Claude McKay: The Literary Identity from Jamaica to Harlem and Beyond

The gifted and rebellious writer Claude McKay grew up in the British West Indies and then moved to the United States. As he traveled from Jamaica to Harlem and then to Europe and Africa, he embraced various causes and political ideologies that made their way into his writings. Brought up as a colonial in the British West Indies, he found racial oppression as an immigrant in the United States. His struggle for self-definition and self-determination was manifest in his writings and laid the foundation for the Harlem Renaissance and negritude movements.

African American scholarship in the United States tends to focus on McKay's American productions, such as his poetry and novels like Home to Harlem, while critics in the Caribbean focus on his works there: novels like Banana Bottom and dialect poetry. This study has undertaken to explore comprehensively the life and works of Claude McKay, framed within colonial and cross-cultural experiences. While dealing with pertinent issues like identity, race, exile, ethnicity, and sexuality, the work examines all the facets of this influential 20th century author, a man trying to solve the problem of his own identity in a world determined to marginalize him.

1111753162
Claude McKay: The Literary Identity from Jamaica to Harlem and Beyond

The gifted and rebellious writer Claude McKay grew up in the British West Indies and then moved to the United States. As he traveled from Jamaica to Harlem and then to Europe and Africa, he embraced various causes and political ideologies that made their way into his writings. Brought up as a colonial in the British West Indies, he found racial oppression as an immigrant in the United States. His struggle for self-definition and self-determination was manifest in his writings and laid the foundation for the Harlem Renaissance and negritude movements.

African American scholarship in the United States tends to focus on McKay's American productions, such as his poetry and novels like Home to Harlem, while critics in the Caribbean focus on his works there: novels like Banana Bottom and dialect poetry. This study has undertaken to explore comprehensively the life and works of Claude McKay, framed within colonial and cross-cultural experiences. While dealing with pertinent issues like identity, race, exile, ethnicity, and sexuality, the work examines all the facets of this influential 20th century author, a man trying to solve the problem of his own identity in a world determined to marginalize him.

29.95 In Stock
Claude McKay: The Literary Identity from Jamaica to Harlem and Beyond

Claude McKay: The Literary Identity from Jamaica to Harlem and Beyond

Claude McKay: The Literary Identity from Jamaica to Harlem and Beyond

Claude McKay: The Literary Identity from Jamaica to Harlem and Beyond

Paperback

$29.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

The gifted and rebellious writer Claude McKay grew up in the British West Indies and then moved to the United States. As he traveled from Jamaica to Harlem and then to Europe and Africa, he embraced various causes and political ideologies that made their way into his writings. Brought up as a colonial in the British West Indies, he found racial oppression as an immigrant in the United States. His struggle for self-definition and self-determination was manifest in his writings and laid the foundation for the Harlem Renaissance and negritude movements.

African American scholarship in the United States tends to focus on McKay's American productions, such as his poetry and novels like Home to Harlem, while critics in the Caribbean focus on his works there: novels like Banana Bottom and dialect poetry. This study has undertaken to explore comprehensively the life and works of Claude McKay, framed within colonial and cross-cultural experiences. While dealing with pertinent issues like identity, race, exile, ethnicity, and sexuality, the work examines all the facets of this influential 20th century author, a man trying to solve the problem of his own identity in a world determined to marginalize him.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780786425822
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date: 08/02/2006
Pages: 216
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.43(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Kotti Sree Ramesh is an associate professor of English at Adikavi Nannaya University-Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, India. Kandula Nirupa Rani is Vice Chancellor at Adikavi Nannaya University in Rajahmundry, India.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     
Introduction     

1. Theoretical Considerations     
2. The Colonial Subject: Poetry under Patronage     
3. The Colonial in the United States: Anger and Ambiguity     
4. The Exile: Is Harlem Home?     
5. Negroism: The Banjo in Marseilles     
6. Banana Bottom: The Return of the Native?     
7. A Long Way from Home     

Chapter Notes     
Works Consulted     
Index     
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews