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Martin Luther King Jr., Heroism, and African American Literature (Paperback)
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Martin Luther King Jr., Heroism, and African American Literature (Paperback)
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Examines how representations of Martin Luther King Jr.’s
character and persona in works of African American literature have
evolved and reflect the changing values and mores of African
American culture African American writers have incorporated Martin
Luther King Jr. into their work since he rose to prominence in the
mid-1950s. Martin Luther King Jr., Heroism, and African American
Literature is a study by award-winning author Trudier Harris of
King’s character and persona as captured and reflected in works
of African American literature continue to evolve. Â One of
the most revered figures in American history, King stands above
most as a hero. His heroism, argues Harris, is informed by African
American folk cultural perceptions of heroes. Brer Rabbit, John the
Slave, Stackolee, and Railroad Bill—folk heroes all—provide a
folk lens through which to view King in contemporary literature.
Ambiguities and issues of morality that surround trickster figures
also surround King. Nonconformist traits that define Stackolee and
Railroad Bill also inform King’s life and literary portraits.
Defiance of the law, uses of indirection, moral lapses, and bad
habits are as much a part of the folk-transmitted biography of King
as they are a part of writers’ depictions of him in literary
texts. Â Harris first demonstrates that during the Black Arts
Movement of the 1960s, when writers such as Nikki Giovanni, Sonia
Sanchez, and LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka) were rising stars in
African American poetry, King’s philosophy of nonviolence was out
of step with prevailing notions of militancy (Black Power), and
their literature reflected that division. Â In the quieter
times of the 1970s and 1980s and into the twenty-first century,
however, treatments of King and his philosophy in African American
literature changed. Writers who initially rejected him and
nonviolence became ardent admirers and boosters, particularly in
the years following his assassination. By the 1980s, many writers
skeptical about King had reevaluated him and began to address him
as a fallen hero. To the most recent generation of writers, such as
Katori Hall, King is fair game for literary creation, no matter
what those portrayals may reveal, to a point where King has become
simply another source of reference for creativity. Â
Collectively these writers, among many others, illustrate that
Martin Luther King Jr. provides one of the strongest influences
upon the creative worlds of multiple generations of African
American writers of varying political and social persuasions.
General
Imprint: |
The University of Alabama Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
2023 |
Authors: |
Trudier Harris
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Dimensions: |
229 x 152mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Paperback
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Pages: |
200 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8173-6017-7 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
General
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LSN: |
0-8173-6017-4 |
Barcode: |
9780817360177 |
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