A Black Man Talks Of Reaping By Countee Cullen

He wants his readers to imagine the pain and humiliation of the ill treatment that African Americans endure on a daily basis. King writes of vicious mobs lynching people’s mothers and fathers, policemen killing people’s brothers and sisters, a man and his wife not receiving the proper respect they deserve because of their skin color, and the notion that African Americans feel insignificant within their communities; this is why these peaceful demonstrators of whom the clergymen attack “find it difficult to wait” (King, 20). However, King believes that soon, injustice will be exposed, like “a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up” (King, 30). This vivid description helps arouse an emotional response, driving shame into the hearts of his white readers.

Throughout the novel it is apparent that everyday instances of racism occur, causing people of color to feel outcasted. There are two very obvious occasions where this happened. In the first instance two African American woman are in a workspace of primarily all white co-workers. When a woman they worked with got these two names mixed up, it was stated that she had a “fifty-fifty chance of getting it right” insinuating that these two women are the only black ones working here. Later, the woman who had the mix-up with the names wrote an apology note; however, in the note she stated it was “our mistake” and seemingly put part of the blame on the to women. This is a primary example of how African Americans can be thrown against a white background making them seem different than everyone else.

Countee Cullen was born on 30 March 1902, a time period in which the African Americans were fighting for equality. Cullen experienced harsh poverty as a kid; at times his mother was so broke she couldn’t even afford to buy him a boys pare of clothes. Unfortunately his mother was forced to make Cullen, where women’s clothes that didn’t fit him. The pain and struggle was expressed with much feeling through his poems. Poems like “Incident,” captured the harsh disrespect, and neglect African Americans was experiencing during this time. At the beginning of the poem he expresses he was “Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,” (Lines 1-2), at the time of the poem he was only eight and newly moved to Baltimore. He states he attempted to say hello to another white boy his age while riding his bike, the boy called him a nigger and stuck his tong out. Cullen only lived in

The discriminating social stratification in 1950’s developed a set of servile behavior on the blacks. They were thought to be inferior to whites, and were treated accordingly. Moreover, different parts of the country had various ranges of sensitivities while dealing with the blacks. For example, in Mississippi things were particularly tense after the Parker lynch case. No black man would dare look into any white man’s eyes in fear of the repercussions. On the bus, a man warned Griffin to watch himself closely until he caught onto Mississippi’s ways. In an extreme case like this, it was vital to learn about their roles and behave accordingly.

In the poem “Incident” by Countee Cullen, Cullen explores the long-lasting effects of hurtful and offensive language through the storytelling eyes of a young boy living in a vastly oppressed world. By placing a drastic tone shift that is strategically placed at the climax of the poem and using emotional vocabulary to emphasize the shift, Cullen nonchalantly highlights the timeless issues of equality, kindness, and justice through the element of surprise. The poem itself starts out positively, his “Heart-filled, head-filled with glee” (Line 2). The speaker gallantly enters a brand-new environment, ready to take on whatever comes his way.

For example, in Cullen’s “Incident” poem he talks about an experience dealing with racism. He also explains how the only that he remembers from Baltimore is being called the

Throughout all of the history of the United States of America, race has been a prevailing issue. Although the ways in which racism presented itself has changed, the prevalence of the problem has not. Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man does an excellent job of allowing some insight into the way racism has and still does impact the life and self identity of affected individuals. In this book, the narrator is faced with the challenges that come with being an African American in mid 1900s. The struggle first becomes something the narrator is aware of when his grandfather utters some troubling advice on his deathbed. He said in order to succeed in a white man’s world, you have to

It is human nature to be afraid of those we deem different, and it is this fear of the unfamiliar that compels us to hate and hold prejudice, even among ourselves. Throughout the novel, the author provides insight into the problems with segregation in South Africa. The white population seeks to

Before and after the 30’s, African Americans were still considered lower than low-class due to the general color of their skin. The word that displayed hatred the most towards African Americans, “Nigger,” was casually thought of and used to describe men and women of a darker tone skin. The often threats that African Americans receive, out of most, would bring fear to them, not wanting to then approach the public with whatever they have to offer, bringing a detriment to their goal. Aggressively, Curley’s wife threatened Crooks by vociferously spewing “Listen, Nigger. You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?” to him with no remorse. Knowing he couldn’t fight what she had just said, brought a form of anguish to his state of mind. Not only does this link negatively to his conscious regarding his skin, but also his sense of bonding, which leads to loneliness and prejudicial treatment. What she had stated crushed his dreams, knowing that at the time he was incapable of whatever he wanted to accomplish. Being racially degraded puts an absolute detriment to what one wants to accomplish, because you feel as if what you know in the inside is worthless if everyone belittles you because of the outside appearance. it can seriously hurt your self-image, how you see yourself and how others

The life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination… the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land (qtd. in W.T.L. 235).

A phenomenal book to explain the double identity faced by the African American’s actions through which permeated the basic and main question of survival in the world of hatred and rejection, life under the veil. All of us stand out through numerous stories and anecdotes through which the author tries to make it easier for us to understand the sacrifice,

To even go in public, to even walk down the street, to do the simple things, African Americans were mocked. Everywhere they would tormented, there was no pause or stop, they would get judged for every single thing they do. According to King, “When your first name becomes “nigger” and your middle name becomes “boy””(3). King gives an example of the racial tendencies by giving every individual in a large community the two discriminatory names “nigger boy”. A name is supposed to be unique and individualized, this generic name calling does the exact opposite. The daily derision African Americans have had to go through destroyed their self worth, it made them feel

The rhetorical effect of this poem is it emphasizes that African Americans have to wear a mask because the people around them don’t let them show their true feelings. Before the Civil Rights Movement, blacks had no voice and could not speak their opinions. The rhetorical devices do very well to help meet the rhetorical

Countee Cullen used form as well as imagery to help provide an insight into the aspects of the past predominately white culture. His poem “Incident” shows a small glimpse into the racist cultural of the past. There is no question; this poem tackles the issue of racism directly. Unfortunately, this poem is still as accurate to today’s society as it was when Cullen wrote it in the 20’s.

Racial injustice and racial harmony have both been seen throughout all of history. Both can even be seen almost everyday. One writer, Countee Cullen, revealed what the world is and what is should be like through his poems during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. The two key poems that present this are “Tableau” and “Incident.” He reveals harmony between a white and black boy in “Tableau,” representing the people of the United States of America and how they should be. Later, he uncovers the prejudice against black people in “Incident,” through the perspective of a black child who is ridiculed for being black by another little boy in Baltimore. He helped show how races should be in harmony through the main points of the poem this way. But, each poem has similarities and differences, seen through the diction of the author. The author creates the theme actions often speak louder than words in “Tableau,” and creates the theme sometimes the smallest things can hurt the most in “Incident,” by using the figurative language and tone throughout each poem.