Claude McKay’s “America” personifies his love toward our land, but also his hatred because of its racial prejudices. America has been portrayed with the attitude of slavery and unjustness. This leaves a sour taste in McKay’s heart toward the people of America, but his love for the land continues to grow. McKay shows several instances of personification by using America as a human and giving it human-like characteristics.
First, McKay writes that “… She feeds me bread of bitterness” (Line 1). In this line, figuratively speaking, it talks about how America is feeding him bread that has a bitter taste, but really it’s saying that America is leaving McKay with the attitude of bitterness. This attitude of bitterness is because of the racial views of our country. He was disgusted by how the Jim Crow Law regarded to African Americans as second class citizens. The hatred that McKay had toward the whites in America soon deteriorated to very little after he saw that it wasn’t just hatred toward his race but to their own kind as well. …show more content…
He states that “Her vigor flows like tides into my blood, Giving me strength erect against her hate,” (Lines 5&6). McKay is saying here that although America is racial prejudice that the strength and health of this nation gives him hope and he can overcome his hate of this by the straight forward strength that America poses. In the next line, it tells of how “Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.” (Line 7). This contributes to the idea because the bigness of America and how powerful she really is, gives him confidence and peace at mind that surely we will overcome our racial prejudices. Even though people of different color could not yet participate in the grandness of the
First, McKay writes that “… She feeds me bread of bitterness” (Line 1). In this line, figuratively speaking, it talks about how America is feeding him bread that has a bitter taste, but really it’s saying that America is leaving McKay with the attitude of bitterness. This attitude of bitterness is because of the racial views of our country. He was disgusted by how the Jim Crow Law regarded to African Americans as second class citizens. The hatred that McKay had toward the whites in America soon deteriorated to very little after he saw that it wasn’t just hatred toward his race but to their own kind as well. …show more content…
He states that “Her vigor flows like tides into my blood, Giving me strength erect against her hate,” (Lines 5&6). McKay is saying here that although America is racial prejudice that the strength and health of this nation gives him hope and he can overcome his hate of this by the straight forward strength that America poses. In the next line, it tells of how “Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.” (Line 7). This contributes to the idea because the bigness of America and how powerful she really is, gives him confidence and peace at mind that surely we will overcome our racial prejudices. Even though people of different color could not yet participate in the grandness of the