When considering paper topics for this specific class, I have been thinking over discussion and reading themes. First off, my mind thinks back to the discussion after we watched Glory. This movie stimulated the first real discussion we had relating the readings to life and I think it is because it helped the class identify with the characters. It is difficult to explain why, but for some reason there is a barrier that has to be broken down to read African American literature. So, my first idea for a paper is along the lines of what is that barrier, how do we break it down, and what do we gain from connecting with the characters of African American literature? My second thought on paper topics pertains to the influence of religion in the writings of African Americans.
From the folktales, poems, and songs to Frederick Douglass’ My Bondage and My Freedom, the ties to African American religion remain consistent and strong. I think it would make an interesting paper to show the same influence in more contemporary works such as Flight to Canada and detail the similarities and differences between the slaves writing and contemporary literature. Finally, an interesting paper topic might be one that has to do with analyzing a specific set of poems from Claude McKay. Many of us had never read any of his poetry and it would be a different type of paper, just focusing on one or two poems of the same author, but still, something may come of it..
