Analysis Of Ethnic Consciousness In Roots

With the unceasing development of Afro-American literature, it has become an integral part of American literature and culture since the 20th century. Black intellectuals expressed their dissatisfaction and resistance to oppression and discrimination of the white racism. Simultaneously,Afro-American literature also has played an increasingly important role on the exploration of black ethnic identity to improve self-confidence and sense of pride.Black movements were turbulent in the twentieth century. The "Harlem Renaissance" beginning from the early of 1920s and the "black power movement" during the period of the 60-70s ,without exception,reflected the awakening of black consciousness. Freeing themselves from their inferiority,they began to fight for their own rights. Their slogan was "black is beautiful" mirroring their ethnic pride and strong ethnic consciousness, in the meantime, they began to constantly explore more culture sources and seek their ethnic identity to enhance their sense of ethnic pride.The emergence of Roots conformed exactly to the requirement. According to the description of the family history passing from mouth to mouth by generations of a black family, Haley found his African root as well as national and cultural roots. The writer wrote much on describing the nicety of African land which Kunta lived in before being plundered by whites,It was just these life that brought up his hard-working, persevering and emulative personality, and that shaped his African identity. After being captured to America, he firmly maintain his African basic characteristic, took pride in his African culture, and stuck to his African identity regardless of the oppression and discrimination of the whites. In the meantime, he held a strong sense of ethnic group identity. He often felt close to those people who had the same skin color and behaviors. This was a common sense of every black people --- ethnic group consciousness. In addition, even if he was so clinging to his African culture, years of life in white land, the collision of black and white civilization along with the erosion of white culture forced him to subject himself to cultural assimilation of whites. His descendants and other black offspring living in this land accepted all of the whites fully --- language and even culture. Although they encountered with the perplexity of inevitable double consciousness trying to integrate fully into the white society, and some blacks even produced psychology of self-hatred, some of them with strong will and spiritual power obtained an identity of American social man.Combining with the writing background of the novel, this thesis analyzes this novel from the scope of Black Aesthetics, and with a changing view elaborates dynamic changes and development of black identity and consciousness on the American land.Chapter one demonstrates ethnic individual consciousness ideology in first development phase according to black` recognition and exclusion in terms of appearance and culture. Chapter two analyzes blacks living in predominant white social life reached mutual recognition one another and formed their own community. Their notions changed from self-help to mutual aid, from separate to solidarity based on common cultural traditions, and then engendered ethnic group consciousness ideology with ethnic identity as the core. Chapter three highlights the inevitable acculturation resulting from the parallel development of two cultures, which caused significant impact on ideology to the black and their groups, and then formed double consciousness making them confusing. However new blacks getting rid of this kind of perplexity with the help of spiritual power merged two conflicted identities into a new identity, formed dual consciousness, thus achieved the spiritual reconciliation.Experiencing the bondage and discrimination over hundreds of years in the United States, blacks continually quest their own identity, which may keep on. Wherever their roots are, they integrate undisputedly into the American society and, become a considerable member of the historical development of the United States.