Greg Mannino
English 123
Annotations of selected texts contained within “The New Negro”
Locke, Alain. The New Negro. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1997
Fiction
The City of Refuge, Rudolph Fisher
A Southern fugitive, Soloman Gillis arrives in Harlem for the first time, amazed by its
brilliant energy, finds himself befriended by a dishonest drug pusher named Uggam.
Fooled into thinking he is providing “medicine” for needy patients, Gillis accepts this
means of extra income but finds himself soon investigated by police. However, Gillis is
blinded by the fact that Harlem is enriched with personnel infrastructure of blacks,
especially black police officers.
Vestigies, Rudolph Fisher
Ezekiel Taylor is a senior preacher who finds himself in Harlem for unknown reasons (to
the reader,) but perhaps he is indeed a resident of Harlem. The text suggests he is
surprised by the lack of Faith within the community as proof by such comments as “Was
Harlem past hope?” However, Taylor stumbles across another congregation which
would suggest he is indeed a stranger.
Section II features Majutah, a defiant young black woman who lives with her strict
traditional grandmother. Majutah is a liar, party girl, and spends most of her evenings
indulging in Harlem’s night life.
Section III is about a young woman who is accepted into Teacher’s College and
expresses her happiness and joy to her family.
The final section, IV, is about two bootlegger men who express their freedom by visiting
a local sermon meeting in a large tent outside of their living room.
What do these four sections have in common? I believe the author’s intent is to portray
Harlem life from the perspective of different black Americans. This is evident by some
of the sections described geographically near their beginnings.
Fog, John Matheus
Revolving around a bridge and dense fog, this story tells a saga of several people of
many nationalities. Almost like a collection of each race and their boastfully racial
dispositions of each other within crowded rail cars. Each have a stereotype of each
other but come together as all narrowly avoid death during a bridge malfunction. The
story is great about showing how humans will come together, like a well raised family, in
light of a natural disaster.
Fern, Jean Toomer
Fern is our main character but more so her eyes. This story gives the impression of a
Jewish girl living in Harlem that attracts the attention of every man to ever catch eyes
with hers, as proof by the repetitive reference to “Jewish cantors.” But as the author
suggests, every black man wanted to “do something to her” but “Nothing ever really
happened. Nothing ever came to Fern, not even I.”
Spunk, Zora Neale Hurston
A story about a “GIANT,” brave and powerful man who stole the wife of a weaker man.
After the weaker man could take this fact no longer, he attempts to take the life of the
larger man. Unsuccessfully he is killed but later comes back to haunt the larger man
and cause his death. Hurston’s story is about marriage, loyalty, and life and death.
Sahdji, Bruce Nugent
This story starts off with a physical and very detailed description of Sahjji. But the story
dives into the difference between African family cultures vs. American, specifically
marriage culture with the main father in the story having multiple wives, Sahji being his
favorite. He is eventually killed by one of the lustful sons in hopes he will marry Sahdji.
The author’s lack of sentence structure is evident throughout the story with his use of
unorthodox sentences.
The Palm Porch, Eric Walrond
Setting of this story is in the Tropics and is about a brothel’s staff and stories. The
theme of death is evident in this story and a body is found but after one week, things are
back to normal at the brothel.
Poems
To A Brown Girl, Cullen
“His mouth the lash of whips?” suggests his kiss affects her greatly. “He will not pass
this way again” possibly suggests he is a new lover of the Brown Girl. “Youth is the time
for careless weather,” symbolizes the lack of responsibility that youth often have and the
time to take advantage of love in its purest form, young love.
To A Brown Boy, Cullen
This poem is more direct and easier to understand the fact that the author suggest the
Brown Boy go after his lustiness toward the Brown Girl he is seeing.
Tableau, Cullen
This story is blatantly about two young friends’ obliviousness toward their racial
indifferences, skin color. Locked arm and arm, the two friends see themselves as only
friends, no two different colors. However, the community around them inspects these
boys’ actions and spectates with their own opinions about them.
Harlem Wine, Cullen
This poem speaks to the joys and love of spirits in celebration of the music and social
night gatherings in various clubs and bars, an ode to the drink of wine.
She of the Dance Feet Sings, Cullen
Cullen is referring to life and death in this poem but more specifically entering heaven or
hell. She is contemplating what it would be like in either.
