| James Baldwin(1924-1987)was an important black American writer in the 20 th century.He actively participated in the civil rights movement and used his rich literary forms to create a large number of realistic works reflecting the nature and destiny of blacks in American society to point out the spiritual predicament of blacks in the real society.His unique literary outlook has influenced many black writers.This thesis uses the theory of “collective memory” combined with the research methods of text reading and text analysis to analyze the content and reasons of “collective memory” in James Baldwin’s novels from the 1950 s to the 1970 s.And then dig into the deep meaning of Baldwin’s novels,trying to find out Baldwin’s slavery and contribution to seek the identity of the black American community and solve the American racial problems.The full text is mainly divided into five parts.The introduction part mainly introduces the research status at home and abroad,the basis for the topic selection,content and significance,and the general situation of the theory of “collective memory”.The first chapter analyzes the content of collective memory presented in Baldwin’s novels on the basis of close reading of the text.It mainly analyzes the historical memory of the victimization and resistance of African American groups in Baldwin’s novels,the memory of identity that has nowhere to stay,and the cultural memory of balancing the“soul” of the nation.While clarifying historical facts,digging into the“dual consciousness”has brought the soul“tearing” to the black American community.The second chapter explores the reasons why Baldwin presents collective memory in his novels,mainly from the three aspects of history,era reasons and the writer’s own unique experience.The third chapter focuses on digging the deep meaning behind Baldwin’s“collective memory” presented in the novel from the subject connotation.As an observer of the times,Baldwin used literature as a medium of memory,connecting the past and the present,allowing African Americans to have a basis for the concept of “collective” and its power to realize collective identification.Secondly,the identification of identity also facilitates racial reconciliation.As a “double-edged sword,”racial barriers are inevitable for the entire United States.Only by breaking down barriers and releasing hatred through love can harmony be achieved.Finally,Baldwin also promoted the progress of black literature in the process of inheriting and surpassing the tradition of “protest literature”.The conclusion part made a general summary of the content of this article. |
