' Twas Mercy Brought Me From My Pagan Land Analysis

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The Importance of African-American Literature: Empathy and Understanding African-Americans’ history in the US has been full of constant conflict. From slavery to white supremacist groups to police brutality in today’s world, African-American authors and poets have written pieces displaying their experiences with racism in poems, narratives, etc. Such authors are seen as very important and influential in modern society because of their pieces of writing. Reading works of African-American literature is essential to building an emotional connection to African-Americans in order to recognize the struggles they faced during slavery and its effects, such as discrimination and racism, in today’s society. Reading African-American pieces of literature …show more content…

By using sarcasm and mockery, she expresses her feelings towards the white people’s opinions and allows the audience to do so as well. By letting the audience connect with Wheatley, it allows for the understanding of the struggles that were faced by Africans taken from their home and shipped to America for slavery. Similarly, Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask” expresses emotions and represents the feelings of all African-Americans about their treatment by society, exclaiming “with torn and bleeding hearts we smile” (Dunbar). By explaining the metaphorical “mask” worn by African-Americans to hide their suffering, the reader can have sympathy and understand how they felt about how they were treated. Dunbar’s poem gives understanding as to what African-Americans had to go through in society. Continuing this idea of authors creating empathy from their audience, Andrew Simmons’ article “Literature’s Emotional Lessons” explains how “the process of entering imagined worlds of fiction creates empathy” (Qtd. in Simmons). Despite referring to fiction, this quote can be applied to African-American …show more content…

Understanding the unequal representation and skirmishes occurring due to racism in society today can help young generations eradicate racism in order to achieve a better future. There are clear effects that slavery has brought on in today’s society that affect the lives of African-Americans, whether it be economically or socially. Laura McLeod describes African-Americans in the modern day as “survivors struggling to renew and redefine themselves… in spite of the uncertainties and inequalities of their worlds” (McLeod). Edward Opoku-Dapaah also adds to this, stating that African-Americans have a “disproportionate access to societal rewards such as power, wealth, and prestige” (Opoku-Dapaah). These two statements can represent the flaws of today’s society including unequal roles and give justification to African-Americans’ expression of deep emotions in their writing. Through authors’ descriptions of the experiences with slavery and injustice, African-American literature can be used as “a way to address the corrosive legacy of slavery that haunts Americans today” (Simmons). Sadly, it is true that white people’s inhuman treatment of African-Americans during slavery is the source of racial discrimination in the present day, which affects their lives and emotions deeply.

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