📕African American Literature – Before 1900 Unit 1 – Intro to Early African American Literature

Key Concepts and Themes

• Slavery and its impact on African American identity, culture, and literature
• Resistance and resilience in the face of oppression and dehumanization
  • Slave narratives as a form of resistance and self-assertion
  • Spirituals and folktales as means of preserving cultural heritage and expressing hope
• The struggle for freedom, equality, and human rights
• The influence of African oral traditions on early African American literature
  • Use of storytelling, folktales, and myths
  • Incorporation of call-and-response patterns and repetition
• The role of religion and spirituality in African American literature
  • Christianity as a source of hope, solace, and inspiration
  • Syncretism of African religious beliefs with Christian teachings
• The importance of literacy and education for African Americans
  • Learning to read and write as a means of empowerment and liberation
• The intersection of race, gender, and class in shaping African American experiences

Historical Context

• The transatlantic slave trade and the Middle Passage
  • Millions of Africans forcibly transported to the Americas
  • Inhumane conditions and high mortality rates during the journey
• The institution of slavery in the United States
  • Chattel slavery and the dehumanization of African Americans
  • The economic and social impact of slavery on American society
• The American Revolution and its implications for African Americans
  • The hypocrisy of the founding fathers regarding slavery and freedom
  • The hope and disappointment of African Americans in the aftermath of the revolution
• The rise of the abolitionist movement in the early 19th century
  • The efforts of black and white abolitionists to end slavery
  • The role of literature in promoting the abolitionist cause
• The Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation
  • The impact of the war on African American lives and literature
  • The promise and limitations of emancipation for former slaves

Major Authors and Works

• Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)
  • First published African American poet
  • Notable works: "On Being Brought from Africa to America," "To the University of Cambridge, in New England"
• Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797)
  • Former slave who became a prominent abolitionist and writer
  • Notable work: "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African"
• Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)
  • Former slave, abolitionist, and one of the most influential African American writers of the 19th century
  • Notable works: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," "My Bondage and My Freedom"
• Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897)
  • Former slave who wrote about her experiences, focusing on the unique challenges faced by enslaved women
  • Notable work: "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"
• Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911)
  • Abolitionist, suffragist, and poet
  • Notable works: "Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects," "Iola Leroy, or Shadows Uplifted"

Literary Styles and Techniques

• Slave narratives as a distinct genre
  • First-person accounts of life under slavery
  • Emphasis on the authenticity and truthfulness of the narrative
  • Use of vivid descriptions and emotional appeals to evoke sympathy and outrage
• The influence of the Enlightenment and Romanticism on early African American literature
  • Emphasis on reason, individual rights, and the power of nature
  • The use of sentimentality and emotional appeal to engage readers
• The use of biblical allusions and religious imagery
  • Drawing parallels between the experiences of African Americans and biblical stories of oppression and deliverance
• The incorporation of African American vernacular and dialect
  • Representing the unique speech patterns and linguistic innovations of African Americans
  • Challenging the dominant literary conventions and asserting cultural identity
• The subversive use of irony, satire, and double entendre
  • Critiquing and undermining the logic of slavery and racism
  • Communicating hidden meanings and messages to African American readers

Cultural Significance

• Early African American literature as a foundation for later literary movements
  • Harlem Renaissance, Black Arts Movement, and contemporary African American literature
• The role of early African American literature in shaping American culture and identity
  • Challenging dominant narratives and stereotypes about African Americans
  • Contributing to the ongoing struggle for civil rights and social justice
• The influence of early African American literature on other marginalized groups
  • Inspiring and informing the literature of other oppressed peoples (women, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants)
• The importance of preserving and studying early African American literature
  • Understanding the historical and cultural context of African American experiences
  • Recognizing the resilience, creativity, and contributions of African Americans in the face of adversity

Critical Analysis

• The debate over the authenticity and authorship of early African American texts
  • Questions of literacy, agency, and editorial intervention
  • The role of white abolitionists in shaping and promoting early African American literature
• Feminist and intersectional approaches to early African American literature
  • Examining the unique experiences and perspectives of African American women writers
  • Analyzing the intersections of race, gender, and class in shaping literary production and reception
• Postcolonial and diaspora studies perspectives on early African American literature
  • Exploring the connections between African American literature and African oral traditions
  • Situating early African American literature within the broader context of the African diaspora
• The limitations and challenges of studying early African American literature
  • The scarcity and fragmentation of surviving texts
  • The need for interdisciplinary approaches and critical imagination in interpreting and contextualizing the literature

Connections to Later Literature

• The continuing influence of slave narratives on African American literature
  • Neo-slave narratives and contemporary works that revisit and reimagine the experiences of slavery
• The legacy of early African American poets and their impact on later generations
  • The influence of Phillis Wheatley on poets like Paul Laurence Dunbar and Langston Hughes
• The relationship between early African American literature and the Harlem Renaissance
  • The rediscovery and celebration of early African American writers during the Harlem Renaissance
  • The continuity and innovation in themes, styles, and techniques between the two periods
• The role of early African American literature in shaping contemporary African American identity and culture
  • The ongoing significance of themes like freedom, resistance, and self-determination
  • The continued exploration of the African American experience through literature and other artistic forms

Further Reading and Resources

• "The Norton Anthology of African American Literature" edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Valerie Smith
  • Comprehensive collection of African American literature from the 18th century to the present
• "The Slave's Narrative" edited by Charles T. Davis and Henry Louis Gates Jr.
  • Collection of essays exploring the history, themes, and significance of slave narratives
• "The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism" by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
  • Influential work of literary criticism examining African American literary traditions and techniques
• "Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience" edited by Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates Jr.
  • Comprehensive reference work covering African and African American history, culture, and literature
• Digital archives and databases of early African American literature
  • North American Slave Narratives (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
  • African American Poetry (Library of Congress)
  • Documenting the American South (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)