Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority Commons^™

Assimilation In Charles W. Chesnutt's Works, Mary C. Harris

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Charles W. Chesnutt captures the essence of the Post Civil War period and gives examples of the assimilation process for African Americans into dominant white culture. In doing so, he shows the resistance of the dominant culture as well as the resilience of the African American culture. It is his belief that through literature he could encourage moral reform and eliminate racial discrimination. As an African American author who could pass for white, he is able to share his own experiences and to develop black characters who are ambitious and intelligent. As a result, he leaves behind a legacy …