f we justly consider the United States as a country of immigrants, it has been a place of cultural encounters and clashes ever since the first pilgrims got off the ships from Europe and met with the original inhabitants of the country, the Indian tribes (cf. Tindall: 12-28). Although the first immigrants to America were mostly English, there have been many cultural groups following their paths and building up their existence in the “New World”. Germans, Dutch, Italians or Jews are just some of the many people who escaped from their home countries to start a new life in the United States. Their arrival in the new country often led to conflicts. If they were not physical then at least on a verbal basis did the immigrants face the mistrust and often even the hate of the American people. (cf. Tindall: 716-723)
With the growing industrialization and the need for new, free labor, Africans were brought to the United States against their wills. Thereby, the problem of interethnic or interracial conflicts was even further complicated. Some consider this racist policy of “importing” people for work purposes as the basis for American prosperity until today. The resulting discrimination of Blacks, however, remains a discussion topic even nowadays and is the source of many conflicts in American history, let alone the main reason for the last war that was fought on American territory – the Civil War in the 1860’s (cf. Tindall: 487-492).
One century later, during the 1960’s, African-Americans were tired of their legal and personal oppression and started to demand the rights promised to them by the Proclamation Declaration but that had not really been practised in reality. The emergence of the Black Power movement, mainly by the Black Panthers, marked an important step in the Black people’s emasculation from the chains of inequality. (cf. Tindall: 1160-1164). Nevertheless, segregation (the legal separation of Black and White) was still prevalent and not even in 2004 can we speak of equal opportunities for both races in the USA.
With “Sons of Darkness, Sons of Light”, John A. Williams, an Afro-American author, tried to present an attempt of how to change circumstances for Blacks in America. His novel, first published in 1969 and envisioning America at the beginning of the 1970’s, may not have had a lot of critical acclaim, but in my opinion is a valuable source for interpreting the multi-faceted interethnic encounters in the United States of the late 196o's.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Interethnic Confrontations in "Sons"
- The Struggle between Black and White
- Interethnic Encounters between Italians and Blacks
- The Jewish Attitude towards the Blacks' Cause
- Summary
- Bibliography
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes the interethnic confrontations depicted in John A. Williams' novel "Sons of Darkness, Sons of Light," published in 1969. The author uses the novel to explore the multifaceted nature of multiculturalism in the United States during the late 1960s, particularly focusing on the tensions and struggles faced by African-Americans in the wake of the Civil Rights movement.
- The complex relationship between Black and White communities in the United States.
- The role of violence and its implications for interracial relations.
- The perspectives and experiences of different ethnic groups, including Italians and Jews, in shaping the broader American social landscape.
- The significance of historical context, specifically the Civil Rights movement, in understanding the ongoing struggle for racial equality.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introductory chapter sets the stage for the novel by examining the historical context of interethnic encounters in the United States, from the arrival of European immigrants to the complexities of race relations in the 1960s. The chapter also introduces the protagonist, Eugene Browning, an African-American who works at the Institute for Racial Justice in New York.
The second chapter delves into the multifaceted nature of interethnic confrontations in the novel, highlighting the central theme of the Blacks' struggle for rights and recognition. The chapter explores the novel's historical setting, specifically the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War, which contribute to the tension and conflict.
The chapter on "The Struggle between Black and White" examines the novel's central event: the revenge for the killing of a Black child by a White police officer. It explores Eugene Browning's decision to hire a hitman to kill the cop and the subsequent consequences of his act. The chapter analyzes Browning's motivations, his dissatisfaction with the status quo, and the broader themes of economic and psychological emasculation faced by Black Americans.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key themes and concepts explored in the novel include interethnic confrontations, race relations, multiculturalism, the Civil Rights movement, violence, discrimination, and the struggle for equality in the United States during the late 1960s.
- Quote paper
- Moritz Oehl (Author), 2004, 'An eye for an eye' - Interethnic Confrontations in John A. William's "Sons of Darkness, Sons of Light", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/33145
