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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
There is much that can be said about DuBois' seminal book The Souls of Black Folk in regards to its lasting impact on US race relations, critical race theory, and political/social change. I want to focus my review mostly on DuBois' ability to tell a compelling story, as I believe it is his greatest strength. The essays in which DuBois is elaborating on his travels, telling the stories of black folks that he has met or that he has heard the story of are the most affecting. They bolster the more rhetorical and traditionally essay-ish chapters in which he advocates for an expansion of voting rights, increased access to education (both vocational and non), and economic support for African Americans.
Five chapters in particular stand out to me as exemplary of DuBois' ability as a story teller, and his consciousness of the importance of telling the story of individual persons rather than describing simply a large group of people without attentiveness to the particularity of their situations. First, is "Of the Meaning of Progress" in which DuBois tells of his experience teaching in a town in Tennessee, and the devastating impact racial segregation and inequality have on the populace. This chapter is particularly affecting because it is DuBois investing his first-hand experience into a very rich and affective language (DuBois is a phenomenal wordsmith). I will not go into the details at too great a length or depth, because I believe it is best to allow the work to speak for itself.
Next is "Of the Black Belt," in which he describes the then current situation of black laborers in Georgia who subsist and are forced to remain on the lands of former slaveholders in order to survive. The penury that DuBois describes is accompanied by a breakdown of the history of the "Black Belt" and an examination of the economic repercussions of slavery, overfarming, and a new system that closely resembles (with key differences) the prior institution of slavery.
Third is DuBois' account of the death of his own child in "On the Passing of the First-Born." The language is so soaring, so beautiful, so pitiful in this section that I was brought to tears reading his description. DuBois employs a very elevated style in this chapter (not unlike in other chapters when he is breaking down the theory and policy behind other thinkers of the day), but it is no less affecting than a simple or plain style would be. DuBois' deployment of frankly poetic language to remember the death of his child strikes me as a move that highlights the devastation he feels, and serves as a tribute to what could have been as well as a recognition of what was taken from him and the world.
Fourth is an essay on Alexnader Crummel (helpfully titled "Of Alexander Crummel") in which DuBois retells the story of Crummel's life and his attempts to become a preacher in a black church, as well as the difficulties that he faced in attempting to receive a religious education. The simple description I have given does not convey the importance of DuBois' storytelling ability here, as this is the first account in which I believe DuBois takes himself out of the picture in order to accurately convey the moving and terrible story of Crummel's oppression.
Fifth and finally, is "Of the Coming of John." Here is what I believe to be the zenith of DuBois' ability. DuBois recounts the tale of one of his students, filling in details that seem impossible for him to know, and taking on an authorial persona more impressive than any we have seen prior to this.
DuBois' ability as a storyteller is incomparable in this collection, and I think this is an essential read for that reason alone. Beyond that, there is a great deal that DuBois has to say about the specific structures of US racial policy that persists to this day (The Veil, the Color-Line, the role of slave songs in American music, etc.).
Five chapters in particular stand out to me as exemplary of DuBois' ability as a story teller, and his consciousness of the importance of telling the story of individual persons rather than describing simply a large group of people without attentiveness to the particularity of their situations. First, is "Of the Meaning of Progress" in which DuBois tells of his experience teaching in a town in Tennessee, and the devastating impact racial segregation and inequality have on the populace. This chapter is particularly affecting because it is DuBois investing his first-hand experience into a very rich and affective language (DuBois is a phenomenal wordsmith). I will not go into the details at too great a length or depth, because I believe it is best to allow the work to speak for itself.
Next is "Of the Black Belt," in which he describes the then current situation of black laborers in Georgia who subsist and are forced to remain on the lands of former slaveholders in order to survive. The penury that DuBois describes is accompanied by a breakdown of the history of the "Black Belt" and an examination of the economic repercussions of slavery, overfarming, and a new system that closely resembles (with key differences) the prior institution of slavery.
