| Zora Neale Hurston was one of America's most prolific female black writers of the first half of the twentieth century. To her literary credits are four novels, two collections of folklore, an autobiography, numerous short stories, articles, numerous unpublished manuscripts, dramas and correspondences. There have been many speculations as to why her career and art failed to receive the acclaim deserved. Among these are Hurston's ambivalence in politics and her racial philosophy, her enigmatic personality and her failing career during the era of black protest literature. In spite of these speculations, Hurston's skill as a writer ranges from her mastery of folklore and dialect to her control of characterization, plot and theme.;One of the attractions in Hurston's work is her portrayal of the black woman who developed as an individual of strength and conviction. Much of this development is a part of the author's own private development as a woman, black woman and a writer. The black female emerges often as a result of some relationship with the black male. In a few cases, the black male is often in the background or shadow of the portrait being painted of the black woman. Hurston, however, has drawn full portraits of black male characters in her works.;This study is particularly interested in the black male both in the fiction and the private life of Zora Neale Hurston. Select fiction, non-fiction and other manuscripts will be used to show the impact of the black male's relationship with his family, with his woman, with his community and with the larger society, both white and black. |
