Harlem Renaissance

1. Harlem Renaissance was an African American cultural movement in the 1920s and early 1930s that was centered in the Harlem, New York City.
2. Also known as the New Negro movement, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Negro Renaissance, the movement emerged toward the end of World War I in 1918, blossomed in the mid- to late 1920s, and then faded in the mid-1930s. 
3. Although it was primarily a literary movement, it was closely related to developments in African American music, theater, art, and politics.
4. From the mid-1920s through the mid-1930s, some 16 black writers published more than 50 volumes of poetry and fiction, while dozens of other African American artists made their mark in painting, music, and theater.
5. three events between 1924 and 1926 launched the Harlem Renaissance. First, on March 21, 1924, Charles S. Johnson of the National Urban League hosted a dinner to recognize the new literary talent in the black community and to introduce the young writers to New York’s white literary establishment.As a result of this dinner, The Survey Graphic, a magazine of social analysis and criticism that was interested in cultural pluralism, produced a Harlem issue in March 1925. Devoted to defining the aesthetic of black literature and art, the Harlem issue featured work by black writers and was edited by black philosopher and literary scholar Alain Leroy Locke.
6. The second event was the publication of Nigger Heaven (1926) by white novelist Carl Van Vechten. The book was a spectacularly popular exposé of Harlem life. Although the book offended some members of the black community, its coverage of both the elite and the baser side of Harlem helped create a “Negro vogue” that drew thousands of sophisticated New Yorkers, black and white, to Harlem’s exotic and exciting nightlife and stimulated a national market for African American literature and music.
   7. Finally, in the autumn of 1926 a group of young black writers produced Fire!!, their own literary magazine. With Fire!! a new generation of young writers and artists, including Langston Hughes, Wallace Thurman, and Zora Neale Hurston, took ownership of the literary Renaissance.
   8. A number of factors contributed to the decline of the Harlem Renaissance in the mid-1930s. The Great Depression of the 1930s increased the economic pressure on all sectors of life.
   9. Organizations such as the NAACP and Urban League, which had promoted the Renaissance in the 1920s, changed their interests to economic and social issues in the 1930s. Many influential black writers and literary promoters, including Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, Charles S. Johnson, and Du Bois, left New York City in the early 1930s.
   10. Finally, a riot in Harlem in 1935—set off in part by the growing economic hardship of the Depression and mounting tension between the black community and the white shop-owners in Harlem who profited from that community—shattered the notion of Harlem as the “Mecca” of the New Negro. In spite of these problems the Renaissance did not disappear overnight. Almost one-third of the books published during the Renaissance appeared after 1929. In the last analysis, the Harlem Renaissance ended when most of those associated with it left Harlem or stopped writing, while new young artists who appeared in the 1930s and 1940s never associated with the movement.
   11.

   The Harlem Renaissance changed forever the dynamics of African American arts and literature in the United States. The writers that followed in the 1930s and 1940s found that publishers and the public were more open to African American literature than they had been at the beginning of the century. Furthermore, the existence of the body of African American literature from the Renaissance inspired writers such as Ralph Ellison and Richard Wright to pursue literary careers in the late 1930s and the 1940s. The outpouring of African American literature of the 1980s and 1990s by such writers as Alice Walker and Toni Morrison also had its roots in the writing of the Harlem Renaissance. The influence of the Harlem Renaissance was not confined to the United States. Writers McKay, Hughes, and Cullen, actor and musician Paul Robeson, dancer Josephine Baker, and others traveled to Europe and attained a popularity abroad that rivaled or surpassed what they achieved in the United States. South African writer Peter Abrahams cited his youthful discovery of the Harlem Renaissance anthology, The New Negro (1925), as the event that turned him toward a career as a writer. For thousands of blacks around the world, the Harlem Renaissance was proof that the white race did not hold a monopoly on literature and culture.

   
   

   See also African American History; African Americans; African American Music; African American Dance; Jazz; and Blues.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    Langston Hughs (1902-1967), American writer, known for using the rhythms of jazz and of everyday black speech in his poetry. Hughes was one of the first writers to portray the urban black experience realistically. His poems typically express the tribulations and sometimes the joys of ghetto life in plain, spirited language resembling the colloquial speech of American blacks. Hughes wrote more than 50 books. His works include the poetry volumes The Dream Keeper (1932), Shakespeare in Harlem (1942), and Fields of Wonder (1947) and many more. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes was published in 1994.Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Jelly Roll Morton, professional name of Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe (1890?-1941), American pianist, and a seminal jazz figure. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he moved around the country for many years, performing his unique blend of blues, ragtime, Creole, and Spanish music. In 1923 he began making records and from 1926 to 1930 he toured with his own group, the Red Hot Peppers. His career declined in the 1930s. Morton’s important contributions to jazz have often been overshadowed by his exaggerated statements and colorful lifestyle. A pioneer in organizing players into a loose orchestra, he produced a number of popular classics, such as “King Porter Stomp” (1923), “Jelly Roll Blues” (1924), and “Black Bottom Stomp” (1926).
   Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
   
