Using concepts from African American theory to understand literature

Having seen, in previous chapters, how a knowledge of issues concerning class, sex, gender identity, 1 and sexual orientation can help deepen our understanding of literary works, it should not be surprising to learn that an understanding of racial issues can also increase our ability to appreciate and analyze literature. And much like issues of class, sex, gender, and sexual orientation, racial issues—in literature as in life—have a complexity that too often remains unexamined, if not entirely unseen. Indeed, while Americans of African descent have been present in the New World as long as the first European settlers, the complexities of racial conflict have only just begun to receive the attention they deserve. Perhaps this is why, despite the crucial role played by African Americans in the history and cultural development of the United States, my recurring experience in the classroom has been one of surprise and alarm at how few opportunities my students have had in school to learn about African American history, culture, and literature or to learn to recognize and understand the immense gulf that still separates White and Black Americans.