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A review by marknemeth
Iola Leroy: Or Shadows Uplifted by Frances E.W. Harper
4.0
As a novel, Iola Leroy is a disappointment. The chronological jumps are clunky, and the narrative arc meanders into nothingness about halfway through. The dialogue is either heavily stilted or excessively depicted as phonetically spelled dialect. (And what’s the point of spelling “poor” as “pore”?)
However, as a historical record of the author’s perception of racial issues in 19th century America, the book is quite interesting. Ms. Harper’s views on the dynamics of racism and the means of societal oppression struck me as remarkably contemporary and nuanced. It’s worth reading this, if only to demonstrate that many perceived-as-modern ideas about systematic discrimination are not, as is sometimes asserted, the products of 21st century revisionism; they’ve been around at least since 1892.
However, as a historical record of the author’s perception of racial issues in 19th century America, the book is quite interesting. Ms. Harper’s views on the dynamics of racism and the means of societal oppression struck me as remarkably contemporary and nuanced. It’s worth reading this, if only to demonstrate that many perceived-as-modern ideas about systematic discrimination are not, as is sometimes asserted, the products of 21st century revisionism; they’ve been around at least since 1892.