Dislocating the color line

By Samira Kawash

Book Description

Through the lens of African-American literary voices spanning two centuries, this scholarly exploration examines how racial boundaries have shaped American consciousness and identity. Samira Kawash guides readers through a thoughtful analysis of slave narratives, passing novels, and works by influential authors like Charles Chesnutt and Zora Neale Hurston to uncover the deeper mechanisms behind racial division in America.

Rather than simply documenting differences, this work reveals how the color line has functioned as a powerful organizing principle throughout the nation's history. Kawash demonstrates that these boundaries have served not merely to identify biological or cultural distinctions, but to create systems of classification and social order that continue to influence contemporary life.

The book poses essential questions about the nature of division itself: How do these separating forces operate, and what purpose do they serve? By examining literary representations across different eras, readers gain insight into the assumptions and practices that have sustained racial categorization in American society.

For those seeking to understand the historical roots of current social dynamics, this analysis offers a pathway toward greater awareness of how identity and belonging have been constructed. The work challenges readers to examine critically the interpretations and assumptions that continue to shape our understanding of racial difference, providing tools for deeper reflection on these enduring social realities.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~7 hours)

📄 Length: 266 pages

What You'll Discover

✓ Explore History and criticism
✓ Explore Racially mixed people in literature
✓ Explore Group identity in literature
✓ Explore Slavery in literature
✓ Explore American literature, african american authors, history and criticism
✓ Explore African Americans in literature
✓ Explore Chesnutt, charles waddell, 1858-1932
✓ Explore American literature

Topics Covered

History and criticism Racially mixed people in literature Group identity in literature Slavery in literature American literature, african american authors, history and criticism African Americans in literature Chesnutt, charles waddell, 1858-1932 American literature Color African American authors Race in literature Hurston, zora neale, 1901-1960 Narration (Rhetoric) Criticism and interpretation African Americans Individuality in literature Intellectual life