At the end of the post-Reconstruction era and in the wake of the Harlem Renaissance comes the emergence of literary genius. While it may seem insulting to overlook the musical and artistic movements of the time, for the purposes of this article and its objective the focus will predominantly be on literature. The literature of this time best expresses the progression and perspective of the Negro in words and concepts for all to understand and appreciate. That is to say, unlike music and art, people who were not black during this period were perhaps more likely to understand the underlying concept of what it meant to be colored through reading the thoughts of black men and women . To properly analyze the Post-Reconstruction and Harlem Renaissance time periods we must delve into the works of the revolutionaries of that time. This article will specifically reference James Weldon Johnson's Autobiography of a Former Black Man to better understand this era and race relations as they were. To do this, the themes of identity, the importance of music and place will be explored. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Initially published in 1912, Johnson wrote his novel anonymously, thus making the public believe that it was indeed an autobiography. This in itself makes the novel unique as the audience believes they are experiencing the events through the lens of a distinct individual, thus making it easier for the reader to empathize. However, despite this, the novel was not popular with the public until it was republished in 1927 during the Harlem Renaissance to address race relations in a more acceptable time. The novel's underlying themes become palpable when the nameless protagonist comes to the sudden and devastating realization that he is black. While an inch above the drama of modern times, during this time period such realization forces the protagonist to not only become tremendously more passionate about his surroundings, but also sets him on a path of self-discovery. It's pretty easy to understand that mixed-race people weren't necessarily common during this time, especially in literature. This is another admirable attribute of Johnson's novel and should not be confused with the concept of mixed race used in "The Octoroon." A work we studied at the beginning of the semester but which is tremendously different in that the octoroon, Zoe, is less interested in race relations and more interested in life on a plantation (Boucicault). For this reason we refrain from comparing the two works. As the start of any decent analysis, we will begin at the beginning of the former black man's memoirs, for it is these early chapters that define his descent into an identity crisis. In the first chapter we find the "former black man" as a boy who doesn't consider himself black at all. In fact, he is completely unaware of his heritage as he exclusively associates with other white students with the exception of "Shiny". Again, contact with students of color is minimal. It isn't until the principal asks all the white students to stand up and is told to sit down one day that he realizes his lineage. The response was so strong that he was in a trance-like state until he could ask his mother "...am I a nigger?" (Johnson, page 11). The very use of this word illustrates his disconnect with those of color. It is, however, at this point that critics, such as David Burn, question the realism of the situation and its pedigree (Burn). I also wonder howwhether the fact that his mother was a black woman could have gone unnoticed, or how this type of relationship was born that led to his character having such a light complexion that he could be considered white without batting an eyelid. However, it is this event that causes a change not only in the content of the novel, but also in the narrative. It is at this point that the narrator becomes painfully aware of his peers and his surroundings, almost to the point of paranoia. Despite his moments of obvious misunderstanding, there are times when we see that students of color see him differently than he sees himself. Noting that the narrator had previously and continually mentioned his affinity with literature, I must emphasize the significance of his fixation on Uncle Tom's Cabin. The allusion to this specific work strikes a rather curious nerve when mentioned. It is obvious that this inclusion was intentional on Johnson's part; however, it is of the utmost importance that the discussion of the novel's chronology be interrupted to discuss the significance of this foregrounded work. It seemed that Johnson was not only drawing parallels with the narrator and Tom himself, but was also defending the work as a whole. Even in modern times Uncle Tom's Cabin is infamous for being portrayed as highly misunderstood and as advocating the submissive attitude of blacks towards their white counterparts. Artists during the Harlem Renaissance such as James Baldwin and Richard Wright called actions on this and describe Tom as a "smug" black man who receives privilege because of this dynamic. The novel allows for the use of the n-word by Topsy, a slave who is adopted by the cousin of Tom's owner: the latter's sole goal is to make the former socially acceptable. As we discuss the negative connotations behind his use of the n-word, we as readers must recognize that, although the same word is used later in Johnson's novel, the context is different. It is only when the narrator lives in New York that we see that word used again, however, the exchange is between two black men and used in a positive rather than demeaning manner. To give an example of this complacency is a quote that struck me: “'Looks like I'm going to heaven, isn't that where white people go? Suppose they would take me like that? I would rather go to torment and get away from Mas'r and Missis. I had so,” (Stowe, pg. 216). In this quote we see a slave's desperate desire to adhere to the white man's will with the belief that it is the only way for a slave to go to heaven. It is, in substance, considered a novel that proposes renouncing one's blackness to better appeal to white counterparts, and furthermore the adoption of white culture Interestingly, the narrator claims to see “who and what I was and what my country considered me to be; in fact it gave me my orientation” (Johnson, page 27). This very statement, however, can also refer to the idea of ​​double consciousness, “double personality”, a concept proposed by WEB Du Bois to further demonstrate the Johnson's defense of Stowe, the narrator even goes so far as to state that he believes the novel was "a fair and truthful panorama of slavery" (p. 27), the narrator seemed to form a strong bond with the his black roots by reviewing a different perspective, positive or negative, of the black in America. This connection was strengthened by seeing upperclassmen become accomplished young gentlemen, especially Shiny's. The narrator had always possessed a specific admiration for Shiny and his brilliance; this admiration continues to be expressed when the narrator listens to theShiny's graduation speech. It unleashes a powerful motivation for the narrator to bring “glory and honor to the Negro