Langston Hughes, probably the most famous of all Harlem Renaissance writers, played an very important role in Richard Bruce Nugent´s life, especially in regard to his career as an artist. He introduced him to Harlem´s artistic circles; through Hughes, Nugent made acquaintance with many contemporary luminaries, was introduced to the movement´s elite (Wirth, 4). Hughes, amongst others, an temporary inhabitant of “Niggeratti manor” and also directly involved in the creation of Fire!!, made the following remark about the Niggeratti´s landmark publication (Wirth, 15):
None of the older Negro intellectuals would have anything to do with Fire [sic]. Dr. Du Bois in the Crisis roasted it. The negro press called it all sorts of bad names, largely because of a green and purple story by Bruce Nugent, in the Oscar Wilde tradition, which we had included. (Wirth, 83, emphasis added)
Hughes quintessential statement about Fire!! clearly places the responsibility for the reception of the magazine on Nugent. But did Fire!!/Smoke, Lilies and Jade really have such a negative impact on the black community? Is it due to the fact, that Nugent´s short story stands in the Oscar Wilde tradition? In how far does it actually stand in the Oscar Wilde tradition? In order to fully comprehend the statement by Hughes, these questions need to be answered. Thus, I will point out the consequences of the publication of Fire!! with special regard to Nugent´s short story. In doing so, I will arrange the paper starting from the quotation above.
Hence, I will first explain the components of the quote, meaning to give an definition of the Oscar Wilde tradition, as well as some background information and contextualizaing Fire!!; moreover a live and work acount on Richard Bruce Nugent, limited to the information that is necessary for the scope of this paper. Having established this information, I will return to the quote again and discuss the literary influence on and the significance of Smoke, Liles and Jade, as well as the reception of Fire!! and Smoke,Lilies and Jade in relation to the results obtained by analyzing the short story.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Oscar Wilde´s Heritage
2. Harlem on Fire!!
3. Oscar Wilde´s Successor (?)
3.1 His Life
3.2 His Work
4. The Controversy of Smoke, Lilies and Jade
4.1 Contextualizing Smoke, Lilies and Jade
4.2 Smoke, Lilies and Jade and the Oscar Wilde Tradition
4.3 Smoke, Lilies and Jade and Modernism
5. The Reception of Fire!! and Smoke
Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper examines the literary significance of Richard Bruce Nugent’s short story "Smoke, Lilies and Jade" within the context of the Harlem Renaissance. It investigates the work's relationship to the Oscar Wilde tradition, analyzes its modernist stylistic elements, and explores how its transgressive content challenged the contemporary social expectations of the black intellectual elite.
- The influence of Aestheticism and Decadence on Richard Bruce Nugent's work.
- The revolutionary nature of "Smoke, Lilies and Jade" regarding the explicit depiction of homosexuality.
- The controversial role of the magazine Fire!! in the Harlem Renaissance.
- The tension between the "racial uplift" ideology of the time and the artistic freedom championed by the "Niggeratti."
- The evolution of the critical reception of Nugent's work from the 1920s to contemporary research.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Smoke, Lilies and Jade and the Oscar Wilde Tradition
The connection between Smoke, Lilies and Jade and Oscar Wilde is to be seen at first glance, the tributs to the master of Decadence are far too obvious. As Jeffrey Meyers describes the opening scene of Oscar Wilde´s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray : “The opening paragraphes of the novel, with their evocation of opium-tainted cigarettes and Baudelairean fleurs du mal […] ” (22), meaning that young Lord Henry Wotton lays lazily on his divan and smoking contently his opium-tinted cigarettes (Beckson, 265). The opening scene of Smoke, Lilies and Jade describes a very similar situation, with regard to Alex´ action: “all he wanted to do was … lay there comfortably smoking…” (Nugent, 569). The reference to Oscar Wilde and Decadent ideals is continued in the general depiction of protagonist Alex. He presents himself partly in the “English tradition of the aesthete-dandy, to which his mannerisms, affectations, pose of worl-weary sophistication, and favorite writers are indebted (Boone, 227). He reads books by Oscar Wilde; the mention of this name often served as a code word to signal homosexual propensity” (Boone, 227): Alex … was content to lay and smoke and meet friends at night … to argue and read …Wilde …Freud … Boccaccio and Schnitzler (Nugent, 572). Thus, the homoerotic content of the story is already foreshadowed in the beginning. Alex also stands perfectly in tradition of Oscar Wilde´s dandy Lord Henry, concerning his non existing selfcriticism: “An overriding of questions of morality is […] evident in Smoke, Lilies and Jade, […] these moral issues concern […] the protagonist Alex´s espousal of a bohemian lifestyle” (Schwarz, 131). “While his conciousness seems pierced with moral criticism, he never seriously questions his actions.” (Schwarz, 132).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a contextual background on the relationship between Langston Hughes and Richard Bruce Nugent, while establishing the primary research goal of analyzing the literary and social impact of "Smoke, Lilies and Jade".
