American Ethnic Literature Differs From American Literature

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American ethnic literature differs from American literature. The author’s background is considered to determine which category is fitting. American ethnic authors include immigrants who have arrived in the United States and become a citizen or first-generation Americans. American ethnic authors write in English, but sometimes use original language and speech. American ethnic literature often depicts life before America, as well life after arriving. American ethnic literature is important because citizens of all nationalities can share and learn about different backgrounds. Many ethnic authors use life experiences to create their characters and stories. American literature involves American-born authors writing about American themes…show more content…
Richard Wright was born into a poor family in Natchez, Mississippi. His father left the family when Wright was five years old, and his mother suffered many strokes leaving her partially paralyzed (McQuade et al., 1999). Much of his work depicts his life growing up in Mississippi. Wright was brought up by his mother and grandmother. His life included hunger, poverty, and harsh punishment and, as a result, his literature detailed rage and suffering. According to McQuade et al. (1999), “His heroes struggle against accepting both the “place” of powerlessness and the “role” of subservience and silence that their society has assigned them” (p. 2231). Long Black Song is a story written by Wright about a young black woman home alone while her husband is away selling their crop. A white salesman shows up and ends up raping her. Her husband returns the next morning, and she does not tell him of the incident. Her husband finds evidence someone was there and becomes suspicious of her unfaithfulness. Her husband becomes enraged, beating her and running her away. The following morning the white man arrives, and her husband beats him and kills him. The white police show up, and the young black woman watches from a distance as her husband engages in a gunfight. Her husband refuses to come out of the house and the white men set the house on fire. The end shows how her husband’s hate for
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