26 Jan Visit The Library of Congress

American Literature

Week 6 Discussion

DQ1 Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois

Instructions

Minority writers’s voices were heard and given respect in America during this period. Among those voices were Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. Booker T. Washington materials give us a real opportunity to talk about the construction of an American identity, of an autobiography, and of a text that converses with other important documents in our cultural history. Writing at the very end of the nineteenth century, Washington was deeply aware of the historical and literary moment in which he was working: Franklin, Jacobs, Douglass, Whitman, Ulysses S. Grant, and many other autobiographers had already done much to establish the pace, subject matter, and general configurations of an American life. Read his brief biography (p. 699 – 701).

Du Bois had a different point of view about the black man and woman in America and is recognized as a strong spokesperson for his time. His life was very different from Washington’s and that is depicted in his writings, which influence American dialogue about race today. Read Mr. Du Bois’s brief biography (p. 918 – 920).

Discuss the following in 500 words or more by Friday at 11:55 pm EST, then respond to one classmate’s post by Sunday at 11:55 pm EST.

In Chapter XIV in Up from Slavery, Mr. Washington addresses the Atlanta (Georgia) Exposition. His achievements by the time of this address were many, and his invitation to speak was recognition of his intelligence and discipline.

Contrast W. E. B. Du Bois and his approach to the situation of black Americans and his writing, Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others (p. 927).

Do you think Mr. Du Bois respected Mr. Washington and his point of view on black opportunities and equality? If not, why not? If you think he did, provide examples to show your point of view.

DQ2 Voices of Immigrants; Jose Marti

Instructions

Visit The Library of Congress ” A Century of Immigration, 1820-1924 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/haventohome/haven-century.html which has a great deal of information on the immigration of Jewish people to America. Many immigrants came to America with the hope of a better life than the one they had left. The Cuban poet, Jose Marti, was a prolific writer. Read his brief biography (p. 691 – 692). Then read “Our America”, which is his most widely published essay about his concerns for Latin independence and American dominance in the hemisphere.

Discuss your analysis of Marti’s concerns, and post your work by Thursday in the Discussion thread, responding to one classmate by Saturday.