Along This Way Analysis

When one utters the names James Weldon Johnson and Zora Neal Hurston immediately the image of two of African American civil rights icons enter in to our minds. Very few actually take the time and examine how closely related the two were. Whether through their upbringing or social struggles James Weldon Johnson and Zora Neal Hurston have illustrated a vivid picture of Jim Crow Florida in the course of their autobiographies. They both interpreted the class and gender dynamic in relation to race, in their own unique way. The class dynamic is a theme quite prevalent throughout the course of Johnson's autobiography Along This Way. It first appears during his recollection of is childhood. He shows that among the black community in Jacksonville
Resembling Johnson, Hurston was strong and expressed her point of view, but she didn't consider herself self-important like Johnson. Hurston lived in Eatonville an all black community which was neighbored by an all white community (Maitland). From young age she was taught that she had to know her "place." Her parents believed and taught her as blacks, they were in a different class then as whites, and because of that there were certain things she could not do (such as look whites in the face). Hurston was raised to believe that there were boundaries between "whites" and "blacks" in race relation, which in life she totally disregards (and nothing happened to her). This is exemplified when Hurston asks for a pony and her father tells her she isn't "white." These beliefs instilled by Hurston parents are in contrast to that of Johnson's. Living in an integrated community, Johnson was taught that there were no boundaries between "blacks" and "whites." Later in life came to realize that this was not
The examination of gender relation through Johnson's interpretation can be best seen between Johnson's father and mother relationship. Despite focus on interaction between family members as a secondary theme, the reader can still sense that "place"ment is an important issue. Johnson portrays his mother as a well educated and talented singer; well his father was a self educated man. He mentions his mother as not knowing her "place." This "place" is an issue that also emerges during Hurston upbringing. It is seen when her uncle is arguing whether beating your wife controls them or not. In both cases it illustrates that during Jim Crow Florida there was a power struggle between black men and black