Depictions of Home in African American Literature

This book studies fictional homespaces in African American literature from those set in the time of slavery to modern urban configurations of the homespace. The author examines the factors that influence homespaces in African American literature and analyzes why African American writers often portray troubling and dysfunctional homespaces.

List of contents

Introduction: Home in African American Literature: Difficult to Define, Challenging to Claim
Chapter 1: Movement, Migration, and Homelessness
Margaret Walker's Jubilee (1966)
Chapter 2: Where I Live is Not Home
James Baldwin, Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953); Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970);
Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog (2001)
Chapter 3: Lonely Place, Unwelcoming Space
A. J. Verdelle's The Good Negress (1995)
Chapter 4: A Mother's Desire, A Son's Hell
Daniel Black's Perfect Peace (2010)
Chapter 5: A Mother's Domination, A Family's Submission
Dorothy West's The Living Is Easy (1940)
Chapter 6: Wrapped in Imagination and Desire
Countee Cullen, "Heritage"; Ann Petry, "Mother Africa"; Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun (1959); Alice Walker, "Everyday Use" (1973); Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon (1977); Phyllis Alesia Perry, Stigmata (1998); Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing (2016); James Weldon Johnson; Sterling A. Brown
Conclusion: While We're in This Place . . .

About the author

Trudier Harris is University Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of English at the University of Alabama.

Summary

This book studies fictional homespaces in African American literature from those set in the time of slavery to modern urban configurations of the homespace. The author examines the factors that influence homespaces in African American literature and analyzes why African American writers often portray troubling and dysfunctional homespaces.

Product details

• Authors: Trudier Harris, Harris Trudier
• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.09.2023
• EAN: 9781793649652
• ISBN: 978-1-79364-965-2
• No. of pages: 232
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; USA, English, Social & cultural history, LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / General, Literature: history & criticism, Social and cultural history, United States of America, USA, Ethnic groups and multicultural studies, Literature: history and criticism, Black & Asian Studies, LITERARY CRITICISM / American / African American & Black, Relating to African American / Black American people