Analysis Of Leon Litwack's Trouble In Mind

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Exploring Black Southern Life through Firsthand Accounts Leon Litwack’s Trouble in Mind paints an extensive picture of life for black southerners in, and after, the Jim Crow era. Litwack takes the reader through the journey of a black youth, then slowly graduates to adulthood. As the chapters progress, so do the gruesome details. The reader is exposed to the horrors of this life slowly, then all at once. The approach Litwack utilizes is important, because he needs the reader to stick with him even through the tough chapters. By utilizing firsthand accounts of raw, emotional experiences, Litwack successfully communicated the daily struggles of black southerners in the late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century South. Before Litwack even begins telling black southerners’ stories, he gives a set of lyrics to the reader. With a little research, the reader can listen to the song, “Trouble in Mind.” This song …show more content…

Litwack explains how he obtained certain information in the acknowledgements section. He was able to find information through archives, many of which contained personal narratives that he was then able to weave into Trouble in Mind. Litwack does not overwhelm the reader by bombarding them with countless sources. Instead, he uses a handful of experiences in each chapter that directly respond to the theme. In the chapter “Baptisms,” Litwack explores the black youth experience. He takes a few sources and expands on their narratives, allowing the reader to make connections to the overall message. In addition, Litwack utilizes personal accounts from prominent figures throughout Trouble in Mind, such as Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, and Ida B. Wells. For the reader who has basic knowledge of history, they should recognize these names quite easily. Litwack communicated that this story does not solely affect the average black southerner, but all black southerners—even those who are in the

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