Analysis Of Our Spiritual Strivings

The Souls of Black Folk are a collection of essays composed by W.E.B Du Bois’ highlighting the problems that the African-American race faced in American society. Du Bois describes the feeling of being “shut out from the[ir] world by a vast veil” (4). The veil is a metaphor that Du Bois presents representing a symbolic wall that separates the “whites” and “blacks”. To Du Bois, the veil emphasises the racial boundaries that the African-Americans faced, as well as their invisibility within society in U.S history. Throughout the text, Du Bois makes it evident that the most important issues are education, economic opportunities, as well as the emotional journey being shared. Du Bois states, “He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both

Written in first person, we are able to truly grasp the personal vulnerability within his story. Du Bois shares: I was a little thing, away up in the hills of New England, where the dark Housatonic winds between Hoosac and Taghkanic to the sea. In a wee wooden schoolhouse, something put it into the boys’ and girls’ heads to buy gorgeous visiting-cards—ten cents a package—and exchange. The exchange was merry, till one girl, a tall newcomer, refused my card,—refused it peremptorily, with a glance. (4)
The diction chosen within this passage is an indication of his youth and innocence. The words “little” and “wee” in particular connote the ignorance he had on the issue, that subsequently has been corrupted by the prejudice presented to him by the “tall newcomer” (4). The fact that Du Bois saw the exchange to be “merry” to begin with shows that he himself did not see an initial difference between him and his peers; it was simply a happy and casual exchange. Although they were all children seemingly unaware of such a prominent issue, ignorance of the veil does not stop it from being prevalent. Furthermore, it is evident that judgement was passed onto Du Bois hastily. The “tall newcomer” dismissing his card “with a glance” implies that she did not look long enough to give a judgement of proper substance, rather a judgement based on appearance

“He felt his poverty; without a cent, without a home, without land, tools, or savings, he had entered into competition with rich, landed, skilled neighbors. To be a poor man is hard, but to be a poor race in a land of dollars is the very bottom of hardships” (Du Bois 9). This quote focuses on the symbolic line that represents the economic statuses between the White-Americans and the African-Americans. Du Bois indicates that although living on the same land, between the two races the White-Americans are more successful. The quote suggests that money is a central focus within the text. The “land of dollars” perhaps gives insight to the way Du Bois feels emotionally in a nation of White Americans, where the African-Americans feel completely outnumbered as the minority. To bring education into relevance, the fact that Du Bois chose to use the word “skilled” indicates perhaps that they were educated in some respects and had capabilities that he did not see the “Negroes” to possess. Does this suggest the Blacks are automatically considered unskilled because they are