race” (p. 29). As he grows up and enters high school, he delves further into the works of people of color such as Frederick Douglass and Alexander Dumas. The novel soon takes a turning point as her mother's death causes a notable change in both pace and scenery, moving from the north to the south, more specifically to Atlanta University. It is at this point that the novel really begins to reveal itself as one of a kind. From the beginning, the novel was unique in that it was born from the point of view of a mixed-race person considered purely white. However, at this point the novel begins to move into its most noteworthy component in describing multiple regions and countries. This is not only unique, but a particularly eye-opening experience for audiences as race relations have become tremendously stratified as we are introduced to a plethora of environments with varying climates towards race. The narrator spent little time at the university, although it is worth mentioning that he was exposed to a large population of students of color. This is the first time in the novel that he notices diversity within the black community. Jacksonville is particularly interesting as the narrator finds himself once again contemplating the issue of race, although race in the South is considered very different than in the North. Furthermore, there seems to be a particular emphasis on social structure and wages. From an interview with Andrew Slap, associate professor of history at East Tennessee State University, we can better understand the narrator's point of view and his utter shock when confronted with this difference. According to Slap, “Reconstruction in the North was strikingly different from Reconstruction in the South. For the South, Reconstruction meant enormous upheavals (including nearly four million African-American slaves becoming free citizens), an occupying army, and the need to rebuild a “economy devastated by armies fighting for years throughout the South. In contrast, Reconstruction in the North was more about the opportunities created by the war, and these extended to all of Northern society.” (Luskey). This explanation so expertly given by Slap gives us insight into why the change between the North and the South was so palpable to the narrator. Although economic struggles were observed by the narrator on several occasions while residing in the South, it was hardly an extraordinary concept while in the North. While this could be a result of him being truly alone while in the South, I would argue that the differences are too great to argue against Slap's points. Other significant points for this era also included the attitude and perspective of the Negroes towards their former masters. This was barely touched upon, if at all, by the narrator during his time in the South. I suspect this was due to the lack of connection to slavery that our protagonist possessed. In fact it would seem quite out of place if the narrator, being able to pass for white and barely maintaining strong ties to the black community, had been able to point out the significant changes brought about by Reconstruction. In a Smithsonian article describing A Visiting from the Old Mistress and Sunday Morning in Virginia, two paintings were featured in their Reconstruction and Post Reconstruction (Smithsonian) exhibitions. These paintings illustrate former slaves and their lives after the war, the first showing the relationship between the former slave and the former slave owner. Smithsonian writers explain that former slave owners were often shocked to realize that thetheir former slaves were not similar to the past, no matter how benign they may have been in some cases. The novel also seems to fail to depict the results of explaining the experiences of those who had been freed only a few decades earlier. Despite this, the novel beautifully highlights the stark contrast between the North and the South economically and socially. Considering the lens through which we are looking, these omissions are understandable both in terms of time gap and perspective. After the narrator's exodus from the South, the North is revisited as the narrator moves to New York. I can only compare his description of New York with works written during the Harlem Renaissance, a few years after Johnson's novel was published. This is not to diminish the mention of New York during postmodern works but more to highlight the absence of black culture in most works from this era which are similar to the narrator's feelings. During his time in New York, the narrator was aware of the diversity and openness of black culture and music, particularly ragtime. One setting description in particular struck me as significantly different, as well as a description we probably wouldn't have seen while it was in the South. While describing a high-end club run by Chinese, he illustrates the occupants as a mix of whites and blacks of a certain class. Additionally, he pointed out that “there were pictures of Frederick Douglass and Peter Jackson” (Johnson, p. 63). In this context there is much more integration than previously seen, and this integration is a kind of appreciation of black culture. This is the kind of appreciation that makes later works like “Theme for English B” and “To New York” resemble it. The first poem, written by Langston Hughes, shows that although the gap between the races still very much exists, there is a recognition of being one race. In Hughes' poem, written through the perspective of a young black student. Although the American climate has been discussed extensively at this point in both the novel and this article, I believe the most fascinating and compelling part of the novel comes as the narrator embarks on an adventure in Europe with a millionaire companion. This section, which reintroduces the narrator's passion for music, particularly ragtime while in Europe, also enters into a completely new concept. As far as I know, during this period no other novel had posed the question of race in a European or foreign setting. The narrator falls in love with parts of Europe, particularly Paris and Holland, and discovers that he is able to express himself freely through music. The narrator used ragtime music, a genre that originated in the black community around 1895. Although in America he was identified as typically black, the novel states that while in Europe he was seen simply as American, taking away the racial origins and combining the idea of ​​a 'America. Although the narrator explained a few instances where race was discussed, there was only one instance where it made him uncomfortable. A comrade he met from Luxembourg “asked me in a tone of voice that indicated he was expecting an authoritative denial of an ugly rumor: 'Did they really burn a man alive in the United States?'” (Johnson, p. 82 ). There are two interesting points in this exchange, one of which is that it seemed that Europeans were genuinely shocked that an atrocity like lynching was a reality in America. Assuming that Johnson was using this singular example to convey the general thoughts of Europeans regarding the issue. Secondly, this was the only time during his rather long stay in Europe that he has.