by every honourable means, to bring them together and to encourage the cultivation of friendly relations, instead of doing that which would embitter" (201). Washington used his education and maturity to prove points about African-Americans and he exhibits maturity throughout the novel. He met negativity with pity and believed negative people only wanted to "stop the progress of the world, and because I… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Night Life in Harlem During Renaissance" Assignment:
Write an 8-page critical essay on a Harlem Renaissance topic of your choosing. The works cited must include a minimum of 6 sources. for example the paper can be about the night life in harlem or something on the jazz during the harlem renaissance.
How to Reference "Night Life in Harlem During Renaissance" Essay in a Bibliography
“Night Life in Harlem During Renaissance.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2010, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/voices-harlem-renaissance/60274. Accessed 6 Jul 2024.
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