"We proceeded to build our language in inflections of voice, through tonal variety, by hurried speech, in honeyed drawls, by rolling our eyes, by flourishing our hands, by assigning to common, simple words new meanings, meanings which enabled us to speak of revolt in the actual presence of the Lords of the Land without their being aware!"
I found Wright's prose on the history and state of Black America to be interesting and compelling. He passes through events in time without being a historian, and highlights anecdotes of strife without completely assigning propaganda. In this passage, he shows the necessity of the oratory and the dialect in Black America, and later on reiterates it through the passage about songs and church. He also makes sure to point out that the songs are not always convincing enough to cover the abhorred thralldom of their lives under plantations and poverty. The most compelling part of this prose for me was the pictures. The intensity of realism brought his words to life.
I found Wright's prose on the history and state of Black America to be interesting and compelling. He passes through events in time without being a historian, and highlights anecdotes of strife without completely assigning propaganda. In this passage, he shows the necessity of the oratory and the dialect in Black America, and later on reiterates it through the passage about songs and church. He also makes sure to point out that the songs are not always convincing enough to cover the abhorred thralldom of their lives under plantations and poverty. The most compelling part of this prose for me was the pictures. The intensity of realism brought his words to life.
Wright's prose on African American culture proves noteworthy because of its simple yet insightful notion on the beginnings of African American culture, unified based on the singularity of language and its inherent cultural aspect. African American history points toward the significance of specific dialect and cultural awareness in regards to the African Diaspora, and this quote blatantly portrays the motive and need for a unifying means to distance and separate the African American identity from Southern culture as a whole. The whole idea of cultural awareness stems from the initial steps taken in that direction, and Wright's prose hits it head on.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion Question: How does the visual aspect of Wright's prose strengthen his overall message of cultural identity and pride?