Haunt or Home? Ethos and African American Literature
The African American rhetorical tradition could be described as a shelter in an alien environment or as a way station on a long journey. A focus on ethos suggests that such a narrow approach to African American literature cannot do justice to these literary texts: how these writers employ images and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-08-01
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| Series: | Humanities |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/3/80 |
| _version_ | 1811257669897420800 |
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| author | Richard Schur |
| author_facet | Richard Schur |
| author_sort | Richard Schur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The African American rhetorical tradition could be described as a shelter in an alien environment or as a way station on a long journey. A focus on ethos suggests that such a narrow approach to African American literature cannot do justice to these literary texts: how these writers employ images and symbols, craft and deploy examine identities, blend, criticize, and create traditions, explore contemporary issues, and create community. Because of cultural and racist narratives, African Americans could not simply use either the pre-Socratic or Aristotelian approaches to ethos in their fight for social justice. This essay demonstrates how a postclassical approach to ethos that draws on Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and is focused on community-building and self-healing is central to the African American literature and rhetoric. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:01:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-283fb6d1f6374b8895c6b4022685da36 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0787 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:01:03Z |
| publishDate | 2018-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-283fb6d1f6374b8895c6b4022685da362022-12-22T03:22:09ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872018-08-01738010.3390/h7030080h7030080Haunt or Home? Ethos and African American LiteratureRichard Schur0Department of Languages and Literature, Drury University, Springfield, MO 65802, USAThe African American rhetorical tradition could be described as a shelter in an alien environment or as a way station on a long journey. A focus on ethos suggests that such a narrow approach to African American literature cannot do justice to these literary texts: how these writers employ images and symbols, craft and deploy examine identities, blend, criticize, and create traditions, explore contemporary issues, and create community. Because of cultural and racist narratives, African Americans could not simply use either the pre-Socratic or Aristotelian approaches to ethos in their fight for social justice. This essay demonstrates how a postclassical approach to ethos that draws on Bourdieu’s concept of habitus and is focused on community-building and self-healing is central to the African American literature and rhetoric.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/3/80African American literatureethosslave narrativesPhillis WheatleyMartin Luther KingMalcolm XW.E.B. Du BoisBooker T. Washington |
| spellingShingle | Richard Schur Haunt or Home? Ethos and African American Literature Humanities African American literature ethos slave narratives Phillis Wheatley Martin Luther King Malcolm X W.E.B. Du Bois Booker T. Washington |
| title | Haunt or Home? Ethos and African American Literature |
| title_full | Haunt or Home? Ethos and African American Literature |
| title_fullStr | Haunt or Home? Ethos and African American Literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Haunt or Home? Ethos and African American Literature |
| title_short | Haunt or Home? Ethos and African American Literature |
| title_sort | haunt or home ethos and african american literature |
| topic | African American literature ethos slave narratives Phillis Wheatley Martin Luther King Malcolm X W.E.B. Du Bois Booker T. Washington |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/7/3/80 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardschur hauntorhomeethosandafricanamericanliterature |