Harlem Renaissance Depiction - Essay Example

Essay, English Literature ic and Modern) Topic: Harlem Renaissance Harlem Renaissance is theportrayal of cultural identity of the black community in America, mainly through literature and other artistic forms. A new and distinct color line is demarcated when mention is made about this movement that goes through significant political, social and literary upheavals. Impacted by the technological advancement and education, a new black generation is getting ready to assert itself in every segment of human activity. Among the black intellectuals, writers and poets, several voices are being heard, not always agreeing with each other, but growing like octopus in all the directions. Some concentrate to write from the experience of their ethnic background, whereas others make sincere efforts to withdraw from the racial identity completely. It is a peculiar situation for the black community. The problems of their inner world have assumed more importance than the issues of the secular world. Posnock writes, “To be a black intellectual is by definition to labor in an ethnic province” (7) and it demands the price in the form of label. Harlem Renaissance, in short, is the process of realization of the goals of the blacks through literature! They are beginning to assert that the ‘pen is mightier than the sword.’ The post-Reconstruction period is like the second birth for African-Americans. In the dark place of their existence, suddenly a thousand lamps have been lit and they are basking in the glory of that glow. They are emerging out of the dark cave as if, and are assiduously trying to sort out the issues related to their dual identity. Prior to Reconstruction, they live without any identity, except that they are slaves with no rights or power to articulate their views, protest and express dissent. The watchword of their lives is submission to the will of their master. The post-Civil War period brings some respectability to their existence, but with no proper educational opportunities they are in dire straits. Suddenly they are free but in actual life they are directionless and destination less. To comprehend and appreciate any culture, in-depth study of literature and other creative expressions of the people are necessary. Nothing is available in the period of transition for the black people in the form of written records. They live through oral transmission of history and their cultural traditions; their thinking is influenced with Western religious lecture and traditional songs. The period of Reconstruction heralds for the black community an opportunity to tread the path of freedom in the real sense of the term and establish their identity. The problem with the blacks is to find out the process to exercise their new birthright denied to them for centuries. After coming out of the cocoon they are facing the challenges of the new world which is not at all kind to them. The disposition of the white is one of arrogance and negligence to the needs of the blacks. The problem is gigantic with millions of black people emerging free in one go. They are probing all the areas to secure their rights and to make a comfortable living. At the time of WW I, a good number of them get recruited in the armed forces, with expectations that their loyalty and patriotism will be appreciated by the authorities and the whites. Being part of the army gives a new confidence and respectability to the source of earnings. Regular monthly payments are assured along with other perquisites, and dignity associated with the rank. Immediately on conclusion of war, black families in large numbers migrated to northern urban centers, like Harlem. To the intellectuals amongst the blacks, this is their opportunity to express their feelings, ideas, protests and the conception of freedom in the real sense of the term. But the white people are not much enthusiastic. Even with value-added position of north, poverty and lack of education continues to engulf the majority of the black community. In New York only a few black-owned business establishments are seen. On the health front, in the absence of adequate medical facilities, the mortality rates for blacks are high and they live in congested colonies exclusively for the blacks. Cary D. Wintz argues, "The Harlem Renaissance was basically a psychology-a state of mind or attitude-shared by a number of black writers and intellectuals…. They were participants in a new awakening of black culture in the United States." (2) Harlem relates to awakening. The black writers have to deal with their own psychology first and come out of the inferiority complex, cultivated through historical processes, not willingly though! Harlem is like the laboratory for all sorts of social and literary experiments and black people live there both with mutual cordiality and hostility, because differences in their view points and approaches to conduct the struggles related to blacks, including that of literature and other forms of arts. Well-known writers like Du Bois and Locke assist young writers like Claude McKay and Countee Cullen and introduce them to the publishers from the North. Economic angle demands serious attention of writers like Du Bois and Hughes and they begin to deal