BLACK AUTHORS of Classic Literature

WRITTEN BY Emma Smallwood DESIGNED BY Jakob Roberts

It’s time to put more Black authors in the high school curriculum.

When reminiscing on your high school English days, you might fondly (or not so fondly) remember authors such as William Shakespeare, F. Scott Fitzgerald and George Orwell dominating the novels in your curriculum. While these authors have crafted influential pieces of literature that have withstood the tests of time, there is something they all have in common (as do most of the authors we read in high school classrooms). Ray Bradbury, Mark Twain, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway — all of these authors are white and primarily write about a cast of white characters. It’s time to implement the works of Black authors into the curriculum and allow students to relate to, learn about and resonate with characters of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Zora Neale Hurston was a novelist, anthropologist and filmmaker in the early 1900s, and her portrayal of the racial tensions in the South during this time are still commemorated today. She is best known for her 1937 novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” a riveting piece of literature that explores themes of gender roles, independence and the objectification of women. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is known as one of the foundational novels of the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston’s use of language within this novel is celebrated for its uniqueness, as she writes in a distinctive rural Southern Black dialect. The themes she writes about, the language she uses, and the electrifying cast of characters she presents in this novel has made it into a classic piece of literature, and one that is a fantastic choice to include in a high school curriculum. Beyond “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston’s other novels and works such as “Mules and Men,” “Sweat” and “Dust Tracks on the Road” highlight racial tensions in the early-20th century South from a firsthand perspective.

An American novelist and journalist, Ann Petry is known for her works that explore womanhood and working class Black people. Her debut novel, released in 1946, was the first novel written by an African American woman to sell over a million copies, and her novels are still studied and referenced to this day. Petry’s most popular novel “The Street” explores the pressures that can trap working-class Black citizens in a cycle of poverty. “The Street” was one of the first novels written by a Black woman to receive critical acclaim. The systemic issues that Petry explores through this work are still present in our society.

Petry’s third novel “The Narrows” is often considered to be her most complex work, delving into the intricacies of relationships, love and the divide between white and Black people in the mid-1900s. Petry’s works place an emphasis on humanity and the effect of relationships on people’s lives; her novels offer a unique perspective of the lives of working-class Black citizens.

James Baldwin

The works of James Baldwin have influenced generations of aspiring authors, and his novels provided a voice to the Black civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Baldwin’s works consider themes of sexuality, race and class while creating a fascinating literary representation of the political movements of the mid 1900s, including the civil rights and gay liberation movements. Baldwin’s examinations of crucial political issues, told through a variety of mediums, offers a semi-biographical example of the racial oppression Black citizens faced, and his characteristic writing style still impacts the literary world today. “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” Baldwin’s first novel, has been named in the top one hundred best English-language novels released in the 20th century, and the story remains a classic. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” centers on a 14-year-old boy and the complicated relationship he holds with his family, religion and morality, and the ways in which these relationships affect his life. At the forefront of this novel lies racial tensions in the 1950s, told from the perspectives of multiple characters. Baldwin’s other novels, including “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone” explore themes of race and sexuality that remain relevant, and James Baldwin’s novels would be a great addition to the high school curriculum.

These authors, along with countless others, are examples of Black classic authors that tell the stories of Black characters. Black students need to have representation within the classroom — to have characters who look like them at the forefront of novels. Black authors are too often overlooked in the classroom, a place in which novels that tell the stories of Black characters are vitally needed.

Toni Morrison’s impact on the world of literature is resounding and tremendous. Morrison, born in Lorain, Ohio in 1931, wrote unflinchingly about the Black experience in America — specifically that of Black women. Morrison is remembered as the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the first Black editor in fiction at the famed Random House publishing company. Toni Morrison’s works have inspired authors spanning across generations, and her commentary on race relations remains relevant to this day.

