Tag: african american literature

+ african american art, african american literature, american history, civil rights, france, history, the stone face, william gardner smith

Rootlessness and Action in William Gardner Smith’s “The Stone Face”

by Unknown's avatar

Over the past few posts, I have been looking at the tensions that Simeon feels in William Gardner Smith’s The Stone Face. Simeon leaves the United States for France, seeking refuge and escape from the racist oppression of white supremacy. He finds, as other African American expatriates do within the novel, the “illusion of safety.” This illusion provides a means of escape, a means … Read More Rootlessness and Action in William Gardner Smith’s “The Stone Face”

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+ Achille Mbembe, african american literature, algeria, france, the stone face, whiteness, william gardner smith

The Illusion of Safety in William Gardner Smith’s “The Stone Face”

by Unknown's avatar

William Gardner Smith’s The Stone Face, as I have written about over the past few posts, revolves around the tension that Simeon feels about living in Paris as the Civil Rights Movement occurs back in the United States. Simeon’s conflict arose partly from Smith’s own experiences as an expatriate in France but also from the experiences of other African America expatriate writes in France … Read More The Illusion of Safety in William Gardner Smith’s “The Stone Face”

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+ african american literature, ann petry, social protest novel, the street, whiteness

Whiteness in Ann Petry’s “The Street”

by Unknown's avatar

Over the last few posts I’ve been looking at the American Dream in Ann Petry’s The Street. Specifically, I’ve examined the ways that Petry uses illusions in the Junto and during Lutie’s ride with Boots Smith as commentary on the mythic nature of the American Dream, the illusory nature of the dream for an African American woman such as Lutie. At the core of … Read More Whiteness in Ann Petry’s “The Street”

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+ african american literature, american dream, ann petry, the street

The American Dream in Ann Petry’s “The Street”: Part III

by Unknown's avatar

Over the last couple of posts, I have been looking at the illusion of the American Dream in Ann Petry’s The Street. Today, I want to continue that discussion by finishing my examination of Lutie’s first visit to the Junto in the novel. During her time at the Junto, the illusion of the space, a space that provides an escape from the oppression of … Read More The American Dream in Ann Petry’s “The Street”: Part III

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+ african american literature, american dream, ann petry, social protest novel, the street

The American Dream in Ann Petry’s “The Street”: Part II

by Unknown's avatar

Last post, I started talking about the ways that Ann Petry confronts the mythological American Dream in her novel The Street. Today, I want to continue that discussion, specifically focusing on chapter six when Lutie goes to the Junto Bar & Grill. In this chapter, the Junto, as it does throughout the novel, serves as an escape from the crushing poverty and oppression that … Read More The American Dream in Ann Petry’s “The Street”: Part II

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