ESSAY TOPIC 1: What is the relationship of “African American Literature and Culture” to “American Literature and Culture?”  

Assignment

ESSAY TOPIC 1: What is the relationship of “African American Literature and Culture” to “American Literature and Culture?”

·        This topic may overlap with Essay Topic 2.

·        You may refer back to the ID on Yezierska and Equiano.

·        In our main texts, where do you see the two cultures integrating and separating?

·        Identify some causes of this relationship in history and in the texts.

·        What are the upsides and downsides of the relationship?

Textual requirements:

Your essay must make extensive reference to at least three texts from our required course readings:

Martin Luther King, “I Have a Dream” (speech at March on Washington, 1963)

Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano . . . An African

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Black Girl Lost

After first reference, you may refer to texts in abbreviated form, e. g. Caged, Lost, Douglass, etc. You are welcome to refer briefly to texts from beyond this course, but keep refocusing on our main texts.