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Matt HinesAASP202Journals #1-5

1. Levine pgs. 136-18

!n t"is se tion$ Levine %egins to &o us on t"e ulture o& Post%ellu' A&ri anA'eri ans. Levine "ig"lig"ts t"e "anges in A&ri an A'eri an ulture t"at o ur&ollo(ing t"e )ivil *ar t"roug" t"e anal+sis o& linguisti s an, religious song. Levineargues t"at t"e a ulturation pro ess &or A&ri an A'eri ans "as not %een a si'ple one-,i'ensional s"i&t. As represente, in Post%ellu' ulture$ a 'u " 'ore o'ple pro ess iso urring ("ere past values "ave %een rea&&ir'e, ("ile at t"e sa'e ti'e appl+ing ne($'ore *estern aligne, ultural pra ti es.

pon /'an ipation$ ne(l+ &ree, A&ri an A'eri ans e perien e, a sel&- ons iousattitu,e in regar,s to t"eir slave ulture. A ertain stig'a "a, ,evelope, ("ere t"e slaveulture (as %elo( an, less t"an t"e ("ite ulture o& t"e ti'e. "us 1 st an, 2 n, generation&ree,'en aspire, to a,opt t"e ultural pra ti es o& t"e "ig"er ulture . "e ter' Levine

uses to ,es ri%e t"is senti'ent is alle, ultural 'arginalit+. )ultural 'arginalit+ "elpsone un,erstan, t"e s"i&t in progressive ultural pra ti es %+ re entl+ &ree,'en in anatte'pt to 'o,el t"e (estern ulture. "is e plains t"e linguisti ,ualit+ t"at o ursA&ri an A'eri an ulture as (ell as t"e &o us on *estern )"ristianit+ %elie&s in %lagospel songs. Ho(ever$ A&ri an A'eri ans also "a, a senti'ent o& sel&- ontain'ent$("i " re&ers to t"e ,esire to preserve past ultural A&ri an an, slave tra,itions. "us$ one&in,s Post%ellu' A&ri an A'eri ans a&&ir'ing ne( pra ti es ("ile at t"e sa'e ti'e re-a&&ir'ing ol, tra,itions.

!n '+ opinion$ ! &oun, t"at Levine ,i, an e ellent 4o% o& supporting "is originalargu'ent (it" su%stantial evi,en e an, t"oroug" e a'ples. A&ter rea,ing t"e se tion$ it

%e a'e lear to 'e t"e 'in, state o& Post%ellu' A&ri an A'eri ans an, t"e sour es t"at

a&&e te, t"eir language an, religious song upon %eing &ree,.2. Levine pgs. 3-55

!n t"e %eginning o& Levine s %oo $ "e &irst intro,u es slave song. He &o uses onslave religious song$ or slave spirituals. A or,ing to Levine t"ese songs (ere a entral&o us o& slave li&e$ 'ore t"an an+ ot"er &or' o& slave 'usi al e pression. "us$ t"e stu,+o& spirituals allo(s one to gain an un,erstan,ing o& t"e ante%ellu' slave (orl,vie( an,ons iousness. A large portion o& t"is se tion is ,e,i ate, to t"e origin o& t"e spirituals.urt"er'ore$ Levine ,isse ts t"e ,e%ate regar,ing t"e origin o& slave spirituals. Ho(ever$Levine on lu,es in arguing t"at t"e origin "as no relevan e in un,erstan,ing t"eons iousness o& t"e slave. *"at ,oes 'atter is t"at t"ese spirituals (ere a 'a4or part o&slave li&e an, (ere e'%e,,e, in its ulture$ regar,less o& origin.

!n or,er to un,erstan, t"e origin ,e%ate$ as (ell as Levine s on lusion$ t"e t(osi,es o& t"e argu'ent are intro,u e,. 7ne si,e$ ("i " (as t"e pro'inent vie( o& earl+"istorians$ is alle, t"e ("ite ,erivation s "ool. "is re&ers to t"e i,ea t"at slaver+ (assu " an intrusive$ oppressive institution t"at all A&ri an ulture "a, %een lost upon arrivalin t"e A'eri as. "us$ an+ &or' o& ultural e pression %+ t"e slaves 'ust %e ,eepl+roote, in /uro-A'eri an tra,itions. "e ot"er si,e o& t"e argu'ent lai's t"at spirituals(ere ,eepl+ roote, in A&ri an tra,ition (it" so'e ele'ents o& /uro-A'eri an tra,ition

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as (ell. ut Levine on lu,es t"at t"ese points are 'oot. 9egar,less o& ("et"er eit"ersi,e is orre t$ t"e slaves 'usi (as t"eir o(n ultural reation. Levine ,is usses t"e,e%ate as evi,en e &or its irrelevan + ("en un,erstan,ing t"e ons iousness o& t"espirituals.

