Ralph Ellison and the Paradox of Juneteenth

Abstract

The question of identity has remained crucial in the American psyche and has been reflected in all of its literature. By and large, Juneteenth in a paradoxical manner also attempts a definition of the American identity. Delving into the lives of and relationship between Daddy Hickman and Bliss/Sunraider, Ellison demonstrates that essentially there is no difference between a Black man and a White man. This is amplified throughout the novel by the movement the Black characters make from the periphery at the beginning of the story to the very heart and soul of the novel. The convergence of the lives of Bliss/Sunraider and Hickman is reflected as they reminisce and echo each other. A symbol throughout the novel as he begins life in the coffin/womb, Bliss/Sunraider, now a U.S. senator but formerly a preacher and then subsequently a movie man, will be shot at by his son with a Black woman. As Bliss/Sunraider and Hickman look back at the trials and tribulations of their lives, Ellison lets readers see in no small way that they are only men, one no better than the other

Keywords

Ralph Ellison Juneteenth paradox American

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