Though the topic of dialect in Their Eyes Were Watching God has been exhausted, thanks to Richard Wright I think there’s just enough oil for me to give it one last run.
While most of us have been receptive to Hurston’s use of vernacular speech, our good friend Richard Wright was quick to accuse Hurston of “[exploiting] that phase of Negro life which is ‘quaint’”, in other words, he felt she that had reduced her characters to exotic spectacles. He goes on to describe the novel as a work of literature tailored for a white audience, because by his logic, these supposedly primitive mannerisms would be a wonted expectation to such readers. Furthermore, Wright claims that the use of dialect does not go beyond contributing an organic effect, and that the novel’s resemblance to oral tradition is highly antiquated. The most profound indictment Wright makes is when he criticizes TEWWG of carrying “no theme, no message, no thought”. By all means, in comparison to a highly aggressive writing style like Wright’s, Hurston’s does not attempt to be nearly as combatant--her pace is much more balanced. Though I cannot say for sure, my assessment is that Wright may have only interpreted the novel as a one-dimensional narrative because he was distracted by the potent use of diction. I have yet to confirm this prognosis!
If you would like to see Wright's full critique, here is the link: http://people.virginia.edu/~sfr/enam358/wrightrev.html
If you would like to see Wright's full critique, here is the link: http://people.virginia.edu/~sfr/enam358/wrightrev.html
I think Wright's categorization of Hurston's writing as for a white audience is interesting -- in a way, it makes sense because she wouldn't need to include that style if she felt on the same level as her reader. In another sense, I think it adds a type of rhythm and soul to the book. We were talking in class one day about how we don't read the phonetics of how people talk in most books. So, I think her writing is more a rebellion of typical literature rhythm, and is less raced than Wright may think or point out. Good post!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that we're reading the novels in this order. From Native Son to Invisible Man, we see a progression in the protagonist's visibility. In TEWWG, we've struck gold. I understand that Wright dislike Hurton's novel for it's more natural style, which could be interpreted as aimless, but it gives the most visibility to the characters. We see them in their daily lives, getting to speak in the voice they want to speak in, adding a flavor we missed in the other novels as the narration focused on events with a specific theme or point. I agree with you, TEWWG is more balanced. Wright is focused on the protest, while Hurston is focused on the novel -- and still gets the message out, gently and thoughtfully.
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