A Brown Girl Dead, Cullen
Cullen again refers to death, which seems to be a common theme among her works.
This poem is about a girl’s death and her mother pawning her ring to make her as
beautiful as can be at her wake.
Fruit of the Flower, Cullen
About a poem that is dedicated to her family. Both of her parents are described and
provide their views on music and how they feel about their children.
In Memory of Colonel Charles Young, Cullen
This poem is very dark and describes a setting that is almost physically weeping at the
death of this man. But the last line suggest it will all pass and grown will continue.
Baptism, McKay
This poem symbolizes approaching ones fear with courage and conquering that fear
through victory. “A stronger soul within a finer frame,” suggests a personal grown within
this individual.
White Houses, McKay
This author seems to convey some hate in this poem. He is trying his hardest to stay
polite and well behaved but does so with great challenge. Something about these
houses, or their tenants, is pissing him off to the point where he finds “it in the
superhuman power to hold me to the letter of the law!
Russian Cathedral, McKay
This poem speaks to the beauty and awe-inspiring engineering of this grand Russian
cathedral. He is there praying, bowing down, not only to his god, but to the grandness
of the cathedral itself which seems to take up his mind more than prayer.
The Tropics in New York, McKay
The author longs for the olden days of New York in which the land was rich in trees and
growth. However, he is weeping in the change that he has observed.
Georgia Dusk, Toomer
This is a cheerful depiction of the celebrations that take part within the Georgia at dusk.
Song of the Son, Toomer
This is indeed in a form of writing that resembles and is lyrics of a song. Dedicated to
the men and women who perished during slavery.
The Creation, Johnson
Johnson’s own take of the story of Genesis, this sermon eludes to the story of Genesis
very closely as if he paraphrases it.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Hughes
Hughes speaks to his experiences in life and how his life can be recalled by thinking
about the various “rivers” he has lived by, visited, or noted in his life.
An Earth Song, Hughes
Hughes’ poem is about nature and it’s grown. It outlines the cycle of the seasons, dying
and regrowth.
Song, Hughes
Hughes seems to be addressing this poem to the shy natured people, to go out and “do
not be afraid of light.” “Open your arms to life,” is evidence of this.
Dream Variation, Hughes
Hughes knows his dream and loves his dream. Perhaps to be free and fling his arms in
freedom but he does not want any variation of the dream he knows so well.
Minstrel Man, Hughes
The last line in this poem, “I die” is very cryptic and mysterious. The rest of the poem
suggests he is very happy and singing. However, the overall theme is that he was
suffering and now death is upon him. The release of pain is his joy.
Our Land, Hughes
Hughes is upset that the land he is on is not his own. He is not happy about his life on
this land.
I, Too, Hughes
He seems to reflect on the past, when blacks were slaves, and appreciates the new
position of freedom and being able to eat on a table out in the open instead of behind
closed doors of a kitchen.
The Day-Breakers, Bontemps
The author reflects life of a soldier, battling for freedom, fighting to earn his right for the
“rising sun.”
To Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Upon Hearing His, Johnson
This poem is very cryptic and can translate to mean many things. Someone or
something is seeking something that is beyond their will or nature.
The Ordeal, Johnson
Another cryptic story from Johnson but can be interpreted as one black man in an
ordeal that is asking or hoping for help from another black man. Even during this
ordeal, he lacks extreme emotion and accepts his fate.
Escape, Johnson
This poem is about a person who is looking to hide from something or someone.
Apparently pursued by a woman but he cannot lose her. But this could easily translate
into hiding from one’s own emotions about a particular event.
The Riddle, Johnson
I believe this poem is about freedom and how slavery had separated Man into black and
white. But now all blacks are free and the author views all people as the same, as free
individuals.
Lady, Lady, Spencer
The author comments on the lady’s black face and that she bore the yoke of men. Her
hands are “twisted, awry, like crumpled roots.” He seems to feel bad for this lady.
The Black Finger, Grimke
“A straight black cypress,” is the most descriptive line in this poem. Does he mean a
cypress tree? Or literally a finger?
Enchantment, Alexander
This poems speaks to the terrors of the night in a field rich with dangerous animals,
quiet at times, full of action in other times. But ultimately, terror is king.