Modern literature opens the door to any culture or generation in a way no history journal or biography has ever had. The themes explored in the proses and poetries of a particular time can shed light on what kind of world it’s inspired from and how its generation has evolved since then.
In this article, we will study them as we look at the main themes of African American narratives and their impact on our modern society as a whole. In addition, we’ll show you the best way to start learning any form of literature.
What are the Central Themes In African American Literature?
African American literature refers particularly to the accounts written by those of African descent in the US. Most of these narratives are known to be written during the Colonial Era and around the Civil War.
Given their long and remarkable history, African American works have impacted the development of American society. It revolved around various topics formatted through essays, memoirs, drama, poetry, and more. Let’s look at the most critical themes that highlight the essence of African American literature.
Slavery
One of the most common subgenres of African American literature revolves around the hardships of slavery. It focused on the difficult lives of American slaves and how they fared through the unjust and inhuman acts of labor exploitation.
Over 6000 former slaves from North America and the Caribbean were reported to have documented slave narratives based on personal experiences. Writing about their cruel lives as subjects honestly and expressively allowed these writers to control a part of history instead of letting their oppressors tell the story. It also raised awareness regarding the issue.
Alienation
After the Civil War, even though slavery took a downturn, African American societies were still quite divided because of the color line. Many social minorities faced discrimination as they were sidelined and segregated into believing they didn’t belong. Neither were they welcomed to fit into the color line, nor did their distinct cultures receive the respect they deserved.
African American works like Ralph Ellison’s brilliant ‘Invisible Man’ effectively explore the inhuman boundaries enforced during this period. This marginalized culture was particularly tense between the black and white population, which paved the way for even more themes and subgenres for African American literature.
Black Injustices
Perhaps the most well-known element African Americans highlighted in their works is their commentary on black rights and the suffering inflicted by racially disturbed civilizations.
This matter has been raised throughout generations, from the Colonial Era to the twentieth century. The African American communities have always stood in a peculiarly challenging time in the history of the US. In many parts of America, a power gap remained between the black and white population as the general society was accustomed to enforcing and following discriminatory laws. The black vernacular people were known to have limited access to fundamental rights such as education and freedom, while the white people stood in authority beside them.
At such times, poetry was commonly used to celebrate black vernacular traditions and highlight important events in African American history. Famed pieces like ‘Money Road,’ ‘Malcolm X,’ and ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ are only a few examples of how art and language were beautifully expressed to honor a culture that was little known and respected at the time. Thanks to these hidden gems, poetry is seen today as the standard way to represent minorities individually, distinctively, and wholeheartedly
Black Vernacular Identity
The troubles of the relationships between the black and white societies weren’t limited to slavery and cultural discrimination. The representation of African American culture in mainstream literature was also a serious issue. Many plays, dramas, fairytales, and other genres tended to leave out the black characters or represent them under an unheroic or uninspiring shadow.
Each of these themes paints an emotional picture of African American lives, but we’ve only discussed the central ones here. These themes go far deeper as the nations and cultures evolved over time. If you want to look deeper into this culture for your literature tutor jobs, Superprof can help you get started.
Just sign up and start your affordable online literature classes with thousands of tutors to choose from. Their thorough understanding of African American culture and literary analysis is bound to turn you into a true literature enthusiast.
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Why Should You Take Literature Classes?
What makes African American literature unique is that it can provide several values to the current generation.
From a historical standpoint, African American literature offers a gut-wrenching dive into the lives of people from different eras. Not only do these insights teach us about the lives of our ancestors, but it also helps us picture a map of how American culture started out and how it evolved into the nation we see today. Think of a time when slavery was not only legal but also practiced without remorse, a time when the less influential or powerful people were treated like objects and denied basic rights simply for the color of their skin.
By producing heartfelt poetries, dramas, and stories, the victims of that era could take a stand and express themselves in the purest way possible. It urged the common folks of that period to reflect on their actions, not on the basis of politics, society, or tradition, but simply for the sake of raw morality and human decency.
If you really want to understand these pieces on a deeper level to enhance your narrative skills, you’ll need an expert to familiarize you with the core concepts and show you how to apply them. Luckily, Superprof’s online english classes have got you covered. They’ve got over 20,000 private literature tutors mastering different genres so you can learn to read African American narratives on a new level.
What Are the Key Characteristics of African American Literature?
In literature, messages aren’t always conveyed through direct words. Instead, authors oftentimes manipulate the meanings through certain techniques to paint a sense of emotional wonder and add multiple layers to the idea. This phenomenon is particularly eminent in poetries and melodic compositions, where each verse must carry the story forward.
African American literature is no stranger to this literary trend, as many renowned authors have used different literary devices to emphasize the emotional center of their poems. Let’s take a look at some of the common ones:
| Characteristic | How It’s Used? |
|---|---|
| Alliteration | Alliteration, a standard norm in all forms of poetry, can be found in this particular descent. It’s visible when two consecutive words in a line start with the same sound. It enhances the melodic nature of any poem so it can be read and recited with a greater focus on rhythm. |
| Cadence | Similarly, cadence is used to manage the volume of the lyrics. Poets tend to mark which syllable should be stressed and which shouldn’t to drive the emotional flow correctly. |
| Repetition | Finally, many African American poets repeat an idea differently to create the build-up for the punchline. They may also do this to narrate their reminiscing thoughts while focusing on memory. |
Of course, we’ve only scratched the surface of what classic poetry is capable of. If you’re ready to look inside into the creative devices used by generations of poets, you might want to hire an African American literature tutor. Superprof can lend a hand with its library of over 20,000 private literature tutors ready to help you read every verse in a new light.
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Before motion pictures and online videos rolled around, written texts were the only way to pass down knowledge to further generations. Poetries, journals, fiction, and other formats have been famously utilized throughout human history to make statements, express new ideas, and provide entertainment. There’s no doubt that they’re just as effective today as they were a century ago.
African American literature classes can help you explore rewarding career opportunities across diverse fields. So, if you want to open the gates to a rich world of culture, art, and philosophy, Superprof is your golden key. With 20,000 tutors and counting, they’ve got the edge on playwriting, poetry and drama. Every lesson is optimized with flexible timings and distance learning. So, what’re you waiting for? Take the leap with Superprof and start writing your career today.
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