Gates_The Blackness of Blackness

Copyright: © 1987 by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
ISBN: 0-19-503564-X
No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data includes works on American literature, Afro-American authors, and history.
Quotes included:
- Sir Walter Scott: Reflection on the significance of words and signs.
- Julia Peterkin: Contrast between wealth and knowledge of signs in Black culture.
- Henry Allen: Assertion about cultural awareness of signs.

Connection between 19th and 20th-century black literature.
Sterling Brown as an influential figure within this tradition, termed as "Old Negro" and poet laureate of Afro-American poetry.
Quote Highlight: "The Blackness of Blackness: A Critique on the Sign and the Signifying Monkey."

Signification discussed as a fundamental concept shaped by black vernacular and tradition.
Historical Context:
- Origin of the 'Signifying Monkey' tales tracing back to slavery.
- Influential figures in jazz who have referenced 'Signifying Monkey'.
Gates presents a formal revisionist theory steeped in black cultural context, emphasizing repetition and formal structures.

Signifying Monkey:
- Trickster figure emblematic of cultural nuances, contrasting racist imagery in the Western tradition.
- Represents subtleties of language and cultural discourse.
Blended Mythology: Allusions to Esu from Yoruba mythology, highlighting connections across cultural narratives.
Esu's roles: Divine linguist, master of interpretation, mediator between divine and profane realms.

Definition and Characteristics:
- Integral to Afro-American discourse, embodies indirect argument techniques and rhetorical strategies.
- Unique definitions of signifying within black discourse distinct from standard English.
Narrative Structure: Examples from folklore illustrating indirect communication through the Signifying Monkey often leading to humorous or ironic outcomes.

Zora Neale Hurston’s contributions to the understanding of signifying in both male and female contexts.
Feminine narratives signifying on gender dynamics within their structure, reflecting liberation and criticism of oppressive narratives.
Focus on indirect communication and the complex dynamics of gender in language opposed to traditional representations.

Highlighted examples of pastiche within Afro-American literature showing how authors transform previous narratives to create new meanings.
Illustrations of parodying from various literary works that signify through form and structure, showcasing a rich intertextual relationship.

Echoes of Wright in Ellison’s Works: Ellison's response to Wright’s naturalism signifies an evolution of the narrative voice in Afro-American literature.
Various authors responding to predecessors exemplify the nature of literary critique and the ongoing dialogue within black narrative traditions.
Elements of Formal Signifying: Narrative futures are shaped through past relationships, continuously redefining Afro-American literary identity.

Concept of Hidden Polemic: How Reed's work engages in a dialogue with literary history, revealing the tensions inherent in Afro-American cultural narratives.
Relationship between Afro-American texts and their Western counterparts as dynamic and mutually influential.
Reed's critique through satire and pastiche creates new spaces for black voices and narratives.