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Example research essay topic: The Souls Of Black Folk - 1,902 words

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The Souls of Black Folk Having written The Souls of Black Folk, William Edward Burghardt DuBois could not even imagine that it would become one of the greatest pieces of southern literature written during his time. This book had a profound impact on how black culture was viewed. The Souls of Black Folk even revolutionized perceptions and attitudes of white society toward black people. Through the usage of brilliant descriptions in the areas of food, symbols, dialect, locations and landmarks, architecture, and characters, DuBois manages to portray the south in its truest form.

The Souls of Black Folk reflects a lot of old wounds about slavery and its remaining consequences on the lives and souls of black folk. DuBois spoke a lot about what would happen in the future and how lives of African Americans have been changed forever. In the books opening chapters, he shows a veil of ignorance which covers the lives of blacks and which he blames a lot on the fact about lack of education. The latter is a key theme in the book because DuBois feels that without education people are not able to live and survive in the land. DuBois was a great visionary.

He wanted a lot for society and the only way one could achieve success was through education. DuBois disagreed with a lot of the traditional black leaders, namely Booker T Washington, who preferred a more submissive approach and did not believe ion the civil rights movement. DuBois took a stab at their ideas, and it produced a challenging effect because, he treated all that Booker T Washington had talked about. DuBois infused the issue of how racism was to be a factor throughout the lives of African-Americans.

He saw how it was going to be almost impossible for blacks especially men to be equal to whites both economically and socially. DuBois believed the key was education. The key, in the sense that if one is educated he is more likely to release and understand his surroundings and somehow rise above it all, and hence come out a better person. The Souls of Black Folks reflects a culture of a lack of enthusiasm to learn and become educated, which today is reflected in the high illiteracy rates among African- Americans. The veil depicted in the book is evidently a metaphor that implies the invisibility of black America, the segregation between whites and blacks, and the obstacles that blacks face in gaining self-consciousness in a racist white society.

The veil seems to be also a metaphor that reoccurs in other novels about black strivings. To DuBois, the veil is not a two dimensional material. It is rather a three dimensional prison that prevents blacks from seeing themselves as they are. Yet instead, it makes them observe the negative stereotypes that whites have of them. To the author, the veil is also both a blind fold and a noose on the existence of "ten thousand" Americans who live and strive invisible and isolated from their white brothers and sisters.

It is obvious that DuBois had written The Souls of Black Folk in order to lift the veil and show the pain and sorrow of striving black people. The Souls of Black Folk represent the authors beliefs and ideas drawn from the social disrespect that faced the black race. His opinions of reconstruction and the steps necessary to advance the black race into harvest wonderful, a world without a color-line are evident in the book. The authors views on the Freedmen's Bureau show that he welcomed the advancements and goals that were attained by the Bureau. Yet he also greatly frowned on the abuse of power and money within the organization. DuBois approved the effort and progress that the bureau obtained.

He noted that while it was not ideal, the organization was a vast labor bureau the whole successful beyond the dreams of thoughtful men. (18) According to the writer, The greatest success of the Freedmen's Bureau lay in the planting of the free school among Negroes, and the idea of free elementary education among all classes in the South. (20) That exploit was the silver lining in the dark cloud of the bureaus judicial functions, which DuBois calls the most perplexing and least successful. (21) DuBois gives the bureau a final compliment which sums up his perception of the organization and the deeds performed. While it was easy to put blame on the bureau for most of the problems concerning the advancement of the black race, DuBois says that to do so would be neither sensible nor just and the work accomplished was not undeserving commendation. (21) He does go on to add that the Negro is not free and is still weighed down by the social problem of prejudice, wrongs that the Bureau could not fix because it was unable to. DuBois placed the advancement of the black race in American society into steps. These steps differed from those of Booker T. Washington, who claimed that the way to survive is through submission. Meekness was achieved chiefly by giving up political power, the fight for civil rights, and the chance for higher education of the Negro youth.

DuBois states that these guidelines contributed to the disenfranchisement of the Negro, the legal creation of a distinct status of civil inferiority for the Negro, and the steady withdrawal of aid from institutions for the higher training of the Negro. (31) Dubois steps towards improving the position of the black race in American society are gathered around the three main types of action and communication between whites and blacks. These are physical proximity, economical relations, and political relations. Physical proximity between the two races rarely offers the chance meeting of the best of blacks with the best of whites. More often, the worst of the white class mingled with the black class and further forged the idea of oppression. Economic relations between the classes are also severely stressed.

The black slave has been taught to be just that, a slave. They are willing and good-natured, but not self-reliant, provident, or careful. (102) DuBois claims for the South to push economic development to the edge, the black laborer needs personal guidance, group leadership of men with hearts in their bosoms, to train them with foresight, carefulness, and honesty. Finally, there must be acceptance towards the idea of racial prejudice in the South is a fact, one that can only be wiped out by time and using the powers available to the black race. DuBois states the greatest of these powers is the power of the ballot, which concerns the third interaction between the two races, the political movement. He implores the value of voting and keeping an active interest in government and politics so as not too be left helpless or left to the exploitation and detachment of the worst. DuBois adds that for the two races to be in harmony, they must both be able to understand and show compassion towards one another.

While any advancement of a race during a time of great oppression and prejudice will be seen as forward progress and goon in nature, DuBois grasps the idea that while Reconstruction and the Freedman's Bureau were a large help to the black race and its advancement in the South, the latter was guided as a temporary solution to the plight of the Negro. Only by following the steps outlined and gaining an understanding of what they must achieve to lift their kinsmen above bigotry could the Negro fully emancipate himself and wander free among the people that had oppressed his kind for so many generations. At the beginning of each chapter, DuBois quotes Sorrow Songs These songs provide the reader with a soul song that African- Americans used to sing on the plantation to make the day go by faster. These are songs that only the African- Americans knew, as they were the only ones to sing them since they were not allowed to sing or involve themselves in any sort of recreational activity whatsoever. In one song, the author writes, O Black boy of Atlanta! But half was spoken The slaves chains and the masters Alike are broken; The one curse of the races Held both in tether; They are rising- all are rising- The black and white together.

This song is one of the ones that the slaves would sing on the plantation in Atlanta. This song is extremely defective of the slaves in Atlanta. DuBois explains Atlanta to be a place where much of slavery occurred. DuBois noted that Atlanta, as a whole was extremely concerned with material things, largely money and wealth. Isnt it ironic that a city that was so concerned with money and wealth during the period of slavery is so ridden with poverty at the present time? Although Atlanta was one of the worst cities during the time of slavery, it was also one of the first to allow the black people to be educated.

However, these universities were segregated, of course. There was William & Mary for the White Folk and there was Howard University for the Black Folk. The African- Americans received a much lesser chance at education and their universities were not even comparable to the universities for the white people. DuBois also makes many references to the cotton plantation, perhaps the most popular job for African-Americans to do while they were enslaved. He makes an analogy of The Black Sea and The Golden Fleece.

This is entirely correct since sometimes there were hundreds of African-Americans on a cotton field working their day away for no pay. Slaves were beaten, left unclothed and without food. In conclusion, this book was extremely difficult reading but retold horrifying tales of the black mans struggle in America both before and after slavery was abolished. The Souls of Black Folk is an early 20 th century novel written in response to the Emancipation Proclamation set by Abraham Lincoln to declare African- Americans as free people. This book is a collection of autobiographical and historical essays and contains many various themes.

While reading this work attentively, the themes of souls and their attainment of consciousness become evident as well as the themes of double consciousness and the duality and division of black life and culture. The novel is extremely thick and is quite difficult to read. However, it is also extremely insightful. The book provides the reader with much knowledge as to what the African Americans were feeling and experiencing at the close of the 1800 s. DuBois makes it extremely clear that there was no racial justice at the close of the Civil War and that the black people were still being unjustly persecuted and humiliated, just as they were during slavery.

Although it is not legal, there was still much segregation between the black people and the white people of America. In this astonishing piece of southern literature, DuBois captures the readers mind, takes a person on an amazing journey to the south while at the same time raising the moral and mental issues about the perceptions of African-Americans within white men dominated society at the dawn of the 20 th century. To say the least, it is truly a great work of art which should be paid more attention. Bibliography: DuBois, W. E. B.

The Souls of Black Folk. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 1989.


Free research essays on topics related to: african americans, whites and blacks, freedmen bureau, 20 th century, booker t washington

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