! agree (it" Levine s on lusion. "e origins o& t"e spirituals ,oes not "elp one

un,erstan, t"e ons iousness an, (orl, vie( %e"in, t"e'. *"et"er t"e spirituals (ere"eavil+ in&luen e, %+ /uro-A'eri an tra,itions or not ,oes not "in,er t"e anal+sis o&t"eir 'eaning. Si'ilar parallels an %e 'a,e in to,a+ s so iet+ in or,er to gain a learerun,erstan,ing o& t"e point Levine is tr+ing to onve+. or e a'ple$ t"e argu'ent o&("et"er "ip-"ops in&luen e is 'ore roote, in past A&ri an tra,itions or 'o,ern 4a:: ,oesnot "elp one reali:e t"e (orl, vie( %e"in, "ip "op l+ri s. "at 'ust %e ,eter'ine,t"roug" t"e environ'ent an, onte t in ("i " t"e songs (ere onstru te,.

3. aust$ )ulture$ )on&li t an, )o''unit+ pgs. 85- ;"e aust rea,ing is an a ount o& a 'an ("o in"erits a plantation an, struggles

in t"e (a+ "e governs "is slaves. "e slave o(ner$ Ha''on,$ is na

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situation. or e a'ple$ Levine intro,u es 'oral tales. "ese tales o&ten "a, a 'oralt"e'e ("i " ,es ri%e, "o( one (as to a t in ertain situations. Moral tales o&ten "a,severe i'pli ations &or "ara ters in t"e tales ("o ,i, not a t 'orall+. !n a,,ition$survival tales serve, as a %lueprint &or survival on t"e plantation. "ese tales "a,'essages su " as ,on t spea up to +our 'aster .

Levine %a s up "is initial assertion (it" t"oroug" evi,en e an, e a'ples. !t islear t"at t"e 'oral an, survival tales (ere use, %+ slaves to "elp &ill t"eir urrent nee,san, ,eal (it" t"eir present situation. "us$ t"ese tails o&ten serve, a ver+ ,i&&erent

purpose t"an spirituals or &ol %elie&s.

5. >elle+ pgs. 1-13!n t"e intro,u tion o& 9a e 9e%els$ >elle+ onve+s t"e pri'ar+ 'essage an, goal

o& "is %oo to t"e rea,er. >elle+ (ants to ,ispla+ t"e struggles o& t"e %la (or ing lass.Ho(ever$ "e plans to ,o so not t"roug" t"e onventional lenses it "as %een anal+:e, in

%e&ore. >elle+ (ants to anal+:e t"e struggles o& t"e %la (or ing lass t"roug" 'oreover (a+s o& re%ellion ("i " o ur in ever+,a+ e perien es$ in&rapoliti s. >elle+ argues

t"at in or,er to gain a 'ore o'plete un,erstan,ing o& %la ulture an, t"e struggles o&t"e %la (or ing lass$ t"e ,is ussion o& e pli it politi al 'ove'ents as (ell asin&rapoliti s 'ust %e anal+:e,.

>elle+ uses "is (or ing e perien e at M ?onal,s as evi,en e o& t"e i'portan eo& in&rapoliti s. He ,es ri%es t"is overt re%elliousness as a oping 'e "anis' or (a+ toget %+. >elle+ ,es ri%es "o( (or ers oo e tra %urgers near losing ti'e no(ing (ellt"at e tras oul, %e ta en "o'e. He also ,es ri%es a uni@ue ,ress st+le t"e (or ersa,opte,$ ,i&&erent &ro' so ietal nor'. >elle+ intro,u es t"is evi,en e to e plain t"atasi,e &ro' e pli it politi al re%ellion$ t"ere is 'u " 'ore going on as &ar as t"e struggleo& t"e %la 'i,,le lass an,$ in or,er to un,erstan, t"e o'plete pi ture$ t"e i,ea o&in&rapoliti s 'ust %e t"oroug"l+ anal+:e,.

A&ter o'pleting t"is rea,ing$ ! gaine, a greater un,erstan,ing o& "o( t"e %la(or ing lass ,eals (it" t"eir plig"t. !t is i'portant to >elle+ &or us to un,erstan, t"att"e %la (or ing lass o&ten ,ealt (it" t"eir struggles in less o&&i ial$ an, 'ore overt(a+s. ! agree (it" t"is i,ea an, "ave e perien e, so'et"ing si'ilar to ("at >elle+ istr+ing to onve+ in '+ ti'e as a %us%o+ at 9e, Lo%ster. At '+ 4o%$ '+sel& an, ot"ero(or ers (oul, o&ten ta e a,vantage o& little t"ings ("ile on t"e 4o% in or,er to 'a e it'ore %eara%le. Ho(ever$ li e >elle+ e plaine, in "is e a'ple$ (e never argue, a%out(ages or "ours$ t"ose are issues ta en up %+ 'ore politi i:e, organi:ations$ li e unions.