1. Oscar Wilde´s Heritage: Outlines the literary foundations of Aestheticism and Decadence, highlighting Wilde’s influence on these movements and their emphasis on art autonomy.
2. Harlem on Fire!!: Discusses the origins, editorial philosophy, and financial challenges of the magazine Fire!!, and its role as a platform for the "Niggeratti" to challenge existing black bourgeois standards.
3. Oscar Wilde´s Successor (?): Examines the biography and artistic persona of Richard Bruce Nugent, positioning him as a "black dandy" who navigated the intersection of racial identity and queer desire.
4. The Controversy of Smoke, Lilies and Jade: Investigates the specific literary influences, modernist techniques, and the transgressive content that made the short story a point of ideological conflict.
5. The Reception of Fire!! and Smoke: Analyzes the negative, often silent, reactions from the black middle-class critics and the institutional figures of the Harlem Renaissance toward the magazine's content.
Conclusion: Summarizes the legacy of the Niggeratti and suggests that their work offers vital, ongoing cultural insights for contemporary readers interested in the complexities of identity and resistance.
Keywords
Harlem Renaissance, Richard Bruce Nugent, Smoke Lilies and Jade, Oscar Wilde, Aestheticism, Decadence, Modernism, Fire!!, Niggeratti, Homosexuality, Dandyism, Racial Uplift, Queer Identity, Interracial Queer Literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this seminar paper?
The paper explores the literary and ideological relationship between Richard Bruce Nugent’s short story "Smoke, Lilies and Jade" and the traditions of European Aestheticism and Decadence, specifically focusing on the influence of Oscar Wilde.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Central themes include queer identity in the 1920s, the "racial uplift" ideology vs. artistic independence, the role of Fire!! as a rebellious publication, and the intersection of modernism and literature.
What is the main objective of the author?
The primary goal is to determine how "Smoke, Lilies and Jade" stands in the Oscar Wilde tradition and to understand why the work and the magazine Fire!! were met with such intense controversy by the black community and academic critics of the time.
Which methodology is applied in this research?
The study utilizes a qualitative, literature-based approach, analyzing primary texts from the Harlem Renaissance alongside contemporary scholarship to synthesize an interpretation of the work's historical and artistic impact.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body covers the theoretical framework of Aestheticism, the historical context of the "Niggeratti" group, a biographical account of Nugent, a stylistic analysis of the short story, and a detailed examination of the reception of Fire!!.
Which key terms characterize this analysis?
Key terms include the Harlem Renaissance, Dandyism, Decadence, queer literature, racial uplift, and modernism.
How did critics like W.E.B. Du Bois perceive the work?
W.E.B. Du Bois viewed the work and the magazine Fire!! with disapproval because he believed that art should serve the moral progress of the race, whereas Nugent followed the "art for art's sake" principle.
What significance do the ellipsis in the story hold?
Scholars offer different interpretations; while some see them as narrative representations of Freudian self-censorship, others view them as a modernist grammatical rebellion against the "smooth racial veneer" expected of black literature.
- Quote paper
- Christoph Ruffing (Author), 2006, Richard Bruce Nugent´s "Smoke, Lilies and Jade": The Relation to the Oscar Wilde Tradition and its Significance for "Fire!!", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/64952
