A Study Of The Historical Writing In Male African American Autobiographies In The Twentieth Century

Internalized racial conflicts have been deeply reflected in mainstream American culture for a long time,and minority groups have never stopped fighting for equality.In the long history of African Americans,their struggles and efforts for freedom have never ceased,reflected in various aspects of African American cultural traditions,such as music,novels,dramas,and spiritual songs,which have distinctive cultural characteristics.The study of these art forms has witnessed the efforts of African Americans to construct their cultural identity.African American autobiography also has a long history;as an independent literary genre,it has more modern elements.For the African American writer community,the duality and particularity of ethnic culture and history greatly influence the cognitive process of self-awareness.This study is based on the theoretical perspective of New Historicism and aims to explore the historical writing in 20^thcentury African American male autobiography.It specifically focuses on four works:Up from Slavery（1901）by Booker T.Washington（1856-1915）,Black Boy（1945）by Richard Wright（1908-1960）,The Autobiography of Malcolm X（1964）by Malcolm X（1925-1965）,and Brothers and Keepers（1984）by John Edgar Wideman（1941-）.The primary objective is to examine the intertextuality between these texts and history,with the goal of redefining African American male autobiography in the 20^thcentury.Additionally,this study seeks to explore the significant role of historical memory and historiography in the process of shaping ethnic identity within autobiographical works.Chapter one is“Introduction,”including the research background,literature review,and thesis layout.Chapter Two,“New Development and Historical Writing:Up from Slavery,”examines Booker Washington’s autobiographical work published in 1901 as a research object,analyzing the differences between his work and enslaved personal narratives and studying how Washington’s historical writing reveals the progress of African American people.This chapter explores the importance and uniqueness of Washington’s autobiography in American history and literature.It attempts to explore its critical and indispensable role in the development of African American literature.Chapter Three,“‘New Negro”and Historical Writing:Black Boy,”explores Richard Wright’s historical writing in the background of the“New Negro”movement.His historical writing is not only to locate himself but also to reclaim the history and culture of African Americans and advocate for their rightful place in American society.Chapter Four,“New Identity and Historical Writing:The Autobiography of Malcolm X,”examines Malcolm X’s historical writing in the background of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.The Autobiography of Malcolm X is not only a means of locating Malcolm’s personal experience but also a way to record the history and culture of African Americans and maintain their legitimate status in American society.Chapter Five,“New Breakthrough and Historical Writing:Brothers and Keepers,”explores John Edgar Wideman’s historical writing style and reveals the power of historical writing as self-reflection and social criticism and the ability to show the history and contemporary experiences of marginalized communities.This paper analyzes the relationship between African American autobiography and African American history and culture through text analysis and cultural-historical research of the four autobiographies.It explores African American autobiography’s unique value and significance in American literature and culture.