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    African American Lit

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    María José González
    African American literature originated in the 18th century as slaves developed their own voice and identity within the context of slavery and colonial race relations. Religion played a major role as conversion to Christianity challenged ideas of black inferiority and the justification of slavery. Early works were often stories told orally then later written down, dealing with themes of the struggle for freedom, black identity and experience, and the role of language and community among black people.

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    African American Lit

    Uploaded by

    María José González
    11 views2 pages
    African American literature originated in the 18th century as slaves developed their own voice and identity within the context of slavery and colonial race relations. Religion played a major role as conversion to Christianity challenged ideas of black inferiority and the justification of slavery. Early works were often stories told orally then later written down, dealing with themes of the struggle for freedom, black identity and experience, and the role of language and community among black people.

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    AFRICAN AMERICAN LIT

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    African American literature originated in the 18th century as slaves developed their own voice and identity within the context of slavery and colonial race relations. Religion played a major role as conversion to Christianity challenged ideas of black inferiority and the justification of slavery. Early works were often stories told orally then later written down, dealing with themes of the struggle for freedom, black identity and experience, and the role of language and community among black people.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    11 views2 pages

    African American Lit

    Uploaded by

    María José González
    African American literature originated in the 18th century as slaves developed their own voice and identity within the context of slavery and colonial race relations. Religion played a major role as conversion to Christianity challenged ideas of black inferiority and the justification of slavery. Early works were often stories told orally then later written down, dealing with themes of the struggle for freedom, black identity and experience, and the role of language and community among black people.

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    AFRICAN AMERICAN LIT

    - ORIGINATED IN THE 18TH CENTURY


    - Against the backdrop of colonial race relations and cannot be understood
    without knowledge of issues of authority, voice, appropriation, and
    attribution .
    - Free workforce was “beneficial” for big plantaintions, it became a part of
    the economic system. Developing certain ideas of inferiority vis a vis Black
    people… they were traded for by other africans.
    - Colonial race relations were ambiguoius at first (with clear discriminatory
    practices but still ambigious) adn then completely dictated by slavery in
    the 18th century, specially in Southern plantations
    - Even if it was constitutionally established, there were some counter
    tendencies, even in the south.
    - In the north it was more
    complicated since they
    weren’t isolated in the
    owner plantations.
    - Negro election
    - Set complex and
    cultural relations, there
    Slaves were places where the
    community could
    express themselves, and
    that created an idea and
    thoughts of their own
    situation.

    RELIGION PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN THE EMERGENCE OF AA


    LITERATURE
    - Conversion was a really big influence:
    - Christianity = freedom. They have a soul = they are people = why are they
    enslaved?
    - Awareness of slave condition and awareness of the deabtes about it in
    Europe.
    - Comprehension and argumentative use of scriptures (the idea that black
    people descend from Ham, Noah’s son) = challenge to the notion of
    inferiority - “we understand the scripture as well as you”.
    - Many missionaries and slave owners triet to messsage that conversion
    would make slaves more docile. But they couldn’t forget that all humans are
    equal.
    - No way to sustain slavery through Christian arguments.
    - Quakers were the first group to point this out, they were beaten,
    exiled and killed
    - Conversion also broughtes education and literacy.- ability to interpret
    scriptures, and proclaim gospel. It challenged the idea that intellect was a
    white thing. It provided black communities with a voice.

    Anti-slavery argument was championed by the quakers, masters and slaves would sit
    together and exchange stories. Slaves told thier sotries. It sshowed that slaves provided
    the force behide white-driven anti-slavery movement. (plus a sotry telling tradition began
    to take shape; they started orally and then they were written down like 12 Years a
    Slave)

    Some names:
    - Phillips Wheatley
    - Jupiter Harmon
    - Frederick Douglass
    - Harriet Jacobs
    - W.E.B. Du Bois

    GENERAL THEMES AND CHARACTERISTICS

    - the struggle for freedom - racism, slavery and social equality.


    - Black Identity
    - Black experience in history and memory as well as their role within the larger
    american society
    - Language and music. Aa writing has influences of oral forms like sermons,
    gospel music, blues, jazz, hip-hop. And rap
    - Family and community.

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