Dismantling the Hierarchies

As a mulatto, Charles W. Chesnutt was determined to disseminate his convictions about the right for all men to be treated as equal. Using the untenable circumstances endured by those of mixed racial ancestry, he launched a campaign for equality through his writings and distinguished himself through his adeptness with the language. This work explores his crafty and witty rhetorical manipulations, which dupe the literary opponents in his works and engage the reader in interpretative analyses that suggest that he was a monumental literary figure, ahead of his time, implementing theoretical practices that were popularly established long after his death. It further discloses him as a champion of a cause that not only may be recognized today as a predecessor to the Civil Rights Movement in America but should also be recognized as a significant human concern throughout the world generation after generation. This work clearly discloses Chesnutt as a literary force to be recognized because of his theoretical strategies and his socio-political message.

Autorentext

Lois P. Tucker studied Literature and Criticism at Oakwood University, Andrews University, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Although she is presently the principal of the Bermuda Institute, because of her love of literature and her love for teaching, she continues to serve as Adjunct Lecturer in English at the Bermuda College.