African literature

The author of eleven novels, the most famous being Beloved in 1987, along with countless other works in both fiction and nonfiction, Toni Morrison has received virtually every prize achievable for a writer, including, in 1993, the Nobel Prize for Literature. This excerpt is the prologue to her very first novel, The Bluest Eye, written in 1970. Observe her choice of a banal storybook text, its mutation, and then the stark summary of the events that will unfold in the novel. Discuss how you think…

traditional standards, she often uses themes of freedom, which are portrayed in her form, as well as her imagery. Sanchez was involved with the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the Black Arts Movement during the 1960’s. Her radical writing aims towards African Americans, persuading them to know and accept themselves, to be self-reliant and strong. Yusef Komunyakaa uses a traditional style in his poetry. He uses this style to portray many of his Vietnam experiences, which creates a suspense and…

Seymour Hoffman quotes. The authors present self-love in different ways, such as though pain, strength, and positive words. Self-love Self love is viewed as a journey and the authors present it in positive and negative ways, through cinematography, literature, and visual arts. The theme is portrayed in the song by showing how she went through an adventure of believing in herself and not letting anyone get in her way. India Arie explains in her song how she is expressing herself and how she…

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is a semi-autobiography and semi post-modern post structuralism fiction. It is an elegant, however strange, mixture with metaphorical, mythic and fictional story lines. As a black author, Audre Lorde presents the story as a semi self-reflection of the inception of black lesbianism in the modern era. Although the vivid depiction of hetero-sexual and homo-sexual encounters is border-lined with exotics, this book is not intentioned to promote either promiscuity or…

American based poet, Galway Kinnell was born in the year 1927 in Providence, Rhode Island. Growing up Kinnell was a very shy and introverted child who often turned to American literature and poetry to escape daily life (Poetry Foundation). Kinnell, who spent two years in the United States Navy then went on to receive a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a Master’s degree from The University of Rochester. During the times of when he was most active writing poetry was during and…

While each period of African American literature has its own temperament, the Black Arts Era has an unparalleled mystique. Filled with a copious amount of compelling works, the Black Arts epoch boasts authors that are each more idiosyncratic than the one proceeding them. For instance, one author of the period , Malcolm X, pens an autobiography detailing his traumatic childhood and his incarceration-motivated transformation. Another interesting writer from the age, Ishmael Reed, gained…

in order to give out a message that many people aren't aware of. Each theorist Martin Espada, Junot Diaz, and Chimmamada Ngozi Adichie have one main goal to prove to readers. Without metaphors, representation, and stereotyping/ single-storying, literature wouldn’t be what it is today it would just be the thought of one main genre and wouldn't have much meaning. For example, Junot Diaz has a very powerful insight on representation. Diaz’s main purpose in writing is not just one direct point but…

Roald Dahl is a famous author who had written many works throughout his life. He did not have an easy life despite how successful his career was. Death was a recurrence in his life; however, his children stories reflected a more cheerful atmosphere. He also wrote screenplays and horror stories; he even the script for the movies based on his books. Roald Dahl is more than just an author of children's books; he became a highly revered author that will not be forgotten. Roald Dahl was born in…

Spiegelman seems to use drawings to tell his father’s story of the Holocaust for a variety of reasons, both due to his background as well as the literary opportunities presented by using the graphic novel as the medium of choice here. Spiegelman developed an interest in comics at an early age and started drawing professionally by the age of 16. He was also inspired by what he read in fanzines, which are non-professional publications produced by enthusiasts of a cultural phenomenon for others who…

How do mythological allusions in Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves establish the novel’s setting of the house on Ash Tree Lane? Introduction Literature has, since its conception, maintained a close relationship with religion and mythology – not only through religious texts and mythical canon. Much prose and poetry embrace the use of allusions: textual references to other works or bodies, and these references serve to better elaborate a part of the text and/or connect the reader to the text…