with politics of blacks, to make them politically and socially conscious to pursue radical changes to secure the interest of their people spread all over the country. Many writers view literature as a weapon that has to be used on an on-going basis to secure and firm up civil rights. Division on ideology is normal but their writings highlight the basic problems of the black people. From a narrow passage the writers arrive on the royal road, there are expectations from the writers that they need to take more passionate position politically in writings to awaken the people, make their works more artistic and also in tune with the current needs, to enable them to get wider acceptance and appreciation from the whites. But they are also cautioned against taking extremist stance. Famous writers like Du Bois also realize that progress of the movement on right lines demands responsibility. He argues, “The South believed the educated Negro to be a dangerous Negro. And the South was not wholly wrong; for education among all kinds of men always has had, and always will have, an element of danger and revolution, of dissatisfaction and discontent.” (20). The tug of war between the blacks and whites goes on and that has new dimensions. The black artists need the support of white on more than one count. Hughes understands this dilemma and writes, “The Negro artist works against an undertow of sharp criticism and misunderstanding from his own group and unintentional bribes from the whites". Oh, be respectable, write about nice people, show how good you are,” say the Negroes. “Be stereotyped, don’t go too far, don’t shatter our illusions about you, and don’t amuse us too seriously. We will pay you,” say the whites.”(Hughes, n.p.). The black community desperately wants to show their achievements but the white community has intelligently drawn the line of demarcation and looks out for works that portray the contemporary stereotypes. The black writers have the problem of writing what the white audience is not familiar with. The Harlem Renaissance provides more opportunities for blacks and their works are published through mainstream houses. Many novels and literary creations, articles and short stories see the light of the day during this time. The nation at large welcomes this new surge in literature by black authors. Some of the authors who attain national level fame are Jean Toomer, Zora Neale Hurston, Alain Locke, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay etc. Langston Hughes (1902-1967) employs the mixed audience to serve the objectives in his poem “America.” He mentions, “You are America/I am America (lines 6-7) To maintain the unity of the country is his main objective. In his poem, “The White Ones,” he makes his viewpoints clear to them by addressing to them, “I do not hate you” (lines 1 and 3) In the same poem he expects something from the whites and questions, “Why do you torture me?" (line 7). Hughes is willing to praise the whites and desires that they must reciprocate identical kindness. His famous poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers," is published in his 1926 collection, “The Weary Blues." The poem makes the mention of the rivers of African American history, Nile, Congo to the Mississippi to make their comparison with the soul of the poet, "My soul has grown deep like the rivers. “Another important poem is, “My People," which relates to racial stereotyping and praises the overall beauty of the countenance and finally the souls of the people. Hughes has also written novels, plays, non-fiction works, relating to the African-American subjects. His novel, “Not Without Laughter,’ has won the prize. Claude McKay (1889-1948) is a famous Jamaican American poet, is based at Harlem. His poem “If We Must Die” is written in the background of race riots as a protest. This revolutionary poem pleads for a noble death struggling for rights and dignity. If at all death is inevitable, he calls upon his people to die not like dogs or hogs but “pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!” His novel, “Home to Harlem,” is published in the year 1928.He is well-liked by mixed-audience but he continues to remain associated with the community to which he belongs. De Armond writes, "One should remind oneself of the vast gulf that [McKay] has bridged between his art and his savage African ancestry." (369) He lives at the difficult times of Renaissance. Jean Toomer sees that he escapes the label of being attached to his profession as a black writer. He makes no deliberate mention of racially suggestive titles. His inspiration is the Southern black population. Some of his works are published posthumously. Toomer has a great vision. He visualizes a rejuvenated American people with higher race consciousness, a society that is free from discrimination with no problems like white versus black. Works Cited De Armond, Fred. "A Note on the Sociology of Negro Literature." Opportunity. pp. 369-371, December 1925. Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk (Dover Thrift Editions) Dover Publications; 1994 Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain." The Nation. 23 June 1926, n.d. Posnock, Ross. Color & Culture. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. Read More