Novels and Short Stories
Written in 1959, this book encompasses the variety of struggles that immigrants must face when coming to America. From cultural differences, family relationships and identity struggles, this novel tells the story of Selina who left the Caribbean in order to relocate in Brooklyn. The opposing forces present in this novel are presented in the form of Selina’s parents and their differing desires that are meant to symbolize cross-cultural conflict.
Taking place in Harlem, this novel centers around a young man named Lester Jefferson, who aspires to positively contribute to the society around him. Confused about where to begin, Jefferson turns to his hair. A he searches for happiness, the reader is able to follow the protagonist’s satirical story as he navigates through friendships, work life and love.
This short story novel centers around a protagonist referred to as the ‘black girl’ as she takes up the quest of literally searching for God after being converted to Christianity. She ventures into the forest and encounters a variety of deities that offer conflicting opinions of who God is. With an overall agnostic tone, the book presents a satirical perspective on the inner spiritual journey one must take in order to find a true God.
Although written over 50 years ago, this novel centers around an issue still prevalent in society today, the killing of an unarmed black youth by a white policeman. The author states that the novel is not meant to be about ‘blacks and whites’ but ‘rights and wrongs’ as it explores themes of racial injustice. The characters in this novel seek revenge but unknowingly set a plan of mass violence into motion and questions surrounding the validity of retribution arise as the plot advances.
A debut novel from this author revolving around a 16-year-old pregnant black girl named Claireece Precious Jones living in Harlem. The book is written in a first-person perspective. After beings expelled from school, Precious is enrolled in an alternative school where she meets various students coming from troubled backgrounds. There, with the help of her teacher, once illiterate Precious gains confidence and begins to immerse herself in poetry. The book follows her journey with dominant themes surrounding abuse, socioeconomic status, and the protagonists unstable background. The book was turned into a movie 13 years after its release entitled “Precious” and won two Academy Awards.
This novel speaks to many of the difficulties that African-Americans faced in the early twentieth century. It was heavily influenced by the politics around this time, mainly the rise of Marxism and the Communist party. Black nationalism is also a central theme as the protagonist struggles to find his identity amongst his community and finds himself disengaged from the African-American cause as he is simply trying to be himself without labels; race acts as a barrier to his personal identity.
Taking place in a small Floridian town, the protagonist Janie moves back after being gone for several years. Her story is then told with themes such as love vs. independence, fulfillment and African culture being touched upon. The book also deals with the notion of racism and community, as Janie struggles to relate to the people in her town due to past decisions she’s made. This book was quite revolutionary for its time as Hurston refused to amend to gender conventions, something quite shocking during the Harlem Renaissance.
This novel centers around a young Jamaican woman, Bita, who returns home after being abroad for 7 years. Through the use of flash-backs and present tense, the reader then follows Bita’s journey as she endeavors to immerse herself in her culture and the town of Banana Bottom once more. A main theme that surrounds this book is the struggle that Bita faces upon attempting to embrace her black heritage whilst also acknowledging the culture she acquired abroad.