Three short essays
注：此文为ELIA同学100分钟现场考试英文笔试内容，备忘留念。
Period one short essay
The first period is the literature of slavery and freedom. This period has many specific concerns. During this era, people oppose to suppression from the tyrant; they resist slavery and searched for freedom. They saw so much pain and suffering happen on this land due to slavery, exploitation, and racial discrimination. Therefore, people, especially colored people, are looking for rebellion and a free spirit. They want their self-esteem to be protected and respected. People desired to see less prejudice and more equality and dedication to dignity in society.
It is worth mentioning that the literature in the first period has many distinctive features. For example, the literature works praise the power of god in many times; they complement Christianity and show gratitude to the good-spirit god. Many poets think it is the god who saves them and salvages the slaves’ painful destinies and many contents of poems appeals to the Christian gospel. God brings welfare and happiness to the land and lets slaves release from oppression. The literature at this time also applies many vivid literary techniques, including imagery, simile, repetition, and appeals to pathos. The tone is mainly complicated. Sometimes the tone is ironic, complaining about the unfair treatment of black people they experienced. Sometimes the tone is hopeful, the poets expressed their desire for searching for peace and well-being. Most of the literature works write surround the main theme of slavery and rebellion.
Next, I will talk about two different literature works at this time and introduce their two different aspects. The first poem is Phillis Wheatley’s "On Being Brought from Africa to America”. The second poem is Frances E. W. Harper’s "Ethiopia”. The first poem talks about the purification, and growth we gained from Christianity. It shows appreciation for god and Christianity. The author has the firm belief that whatever race will be salvaged by religion. Even though black people might experience many inhumane treatments, they will eventually be purified by the Christian religion. Frances E. W. Harper’s “Ethiopia” effectively reflects the chaos, poorness, and sorrow that slavery brings to Ethiopia country. According to the historical context, the European colonizers occupies and governs harshly Ethiopia. They have a tyrant which terrorized the Ethiopian people and create much resentment. The Ethiopian people have been restricted both mentally and physically.
Period two short essay
The second period is the reconstruction of the new negro renaissance. During this special period, people have many concerns as well. During this era, we promote social changes which is the abolition of slavery in Africa America. Black people maintain strong hope and desire that the slavery term and relevant legislation will be eliminated and the period of oppression and unequal treatment will eventually end. However, in the process, the change of social norms has experienced many twists and turns. Finally, the Jim Crow laws have been proposed and established. Jim Crow laws is the most apparent form of racial segregation, marginalizing colored people’s rights to vote, get education, and get proper job opportunities. The time of the new negro renaissance is the most depressing and desperate period for slaves since they thought their optimistic and bright future will eventually come while not. They will be under severe and unkind control for another long time and people who are against the laws will probably experience sentence and death.
In this period, the literature has many distinctive features to analyze. Most literature works are talking about the theme of racial segregation. Throughout the different literary works, we could tell the African Americans’ inner hope and struggles. We could also understand specific racial cultures, getting more detailed information and knowledge about the community. The literature even provides us with many relevant historical contexts of that specific period and the effect that legislation—Jim Crow laws— brought to society. What’s more, more and more people pay attention to Africa America folk traditions and cultural dialects.
Next, I will introduce two different literature works; they both introduce two different aspects. The first poem is Paul Laurence Dunbar's "Ode to Ethiopia,” and the second poem is Alice Moore Dunbar Nelson’s "I Sit and Sew”. In the first poem, the author expresses pride and love toward their own Ethiopian race. There is a strong sense of patriotism. The author sees themselves—-African-American—— as a charming race; in other words, he depicts their ethnicity as an earnest, honest, and hardheaded community. They portray themselves as always working hard and dedicated in extreme working conditions. Many good virtues can be attributed to this ethnicity, including being kind, loyal, and persistent. Even though Ethiopian people might experience many sufferings and creates much resentment, they still express optimistic hope, believing a promising prospect will come and that evil will be defeated. The second poem"I Sit and Sew” stresses the dedication of soldiers on the battlefield, how they experience the cruelty of war, and how brave and persistent they are when facing death. The main protagonist has a strong desire to help those people and do some good for the world instead of doing this boring job all day which is sewing. The poem presents sympathy to the soldiers and shows resentment and resistance toward the holocaust. More importantly, the poet emphasizes the aspect that how the gender of black women has been prevented from dedicating to World War I service opportunities. The world and society assigned women’s destinies as doing sewage jobs instead of something more meaningful. History restricted women’s rights in many ways.
Period three short essay
The third period is Harlem Renaissance. This specific time period has many concerns. The most apparent and important concern is racial injustice. It raises a common consciousness of racial inequality among people. Harlem Renaissance has main concern on civil rights, reform organizations, and promoting social changes. It also presents a sense of pride, devotion, and determination in its own Africa-America ethnicity and culture.
During this specific period, the literature has many distinctive features to analyze. Specifically, it provides us with many detailed sources on Black cultures and the historical context of the period between the end of World War I to the onset of the Great Depression. What’s more, the Harlem Renaissance literary works have the main goal of showing the strength, charm, and many other good virtues of African-American ethnicity. In many literary works, we could find the authors’ self-doubt about their African American identity. They put a lot of effort into searching for their African American identity and gaining their own understanding and insights. In some of the poems, the authors gave broader and more comprehensive definitions on this previous and honor race. In general, artists during this era mostly have more freedom and courage to express their true thoughts. Their artistic and literal expression is bold and unrestricted.
I will then introduce the two different works as two examples; each of them expresses a different aspect. The first poem is Zora Neale Hurston: "How It Feels to be Colored Me” and the second poem is Countee Cullen’s "Yet Do I Marvel.” In the poem of "How It Feels to be Colored Me”, the author shows her optimistic attitude of being a black person and facing racism. She describes her personal experience of growing up in a black community and then going out to face the outside world. Throughout the poem, we could tell her positive and proud attitude toward her own ethnicity and all the conflicts and difficulties she encountered in her growth. What’s more, the author try to redefine the Africa America ethnicity which is quite civilized and energetic. In Zora Neale Hurston’s perspective, the black race shouldn’t restrict her, restrict her growth, her opportunities and her desires, same to all the other people in her community. In the poem of "Yet Do I Marvel,” the author expresses his query toward the god. On one hand, he praises the power of the god, accomplishing its goodness. On the other hand, he questions that why god allows him to be both a black person and a poet since being a black poet has to face many discrimination and can not express his thoughts freely. The poem also stresses the racial injustice faced by black people, especially from a perspective of a poet. The author portrays the complicated mind of god which is doing good things and creating issues at the same time. In the meantime, the author states his own conflicted and perplexed situation, which is his current plight and dark future as a black poet in the unequal society.
评论