Zora Neal Hurston

Student of Franz Boas (founder of modern Anthropology, scientific study of human development and society)  ethnography�you have to go out in the field and observe (before you theorize)  primitive vs.
�civilized� culture

We define ourselves through biases and cultural constructions/preconceptions

�How it feels to be colored me?�

White uplift/support governmental interference?�she opposed

Do we know what we�re missing?  Loss of soul/culture amenable to development of soul/spirit in the modern industrialized society

�The native whites rode dusty horse�  natives?  Primitives or people native to place?

�got just as much pleasure out of the tourists as the tourists got out of the village.�reciprocity�the �natives� are just interested in the �native� tourists

Zora between Eatonville and greater world�defined by herself

�brown specter� for whites�white guilt

As �black� she is in complete freedom to define herself, instead of being defined by history

�the veneer we call civilization�Zora�we all have this false veil we wear to control/mask our �primitive� primal reality   American �high culture� has lost its connection with the soul/emotions/authentic identity beyond the mask of supposed education

Culture is organic�cannot change it overnight with legislation

Langston Hughes��A Dream Deferred�

Pessimistic�very visual-imagery

Both have nice jazz-like rhythms (not standard rhyme)

Ultimate message to whites and blacks: not achieving cultures�explosion?  Riots?  Revolution?  Crime? Drugs�creation of permanent under-class, hopelessness

What would Zora say to Langston?  What is your dream?  Is it too materialistic?  Or too individualistic?  What�s happened to that organic community?   Consumer society?