Remember that we are staggering the two pieces of criticism this week and next based on class periods (refer to your calendar for details). Both “A Song of Transcendence” and “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow” are in the back of the classroom–please be sure to return one before grabbing the other. Below I’ve listed what you should take notes on in your Source Book as you read:
“A Song of Transcendence,” by Joanne M. Braxton
1. Tradition of black women’s writing
2. Child’s point of view vs. Mature Narrator
3. Maturation of consciousness (geography, self-actualization, etc.)
4. Influence of folk forms
5. “Great Mother” archetype
6. Other ideas / questions
“The Ethics of Living Jim Crow,” by Richard Wright
1. What is “Jim Crow Wisdom”?
2. Comparisons between Wright and Angelou and how they express their ideas in their autobiographies (physical environments, characterization of “the other,” employment, etc.)
3. Examples of “Jim Crow Wisdom” in Caged Bird
4. Other ideas / questions
