The voice that emerged from the Harlem Renaissance and the mid 20th century was that of unapologetic self-assurance. These two sections in The Norton Anthology of African American Literature Vol. 2 are distinct because of their diversity not just in medium but ideas which fascinated me. I appreciate the new attitude of these writers, their criticisms and their exploration of genres and form. Above all I love the growing voice of women writers and feel especially connected to them.
It was interesting being able to follow along with this shift in attitude and ideas that came from the physical shift of the Great Migration. It wasn't just the new ideas that I found interesting but more so the reinvention of the previous era's work and ideas such as how the need for escape present in the early traditions transformed into the need for …show more content…
How can one claim to want to push African American literature above and beyond its past limitations by creating new limitations on what can and should be created. The criticism coming from writers such as Richard Wright and James Baldwin felt understandable especially concerning wanting to leave behind the bourgeois attitude they felt the Harlem Renaissance writers had and focus on giving black readers a more in-depth examination of the black experience. However, I still found it funny that although Richard Wright argues against black literature that pleads and appeals to a white audience his work is that which helped black artist gain attention from a predominantly white literary world (96). The debate between realism, naturalism and modernism is not limited to African American literature, but their history with oppression and continuing struggles with inequality creates an even more complex discourse that was incredibly
It was interesting being able to follow along with this shift in attitude and ideas that came from the physical shift of the Great Migration. It wasn't just the new ideas that I found interesting but more so the reinvention of the previous era's work and ideas such as how the need for escape present in the early traditions transformed into the need for …show more content…
How can one claim to want to push African American literature above and beyond its past limitations by creating new limitations on what can and should be created. The criticism coming from writers such as Richard Wright and James Baldwin felt understandable especially concerning wanting to leave behind the bourgeois attitude they felt the Harlem Renaissance writers had and focus on giving black readers a more in-depth examination of the black experience. However, I still found it funny that although Richard Wright argues against black literature that pleads and appeals to a white audience his work is that which helped black artist gain attention from a predominantly white literary world (96). The debate between realism, naturalism and modernism is not limited to African American literature, but their history with oppression and continuing struggles with inequality creates an even more complex discourse that was incredibly