Jean Toomer Essays

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Jean Toomer: Poems

When placed in an environment of high stimulation, populace, and activity, one may begin to feel the desire to escape or detach from civilization. Such environments, most notably urban cities, often consist of a variety of tall buildings, which...

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Cane

Jean Toomer’s Cane was written in response to the author’s time spent in Georgia teaching in rural black schools. Toomer, born and raised in affluent areas of the North, was surely surprised by many elements of his stay in the black rural South,...

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Cane

“Life is swift, and the value of life is the value of every moment.” -Waldo Frank

Out of all the readings for this class, this sentiment is expressed strongest in the works of Jean Toomer and Sherwood Anderson. Cane and Winesburg, Ohio are books...

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Cane

Throughout the text Cane by Jean Toomer, the author creates a paradoxical depiction of women because, although he at times criticizes the metonymization of women, he also participates in it. For example, the first half of the book relies almost...

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Cane

Jean Toomer, in his novel Cane, compiles issues that plague the black community of the United States through the lens of characters who struggle with conflicts that arise because of racism in both the North and the South. These issues include...

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Cane

Naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principle of objectivity and detachment with regard to the study of human beings (Campbell). Charles Darwin, renowned biologist postulates his natural selection theory in...

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Cane

Esther endured five long years of loneliness. Her determination to prove herself and fulfill her desire left her more alone and disappointed than her initial hunger for companionship. In “Esther” by Jean Toomer, Esther’s morality and desires are...

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Cane

Many southern writers are known for obscuring the boundaries between human and nonhuman--especially in regard to African Americans. When executed properly, authors are capable of conveying to the reader how African Americans were not typically...