   
   
   
   

   

   Paul Laurence Dunbar
    The son of former slaves, Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first black American writers to receive national recognition. In 1896 he published Lyrics of a Lowly Life, a collection of poems written in the black dialect.
   Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Characterization Chart

Chapter and page #	Description/quote from novel	What impression you get about Chris with this character trait or description?
Chapter 1, page 4	“Five feet seven or eight with a wiry build, he claimed to be 24 years old and said he was from South Dakota.  He explained that he wanted a ride as far as the edge of Denali National Park, where he intended to walk deep into the bush and ‘live off the land for a few month.’”	Chris is not physically fit for walking into such a dangerous environment.  He seems a little crazy.
Chapter 2	Chris’s remains weighed only 67 pounds when he was found Pg. 14	He dies of starvation because he was unprepared.
Chapter 3	“McCandless was smallish with the hard, stringy physique of an itinerant laborer. There was something arresting about the youngsters eyes. Pg. 16	Chris wasn’t the biggest guy but him seemed to have striking charisma
Chapter 4	“He was a nice kid. Said his name was Alex. And he was big-time hungry. Hungry, hungry, hungry. But real happy. Said he’d been surviving on edible plants he identified from the book. Pg. 30	Chris was all about pride and the feeling of accomplishing a goal. Having nothing and making something of it.
Chapter 5	“Nice guy, yeah, a pretty nice guy,” Charlie reports. “Didn’t like to be around to many people, though. Temperamental. He meant good, but I think he had a lot of complexes. Pg. 42	Chris moving around and gets itchy feet after being in a place for a long time. He could always handle being by himself and is journey was about solitude.
Chapter 6	“The boy had said his name was Alex-he’d declined to give a surname-and that he came from West Virginia. He was polite, friendly, and well-groomed. Pg.51	Chris Doesn’t want anyone to know where he is from in case they try to figure out information about him and call his parents.
Chapter 7	“He was kind of shy at first,” says Borah. “He acted like it was hard for him to be around people. I just figured that was because he’d spent so much time by himself. Pg. 63	Chris was awkward around people he just met and again, doesn’t like to be around people to begin with.
Chapter 10	When Sam was looking at pictures of Chris. “He has long, and he had beard. Chris almost always had short hair and was clean shaven. And the face in the picture was extremely gaunt. Pg. 101-102	Chris wasn’t able to bath or shave up in Alaska so he ended up looking like a homeless individual.
Chapter 11	“Christopher Johnson McCandless came into the world with unusual gifts and a will not easily deflected from its trajectory.” In the third grade Chris was put into the gifted and talented classes. “He wasn’t antisocial-he always- had friends, and everybody liked him-but he could go off and entertain himself for hours. He didn’t seem to need toys or friends. He could be alone without being lonely.” Pg. 107	Chris just didn’t think friends were important. He had them but he didn’t need them. While most people seem to revolve around friends and desire contact and relationships. Chris could be detached and be perfectly content. Maybe that’s why in Chris’ mind he seemed perfectly sane because he could handle being alone.
Chapter 12	“Chris was good at almost everything he ever tried,” Walt reflects, “Which made him supremely confident. If you attempted to talk to him out of something, he wouldn’t argue. He’s just nod politely and then do exactly what he wanted.” Pg. 119	Because Chris was good at a lot of things and didn’t think the odds didn’t apply to him so to him he wasn’t taking any risks in the wild. His confidence convinced himself he would make it.
Chapter 13	“Like Chris, Carine is energetic and self-assured, a high achiever; quick to state an opinion.” Pg. 129	All these traits that were listed would be extremely influential to thinking he would be fine in Alaska even though he had no past experience.
Chapter 16	“Alex didn’t come out and say too much at first,” stuckey reports. “And by the end he kind of let his guard down. He was a dandy kid. Real courteous, and he didn’t cuss or use a lot of that there slang. You could tell he came from a nice family. Mostly he talked about his sister. He didn’t get along with his folks too good, I guess. Told me his dad was a genius, a NASA rocket scientist. Pg. 159	Chris obviously came from a good family but whether he knew it or not, he picked up a lot from his parents. The right way to act and present yourself.     -In my opinion Chris McCandless was no where close to being a insane nut-job. He had  huge impact on people that he just met for the first time. He came off as an intelligent person which in fact he was. The way he grew up and his incredible thinking out-of-the-box was very influential. Who is t say Chris was a kook who had no feelings for other people especially his parents. He had a good reason to resent his parents but maybe he couldn't worked things out. Being alone was enjoyable for Chris. He didn't think the odds applied for him and he was good at almost everything he did. That was a supreme confidence builder. He didn't let people tell him what to do becuase that's that living your own life. He did what he wanted and had control of his life. Chris McCandless was just a human being that knew what he wanted

Half way through

         Chapter 2.

  11. Because it refers to the wild and dark woods, the harsh winds and cold. Ominous death and nothingness

                12. So the reader knows what Chris is getting into and start making inferences

                13.  Starvation was the considered cause of McCandless' death. He only Weighed 67 pounds. Pg. 14

          Chapter 3.

