Jean Toomer was a well-known writer of the Harlem Renaissance. He chose to look at the United States as a ‘melting pot’ rather than as ‘black’ or ‘white’. He also elected to view and refer to himself as an ‘American’ rather than as ‘black’ or ‘white’. These ideals were emphasized within his works. Jean Toomer’s Cane is his most famous piece. Throughout Cane, Toomer included reoccurring symbols which heightened in meaning as the book went on. Throughout “Karintha”, “Georgia Dusk” and “Blood Burning Moon”, dusk was a reoccurring symbol that stood out. Dusk was mentioned many times throughout these pieces. Dusk is used to represent the fading of someone or something throughout Toomer’s pieces.
Throughout Toomer’s “Karintha”, dusk is revealed …show more content…
Light and dark can refer to the setting of the sun and coming of the moon or it can be a reference to skin color as white or black. Toomer advocated the idea that the United States was a ‘mixing pot’ of light and dark skinned individuals. Dusk is referenced in “Georgia Dusk” when he says “The setting sun, too indolent to hold,/ A lengthened tournament for flashing gold,/ Passively darkens for night’s barbecue (page 1150, lines 2-4) is describing when the colors of the sky fade away and becomes darkness. The next line is referencing the survival and bringing of another day. It reads “A fest of moon and men and barking hounds/ An orgy for some genius of the South” (page 1150, lines 5-6). This line indicates there was a sense of optimism and positivity for the slaves. The slaves are transforming their discriminating experiences from the day into song. Both of these lines referenced above include dusk representing the fading of the day. Throughout “Georgia Dusk”, Toomer uses dusk to symbolize the fading of the African American Culture as a result of slavery and the fading of the day in accordance with …show more content…
“Blood- Burning Moon” is a story about the fight between a black man and a white man for a beautiful light-skinned African American woman named Louisa. Both the first and the second parts of “Blood-Burning Moon” started with a quote about dusk. The first one reads “Up from the skeleton stone walls, up from the rotting floor boards and the solid hand-hewn beams of oak of the pre-war cotton factory, dusk came.” (page 1159). Dusk is a symbol of the fading of a day. The work day at the cotton factory ended and night came. Both men speak of their love for Louisa in the first part. The second part starts with the quote “Up from the deep dusk of a cleared spot on the edge of the forest a mellow glow arose and spread fan-wise into the low-hanging heavens.” (page 1159). This quote is before Tom, the African American , finds out that there is another guy that has been with his girl. Tom finds out that Bob, a white man, has been seen around with ‘his girl’. The dusk in this quote is a symbol to the fading of a relationship. One of these two men is about to lose a relationship. Tom went to go find Bob and the coming of darkness is mentioned again; “He shuddered when he saw the full moon rising towards the could-bank.” (page 1160). This quote is right before Tom is about to confront and beat up Bob for stealing ‘his girl’. The dusk here is a symbol of the
Throughout Toomer’s “Karintha”, dusk is revealed …show more content…
Light and dark can refer to the setting of the sun and coming of the moon or it can be a reference to skin color as white or black. Toomer advocated the idea that the United States was a ‘mixing pot’ of light and dark skinned individuals. Dusk is referenced in “Georgia Dusk” when he says “The setting sun, too indolent to hold,/ A lengthened tournament for flashing gold,/ Passively darkens for night’s barbecue (page 1150, lines 2-4) is describing when the colors of the sky fade away and becomes darkness. The next line is referencing the survival and bringing of another day. It reads “A fest of moon and men and barking hounds/ An orgy for some genius of the South” (page 1150, lines 5-6). This line indicates there was a sense of optimism and positivity for the slaves. The slaves are transforming their discriminating experiences from the day into song. Both of these lines referenced above include dusk representing the fading of the day. Throughout “Georgia Dusk”, Toomer uses dusk to symbolize the fading of the African American Culture as a result of slavery and the fading of the day in accordance with …show more content…
“Blood- Burning Moon” is a story about the fight between a black man and a white man for a beautiful light-skinned African American woman named Louisa. Both the first and the second parts of “Blood-Burning Moon” started with a quote about dusk. The first one reads “Up from the skeleton stone walls, up from the rotting floor boards and the solid hand-hewn beams of oak of the pre-war cotton factory, dusk came.” (page 1159). Dusk is a symbol of the fading of a day. The work day at the cotton factory ended and night came. Both men speak of their love for Louisa in the first part. The second part starts with the quote “Up from the deep dusk of a cleared spot on the edge of the forest a mellow glow arose and spread fan-wise into the low-hanging heavens.” (page 1159). This quote is before Tom, the African American , finds out that there is another guy that has been with his girl. Tom finds out that Bob, a white man, has been seen around with ‘his girl’. The dusk in this quote is a symbol to the fading of a relationship. One of these two men is about to lose a relationship. Tom went to go find Bob and the coming of darkness is mentioned again; “He shuddered when he saw the full moon rising towards the could-bank.” (page 1160). This quote is right before Tom is about to confront and beat up Bob for stealing ‘his girl’. The dusk here is a symbol of the