The souls of black folk chapter 7 lit response

Markeia Scruggs

January 11, 2010

lit response

Ms. Brown

“The Souls of Black Folk” (chapter 7)

With race relations, political views and economic stance in mind, “The Souls of Black Folk” has been developed. W.E.B. Du Bois creates a work that satisfies the pathos of the reader. It also depicts the social and racial aspects of society and how they play a part in the lives of slave, newly freedmen etc. Social realism is key in the reading. In chapter seven, the social realism of the migration of black and the population boom in the south hits home.

Slavery was huge and showed no sign of ceasing. For instance, “How the Africans poured in! –fifty thousand between 1790 and 1810, and then, from Virginia and from smugglers, two thousand a year for many years more. So the thirty thousand Negroes of Georgia in 1790 doubled in a decade, -were over a hundred thousand in 1810, had reached two hundred thousand in 1820, and half a million at the time of the war. Thus like a snake the black population writhed upward.” (pg.106) Slavery was at it’s peak during the time period of the late 1700’s to the early 1800’s. The slaves seemed to have seen no end, so they escaped to the north. This is what Du Bois means by the black population writhing upward. Runaway slaves was a huge issue for the southern whites, but they saw it as an escape from captivity. They saw it as a new lease on life, like freedom. Du Bois also appeals to the pathos in a n attempt to make the reader feel sympathy for the slaves. He creates an image of a snake trying to make it up, but is constantly pushed down.

Du Bois appeals to pathos by making the reader an antagonist of the Europeans. He deems them as selfish, money hungry thieves. For example, “The Indians were removed to Indian Territoy, and settlers poured into these coveted lands to retrieve their broken fortunes.” (pg. 107) He in a way makes the Indians a friend of African slaves. Because the Southern Whites betrayed and dishonored the Indians and Blacks, we will stick together. He gives this notion indirectly through his text.

The peak of slavery has begun. The production of cotton in the south created an agricultural boom for the entire United States. With the assistance of African slaves, America would be more phosphorus. The text states, “For a radius of a hundred miles about Albanyj, stretched a great fertile land, luxuriant with forests of pine, oak, ash, hickory, and poplar; hot with the sun and damp with the rich black swamp-land; and here the courner-stone of the Cotton Kingdom was laid.” (pg. 107) The creation of the Cotton Kingdom has started and this begins a whole new era in slavery. With the production of cotton for the entire nation, slaves are worked harder and longer to satisfy demands. In due time this ends. Thanks to the Civil war, the Cotton Kingdom is destroyed and slaves are freed from bondage.

To conclude, Du Bois creates an image of the real and true world he sees around himself. This intertwines with the social realism of the post slavery South. At this time it seemed normal, but as we look at it today we are astonished. In this way, W.E.B. Du Bois appeals to the pathos of the reader. Du Bois paints a dreadful picture of society in this time.

The Souls of Black Folk

Markeia Scruggs

January 6, 2010

Lit Response (The Souls of Black Folk)

Ms. Brown-Ap English 3

“The Souls of Black Folk”

“The Souls of Black Folk,” written by W.E.B. DuBois, indepthly depicts the atmosphere of social realism during the time. Many hints are given to define the actual time in history in which this book takes place. Incredible diction is used to further the reader’s understanding of the overall topic and message of the book. The book has a huge appeal to pathos because he sides with black folk and expects the reader to do the same. DuBois creates a spectrum of the social and racial issues happening during that time and shows how blacks’ role in America is belittled and completely unnoticed.

In the beginning of “The Souls of Black Folk” DuBois deems himself as a normal child with a normal life but he’s soon enlightened on the actual issue of his being. Because he is black he learns that many things are different about him and many things will be different for him in life. For instance, “Then it dawned upon me with a certain suddenness that I was different from the others; or like a mayhap, in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil.”(chap.1, page 44) He finally sees how he’s different from the other children and how his life will be different from now on. He feels isolated from the rest of society, his classmates, because he is different from the rest of them. He comes to see that he is different and sees how people who are different are treated differently. This ties into the whole colored people being treated badly because they look different scenario.

Another problem presented in society besides debasement was lack of or unequal opportunity for blacks. DuBois states, “for the woeds I longed for, and all their dazzling opportunities were theirs, not mine. But they should not keep these prizes, I said; some, all , I would wrest from them.” He was determined to go against the odds and predestinations for African Americans by taking what was believed to be his. By taking on a new attitude about his opportunities, he could obtain his goals. In this quote he also describes how these great opportunities aren’t supposed to be his because he’s black folk and can’t be obtained by blacks but it’s surely untrue.

African American’s struggle with themselves and God was another huge problem in society. With all the tension of Whites belittling their stature and unimportance in society, they began to question their own origin. “Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in mine own house?”(chapter 1, page 9) He asks how can he be placed in such a place deemed to be his home, yet the Whites make him feel unwelcome. Better yet, he asks how can THEY bring US here, tell US this is our home and make US think we don’t belong. He struggles with this question and in a way tests God’s authority by asking such a question.

To conclude, social realism is presented continuously in “The Souls of Black Folk.” Many problems in society many years ago were emphasized and described in detail with good diction to get the point across. DuBois recreates the issues of society with clever word choice and crisp description.