Date of Award
1-1-2009
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
English
First Advisor
Christopher Teuton, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Kate Willink
Third Advisor
Brian Kiteley
Keywords
Essentialism, Exploitation, Identity, Toomer, Van Vechten
Abstract
Jean Toomer's Cane is considered one of the literary achievements of the Harlem Renaissance, though the many of his philosophical ideas which inspired it are dismissed. Inversely, Carl Van Vechten's influence as an advocate and patron of African American art is foundational though his Nigger Heaven is dismissed. However, there are commonalities in each authors identity positioning and subsequent exploitation of the black Harlem Renaissance ethos. Further, their utilization of Gurdjieffian principles of objectivity and primitivist images of blacks links and explains, in part, how their identities contributed to the ideas expressed in the novels.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Recommended Citation
Shaw, Phil, "Jean Toomer and Carl Van Vechten: Identity, Exploitation, and the Harlem Renaissance" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 593.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/593
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
Rights holder
Phil Shaw
File size
79 p.
Copyright date
2009
File format
application/pdf
Language
en
Discipline
American literature