Theme
Open issue
Contents
Hogar Najm Abdullah, From Restraint to Rage
This paper provides an intersectional analysis of two black male characters torn between their human potential and their marginalized masculinities in Ann Petry’s short stories “Like a Winding Sheet” (1945) and “In Darkness and Confusion” (1947). I argue that despite the subtle interplay of moderation and rage within these characters, they arrive at a form of assumed self-realization by performing their masculine angst in the most unpredictable and violent outbursts. Drawing on Price M. Cobbs and William H. Grier’s (2000) concept of “black rage,” I examine how Johnson and William Jones, the protagonists of the aforementioned stories, perceive violence as a defense mechanism—a way to compensate for their marginalized masculinities. These characters embody African American masculinities constrained by stereotypical expectations that hinder their ability to fulfill socially prescribed roles as providers and protectors. Consequently, they resort to violence in a desperate attempt to confront their marginalized status and assert their masculine power. This paper contributes to Petry’s committed literary project of portraying complex and nuanced images of black male characters, challenging the reductive and dehumanizing typecasting of African American men prevalent in the dominant cultural narratives of 1940s American society.
Reviews
Herzogenrath, Bernd, ed. 2023. New Perspectives on Academic Writing: The Thing That Wouldn’t Die. Series: Alternative | Education. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
by Aneta Naumoska