14. Wayne westerberg is a man in his mid thirties that runs a grain mill and

Gave chris a ride on day and chris eventually worked for him in carthage Pg. 16

15. Rubber tramps are adventurers with cars and leather tramps are people without cars, they just walk.Pg. 17
16. The author is saying Chris left his family in D.C and found a new better family with Westerberg and other employees.
17. westerberg got arrested for illegally making a "black box" that allows yuo to get free cable. So he was out of a job Pg. 19
18. " before departing, he gave westerberg a treasured 1942 edition of  Tolstoy's War and Peace on the title page he inscribed, " transferred to Wayne Westerberg from Alexander". Pg. 19
19. Chris's had 1 younger sister and 6 had siblings from his dads first marriage. His parents tried to but him his respect like a new car or law school money no matter how many times Chris refused. Pg. 20-21

20. He becomes akward when he moves into a populated city, and he gets itchy feet staying in the same place too long. Pg. 22
21. He changed his name and started a new life for himself. Pg. 22-23

Chapter 4 and 5

22. Chris  was a one man wolf pack and he wanted to find an answer he has been looking for and he thinks going to the undisturbed desert will help him.
23. Shes a rubber tramp she sees Chris picking berries and lets him stay with her and her boyfriend for a week and they became friends and stay in touch
24. He bought a conoe on impulse and rode it down the Colorado river to the Gulf of California.

25. He speakes in 3rd person and dates the entries.________________

26. " It is the experiences, the memories, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found."

27. Chris was living in somewhat of a cheap way but good for knowing what his starting point was. He was a griller at McDonalds and was living in a trailer house with an old guy named Charlie.

28.  

29. " He was smart. He'd figured out how to paddle a canoe down to Mexico, how to hop freight trains, how to score a bed at inner-city missions. He figured all of that out on his own, and I felt sure he'd figure out Alaska, too."

30. " Although Burres was concerned about McCandlees, she assumed he'd come through in one piece. " I thought he'd be fine in the end."

 Chapter 6 and 7

31.  Alex was hitching back to bajada when Ron came to give him a ride to Oh-My-god Hot Springs.

32. It is a pig farm

33. While ron was in the military, he wife and only son were killed by a drunk driver

34. Ron felt the emptiness go away when he met McCandless. Ron asked Chris to be his adopted Grandson.

35. Alex started working with Ron and making leather belts, and they kind of bonded over that.

36. "McCandless was thrileed to be on his way north, and he was relieved as well-relieved that he had again evaded the impending threat of human intimacy, of friendship, and all the messy emotional baggage that comes with it."

37. To move around, don’t stay in one place. God made so many beautiful places everywhere. Explore a little

38. On december 26th when Ron picked up two other boys one told him he read in a paper than Alex had died in the tundra.

39. Waynes machine broke again and hes has been working a lot with little help.

40. The author thought that McCandless and his father were both high strung men and they had some issue  McCandless couldn’t let go off. The author did mention how McCandless and his sister were very close and all the guys stared at her because she is beautiful.
Chapter 8 and 9

41. The story compares to what Chris is doing and gives and gives a little backround. Gene also got rid of all his possessions

42. Because waterman went into the wild because he lost all his work. Chris went into the wild to find another life because he didn’t like his family.  Krakauer adds this story to say that people do things they wouldn’t normally do with a normal life. " Like Rosellini and Waterman, McCandless was a seeker and had an impractical fascination with the harsh side a nature." Pg. 85

43. " Like waterman and McCunn, he displayed a staggering paucity of common sense." Pg. 85

44. Everett Ruess had somewhat of a family that moved a lot before finally settling down in southern California. After high school, he went to college for one semester and then dropped out. He moved out into the wild going to various areas of nature like the Davis Gulch. He wrote several letters to his friends and family describing how beautiful life was when it was lived in nature instead of the average life that most people decide to live. He was very adventurous and there are many theories of how he died.

45. They were similar because they both had the same thought of that there is something more than just everyday life. There is a whole world to be discovered and explored.

 

Famous Quotes in the novel

" Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway. the trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light." Jack London, White Fang Pg. 9
this relates to Chris becuase Chris did walk into the wild of Alaska in the frozen tundra with bare trees.

" It is associated in our minds with escape from history and oppression and law and irksome obligations, with absolute freedom, and the road was always led west.
Wallace Stegner, The American west as Living Space Pg. 15
this relates to chris because he wanted to escape his life and his mindset of forgetting everything. the laws and the rules; being held down by everyone else.

" There was some books... One was Pilgrim's Progress, about a man that left his family, it didn't say why. i read considerable in it now and then. Then statements was intersesting, but tough.
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Pg. 61
 this relates to Chris becuase he left on his adventure without saying a word to his family.

"Life is a blank canvas" Danny Kaye
i think Chris would get this becuase he made his life the way he wanted. He painted his life. He is his own artist.