Essay- "Thoughts on the African-American Novel" by

[Ms. Knarr]

Please open your textbook to page 1308 and read the essay found there.



Do not use questions listed in the textbook or you will lose credit!

[veronicapuzio]

1. The overall meaning of the essay is to provide a background on why "the novel" was written. In the essay, Morrison tells the reader that the novel was written for the middle class because it was a form of art that they needed. The upper and lower classes didn't need it because they already had forms of art that they patronized. Also, another meaning of this essay was to show how Morisson gives stories an oral quality, and how he is so connected to the stories he writes as well. Morisson tells us that he tries to incorporate the major characteristics of black art, because, in my opinion I believe that he wants to keep that culture alive.

2. I really liked this piece. It shows how a culture and heritage is important to a person and how they should pass it on. I think the purpose of this essay was to inform the reader, and also to explain to the reader the importance of novels. They are not just stories, but each one of them has a deeper meaning in itself. Black literature isn't about books written by Black people or about Black people, it is something greatly beyond that.

3. Why does Toni Morrison exclude the use of adverbs in her novels?
Why does Morrison say that an African American novel needs to have oral qualities?
How do African American novels differ from authors such as Fitzgerald and Salinger?
Morrison says that novels are like art, do you agree or disagree?

[bradoconnor]

I agree with Veronica in saying that the essay is used to display the meaning of why the book was written. Throughout her essay she patronizes the middle class because they were lacking their own culture while the other classes were thriving with culture.

I particularly liked this essay. It gives Morrison a soft spot in her personality by being so nice to the middle class and writing a whole novel for them. She uses her novels as a way to impress, entertain, and to educate. Throughout this essay she definitely shows that she uses all of those aspects when she wrote that book

Answering Veronica's fourth question, I believe that any form of writing is art especially novels. Morrison definitely displays how artsy her novels can be.

My Question, Is it common for the middle class to be lacking in patronizing forms of art as Morrison explained?

[deannazaha]

1. I would have to say that the meaning of this essay is to describe how the novel was incorporated into African American culture. I do agree with both Veronica and Brad that the novel was used to help them gain their own culture. I feel that Morrison is simply describing to the reader how he came to personalize his novels. He explains that he tries to include the culture and the essence of who they are as people. He had mentioned not using adverbs because he simply wants the reader to place his or herself into the writing and become a part of it; feeling the emotion in each sentence. Morrison wrote this essay also to keep the true culture alive so that the actual essence and pureness of African American literature may not be forgotten.

2. I liked this piece because it did help me understand where Toni Morrison is coming from, especially now that we are reading BELOVED. His method of writing is so genuine and quite honestly it's refreshing. I like how he is trying to keep the culture alive through writing. The essay itself was interesting to read because he explained where the novel came from and how it got brought into the African American community. The reader will see the importance of the novel and how not only can it be entertaining, but it can immortalize almost anything.

3. In response to Veronica's first question, I believe that Toni Morrison does not use adverbs in his novels because he simply wants the reader to feel the writing. He wants the reader to become a part of the story and get the sense of each line through the context of it. My question: What, according to Morrison, categorizes African American literature?