Zora Neal Hurston

Student of Franz Boas (founder of modern Anthropology, scientific study of human development and society)  ethnography—you have to go out in the field and observe (before you theorize)  primitive vs.
“civilized” culture

We define ourselves through biases and cultural constructions/preconceptions

“How it feels to be colored me?”

White uplift/support governmental interference?—she opposed

Do we know what we’re missing?  Loss of soul/culture amenable to development of soul/spirit in the modern industrialized society

“The native whites rode dusty horse”  natives?  Primitives or people native to place?

“got just as much pleasure out of the tourists as the tourists got out of the village.”reciprocity—the “natives” are just interested in the “native” tourists

Zora between Eatonville and greater world—defined by herself

“brown specter” for whites—white guilt

As “black” she is in complete freedom to define herself, instead of being defined by history

“the veneer we call civilization”Zora—we all have this false veil we wear to control/mask our “primitive” primal reality   American “high culture” has lost its connection with the soul/emotions/authentic identity beyond the mask of supposed education

Culture is organic—cannot change it overnight with legislation

Langston Hughes—“A Dream Deferred”

Pessimistic—very visual-imagery

Both have nice jazz-like rhythms (not standard rhyme)

Ultimate message to whites and blacks: not achieving cultures—explosion?  Riots?  Revolution?  Crime? Drugs—creation of permanent under-class, hopelessness

What would Zora say to Langston?  What is your dream?  Is it too materialistic?  Or too individualistic?  What’s happened to that organic community?   Consumer society?