American Studies (미국학)

Seoul National University American Studies Institute (서울대학교 미국학연구소)
권호 표지

Wallace Thurman's The Blacker the Berry: Loving Oneself Enough to Be Selfish

  • Received : 2020.06.10
  • Accepted : 2020.06.27
  • Published : 2020.06.30

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Abstract

This essay examines how Wallace Thurman envisions throug h Emma Lou a possibility of overcoming self-hatred and moving toward self-acceptance in his novel, The Blacker the Berry. Focusing on Emma Lou's departure from Alva and his deformed son, this essay contends that her "selfish" act is the first step toward self-acceptance. Describing his dark-skinned protagonist's pathetic attempts to belong to light-skinned people, Thurman mercilessly exposes and criticizes Emma Lou's psychological contradictions. Simultaneously, however, Thurman sympathizes with and shows some respect for her endeavors to make a difference in her life. Emma Lou's redemption from her self-hatred can come only when she realizes its detrimental effects on her life and learns to love herself enough to be selfish. By granting Emma Lou an opportunity to conduct a serious self-examination and resolve to sever ties with Alva, Thurman demonstrates a possibility of fighting against the color prejudice found both inside and outside oneself.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by Incheon National University Research Grant in 2019.

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