Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Exploring African American Identity In Harlem: Carl Van Vechten's Nigger Heaven, Michelle Lynn Simone
Exploring African American Identity In Harlem: Carl Van Vechten's Nigger Heaven, Michelle Lynn Simone
Theses & Honors Papers
Carl Van Vechten became a predominant figure within Harlem Renaissance literary circles because of his patronage of black artists and his 1926 novel Nigger Heaven. The novel depicts scenes of cabarets and Harlem night life, emphasizing themes of racial prejudice and the struggle for identity in the black culture. Van Vechten's fictional portrayal of Harlem received mixed reviews--to say the least. Many black authors and critics aligned themselves with W.E.B. Du Bois and lambasted the bawdy scenes and racially derogatory title. Others, including James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes, defended Van Vechten' s astute observations of Harlem and his skillful …
Anne Sexton's Poetic Quest For God, Heather Lee Lustig
Anne Sexton's Poetic Quest For God, Heather Lee Lustig
Theses & Honors Papers
Critics including Alicia Ostriker and Diana Hume George believe Anne Sexton's poetic quest for God to be a failure. Ostriker asserts that Sexton's pursuit of a loving God in whom she can have faith ends merely as "a heroic failure." Her statement echoes George's description of the "pathetic end of Anne Sexton's quest for the Father." These critics view Sexton's quest through the perspective of orthodox Christianity's patriarchal system. However, while sexton seeks a Father figure who will not oppress her but rather save her from self destruction, she redefines her "religion" and God to include women. She merges with …