LITR 4332 American Minority Literature 2013 Student Midterm Samples midterm assignment #2. Long essay

Cohen P. Landry

How does Minority Literature distinguish itself from other styles?

African American and minority literature is unique in many different aspects. It contains dynamic components that helps develop a better emotional and psychological perception about the culture, beliefs, and nature of subcultures. Although minorities were faced with many limitations and challenges, minorities have administered writing excellence throughout history. Heavily influenced by mostly European writing styles, the minority writer has learned to bridge both experiences, one of his/her own and one of British influences. These combined experiences and influences emerge to create the exceptional balance of minority literature dialogue. These dynamic components of tone, style and symbolism, convey certain messages in literature; and exhibits an excellent exposure to minority writings.

One dynamic component used in minority literature is the expression or tone. Most of this particular literature personifies two types of tone, an aggressive tone and a calm tone. The aggressive tone expresses vivid emotions. Many minorities faced traumatizing circumstances that ultimately led to serious injury or death. These negative emotions embodied with frustration and strain, has been transformed into transparent words to depict the slave life. What’s fascinating is that many minorities were deprived of the right to learn and be educated. In retrospect, minority writers eventually learned and developed this tone of writing that was empowered by the struggles they faced. Due to the circumstances, many minority learners learned words that represented those same circumstances, in result constructing their emotional dialogue.  In the poem From The Dark Towers, Countee Cullen expresses revenge when he writes, “Not everlasting while others sleep shall we beguile their limbs with mellow flute” (Cullen). Here the author explicitly claims to seek restitution for previous sufferings. Minority literature can also have an opposing tone that represents humility, faith, and goodness. Many minority writers wrote encouraging words that were inspirational and uplifting. In the poem Still I Rise, poet Maya Angelou’s words are inspiring and encouraging, “You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise” (Angelou). These kind words evoke life and love.

In addition to tone, the styles of minority literature correspond well with word selection. Although each writer’s writing experience may be different, the details, motions, and affects of the written words make the literary work effective. More specifically, if the technique and subject correlate the writing becomes unified. In the book the Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass An American Slave, the author’s technique is using horrific depictions of slave life. He describes a vicious and gruesome whipping of a slave by saying, “No words, no tears, no prayers, from his gory victim seemed to move his iron heart from his bloody purpose….where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longest” (Douglass). Here the author connects the technique (which is a graphic depiction) and the subject (which is hatred) while expressing the main point of style. In the story Incidents in The Life of a Slave Girl, the author uses a different technique and style. Linda Brent’s motion is to inform and enlighten other woman slaves of the southern lifestyle, “O, you happy free women, contrast your new year’s day with that of the poor bond-woman” (Brent). The author confronts and challenges other oppressed minorities, to join in the fight for freedom. The format in minority literature may vary between writers; however the experiences accompanied with style make the story or poem more appealing.

Other dynamics that provoke meaning are symbols or themes. Throughout the history of literature, these concepts have always had a significant correlation with other context. Symbols can describe more than just one meaning, but a variety of meanings. In the poem, How it Feels to be Colored Me, the author acknowledges her beauty saying, “My face is painted red and yellow, and my body is painted blue” (Hurston), commemorating her culture and heritage. She also differentiates the expressions felt between two persons with opposing perceptions, “The great blobs of purple and red emotion has not touched him he has only heard what I felt” concluding that the other person has no spirit or purpose. The themes and Images in the book The Bluest Eye, composed an alternative meanings, “If I pinched them, their eyes-unlike the crazed glint of the baby doll’s eyes would fill in pain….” (Morrison 23). These powerful and defining words reveal the frustration and anger of the writer. The symbolic meaning of the eyes can be distinguished through the context in which Toni Morrison wrote. Whichever choice of dialect is selected, most minority literature encompasses the experiences of a beautiful struggle.

Most importantly the meaning of tone, style, and symbolism determines the effectiveness of minority literature. The tone can be interpreted as encouraging, ridicule, patronizing, or inspiring. Emotions represent different feelings based on the experience or situation in which they were expressed. By incorporating a certain style, multiple meanings can be portrayed. Whether the writing has certain themes, subjects, or techniques, the purpose of the writer is to relay a message to the reader or audience. This message can be different if perceived differently from the reader. Symbols can also convey a variety of messages. What is viewed in a writer’s culture has to be viewed in the context of that culture first to determine the original meaning, and other cultures to determine the alternative meaning. The minority tone, style, symbolism of writing differs because the context has to reflect the lives of those who lived the experiences or those who relate well to them.

The purpose of minority literature is to reveal to the reader the culture, beliefs, and nature of the minority experience. Moreover it conveys a message to its own people or race. The disorganization of social structure in the minority communities, created a generational disconnection. With the expression from authors through words, poems, narratives, movies…etc, the communication barrier does not exist anymore. So through arts, fashion, sports…etc, the minority experience is always prevalent. The literature aspect of tone, style, symbolism and meaning, can be incorporated to influence a new emotional and psychological perception. This is not only for the minority culture rather, but for all who appreciate fine works of art.