Morrison’s 1987 novel “Beloved” tells the story of Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman living in Cincinnati in 1873. “Beloved” is based on the life of Margaret Garner, an enslaved Black woman in the 1950s, and this novel explores the psychological effects of slavery and family relations. This novel (along with so many of Morrison’s works) is an honest and resolute look into the lives of Black people in the aftermath of slavery, and the impact of discrimination on one’s psyche. “Beloved,” along with Morrison’s other novels, including “Song of Solomon,” are important books to implement into the high school curriculum for their unabashed account of the experiences of Black people in American history.

“Glass Onion”? More like “Bloomin’ Onion.” But seriously, the last shot of Helen Brand and the exploding glass onion behind her is a masterpiece. This movie is unexpected, with more comedic parts and up-to-date references; it’s catered towards a younger audience in comparison to “Knives Out.” From the get-go, the movie references the purgatory that was quarantine, throwing in Gen-Z references to “Among Us” and wearing masks when greeting strangers. This could’ve been really cheesy and poorly conveyed; however, I feel that this was presented in a simple way that also made audience members crack a smile.

The plot of “Glass Onion” appears to be much more complex than “Knives Out,” which makes it more interesting in some regards, but also leaves room for confusion by trying to shove too much information and too many details into a 2 hour and 19-minute movie. The first half of the movie, to someone who hasn’t watched it before, could be a bit confusing. A lot of information is thrown at the watcher with little context until later in the flashbacks, where the scheme is explained in detail. It took a thorough re-watch for me to grasp the concept of Andi and Miles’s company, and Alpha and Miles’s individual creation, “Klear.” However, watching so many more details come together to fit the perfectly-molded storyline was satisfying and impressive, to say the least.

Maybe I was more ignorant to this in the first movie (or maybe it wasn’t as noticeable) but I heard more profanity being used in “Glass Onion.” I think that the movie is more suggestive in the comments and inappropriate jokes. I feel that this movie is for more mature audiences who wouldn’t mind frequent yet tasteful adult humor. “Knives Out” is more conservative in regards to the direct dialogue and insinuations.

While I still enjoyed “Glass Onion,” I have more fatal critiques for it than “Knives Out.” “Glass Onion '' brings a lot to the table, which also means there’s a lot to take in all at once. If I focused too long on Alpha or Klear, I became lost in the murder portion of it or missed subtle clues that the director planted. Compared to “Knives Out,” it was a bit more chaotic — between some awkward scene jumps and quick changes in dialogue, the film was a bit more difficult to follow.

Overall Review

Overall, I feel that “Knives Out” is the superior movie. While I adore “Glass Onion” and would encourage everyone to watch it at least once, it’s missing key elements that “Knives Out” brings to the table. “Glass Onion” is a little hard to follow in parts, pieces of the storyline aren’t fully explained, leaving room for different interpretations. “Knives Out” is a bit more to the point — every scene is detailed in a basic way that’s easy to follow. The ambiance is more old-fashioned, which caters to the more nostalgic viewers. This is a more “classic” whodunit story, while “Glass Onion” is modernized for the incoming generations, between the humor, the plot, the characters and the pop culture references to “Quiplash” from Jackbox Games or Twitch. “Knives Out,” dare I say, is less controversial than “Glass Onion”: less of the dialogue can be judged or interpreted incorrectly or offensively. In a way, I also found “Glass Onion” to sexualize some of the characters a bit more, which can bode well when done appropriately and tastefully in cinema, but can still make a movie controversial and easily criticizable by certain audiences.

But what makes these movies stand out from every other detective movie? What makes these any better than “Murder on the Orient Express” or “Death on the Nile”? These movies have one thing in common (besides Daniel Craig): they both retrace the storyline. Both movies give a more up-and-close view of the murder, allowing for varying perspectives and unveiling little Easter eggs. This is often referred to as an “analepsis,” which allows the watcher to gain information critical to the storyline. I’ve seen this tactic used in other movies before, but not to the extent that “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” do, where the analepsis is 50% of the movie.

Final Ratings: “Knives Out”

4.5/5

“Glass Onion” 4/5