Third is DuBois' account of the death of his own child in "On the Passing of the First-Born." The language is so soaring, so beautiful, so pitiful in this section that I was brought to tears reading his description. DuBois employs a very elevated style in this chapter (not unlike in other chapters when he is breaking down the theory and policy behind other thinkers of the day), but it is no less affecting than a simple or plain style would be. DuBois' deployment of frankly poetic language to remember the death of his child strikes me as a move that highlights the devastation he feels, and serves as a tribute to what could have been as well as a recognition of what was taken from him and the world.
Fourth is an essay on Alexnader Crummel (helpfully titled "Of Alexander Crummel") in which DuBois retells the story of Crummel's life and his attempts to become a preacher in a black church, as well as the difficulties that he faced in attempting to receive a religious education. The simple description I have given does not convey the importance of DuBois' storytelling ability here, as this is the first account in which I believe DuBois takes himself out of the picture in order to accurately convey the moving and terrible story of Crummel's oppression.
Fifth and finally, is "Of the Coming of John." Here is what I believe to be the zenith of DuBois' ability. DuBois recounts the tale of one of his students, filling in details that seem impossible for him to know, and taking on an authorial persona more impressive than any we have seen prior to this.
Spoiler
The story he tells is of John, a black youth from Georgia who comes North in order to receive an education at the behest of his mother and his community. He struggles in school, but eventually develops into a mature and thoughtful young man. John is plagued by the weight of his newfound knowledge and consciousness as he becomes aware of the enforced docility and oppression that white America has imposed on its black population. John travels around the North for a while, before eventually returning home to begin and institute change in his home. However, the conservative white upper class holds other plans, as they do not want a league of thinking black citizens to challenge the current racial hierarchy. He also experiences tension within his own black community, as they see John as wishing to drastically alter their faith and way of life. Eventually, John is ousted from his post as a teacher in the all-black school, and kills the son of a prominent member of the community just as the son is trying to rape John's sister. Having lost much of the support of his community and having struck a nail into his own coffin, John waits by the sea awaiting his fate. The end sees John lynched while his memory soars with the sound of an opera he heard briefly in New York.DuBois' ability as a storyteller is incomparable in this collection, and I think this is an essential read for that reason alone. Beyond that, there is a great deal that DuBois has to say about the specific structures of US racial policy that persists to this day (The Veil, the Color-Line, the role of slave songs in American music, etc.).
I was lucky to have had a history teacher that was honest about how black folks were screwed over after abolition but reading this was a completely different experience. Maybe its cause I listened to the audio book but it felt so personal, like my granddad was telling me about his life. I will for sure be reading it again to pick up on some more of this raw openness that I might have missed the first time.
This book is full of masterful rhetoric (particularly Du Bois's takedown of Booker T. Washington and the Atlanta Compromise), powerful observation and heartbreaking self-disclosure. It's amazing to think that it was published 110 years ago, and disheartening to realize how far we still have to go re: race in the USA.
This book is good. Not just read-it-for-class-and-be-glad-it's-not-painful good, but actually good. I read it for a class I'm taking with Cornel West, and I can well believe his claim that this is a foundational text not just for African-American literature, but for American literature.
The fourth and second to last chapters, "Of the Passing of the First Born" and "Of the Coming of John" broke my heart.
There is some really wonderful playing with genres here as well: historical/factual, anecdotal, fictional, musical...it's all fair game, and it's all great.
The fourth and second to last chapters, "Of the Passing of the First Born" and "Of the Coming of John" broke my heart.
There is some really wonderful playing with genres here as well: historical/factual, anecdotal, fictional, musical...it's all fair game, and it's all great.
web du bois is a fantastic writer and social scientist. this is an incredibly fundamental work of history and sociology. as this was written pretty early on in du bois’s career, it’s not quite as revolutionary as his latter works.
Such beautiful prose!
“On the Coming of John” deserves to be proclaimed as one of the greatest pieces of short fiction in the English language
“On the Coming of John” deserves to be proclaimed as one of the greatest pieces of short fiction in the English language
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced