Embracing the Past A Difficult Ideal in African American...

During the struggle to rise to a higher social class, many African Americans have chosen to embrace white ideals while rejecting their heritage and anything that associates one with their â€Å"blackness† This type of rejection to one’s culture has been shown many times in African American literature. In â€Å"The Wife of His Youth,† by Charles Chesnutt, and Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, the authors use their writing to show this disconnection; both Chesnutt and Ellison are able to capture the struggle and help their characters to overcome it by embracing their pasts, which can be a very difficult ideal in African American heritage. In â€Å"The Wife of His Youth,† the main character, Mr. Ryder, is a man that has left slavery behind and has been†¦show more content†¦Ryder’s actions, was when he said ’Perhaps hes outgrown you, and climbed up in the world where he wouldnt care to have you find him’ (Chesnutt 926). This is tr uly the struggle for not only Mr. Ryder as the protagonist, but also for many other members of the African American community. As Mr. Ryder has built himself up so high, he would not want to embrace his slavery roots, which includes his slave wife. During the Blue Vein Society event, which he was going to host in order to propose to a young, very prominent lighter colored woman, Mr. Ryder gives a speech hypothetically laying out the woman’s story from her husband’s point of view. He talks about the rags to riches story of an escaped slave man who â€Å"made his way to the North†¦ where he had larger opportunities.† This man continued to grown up â€Å"to be as different from the ignorant boy who ran away from fear of slavery as the day is from the night.† He lists his own accomplishments of qualifying himself â€Å"by industry, by thrift, and by study† to be held in such high esteem by the community and by the Blue Vein Society. Then he mentio ns the wife he left behind, â€Å"not one who had walked by his side and kept pace with him in his upward struggle,†(631) but one who has continued to lead a downtrodden life. The strain in his decision is based on all of these factors. If Mr. Ryder embraces his previous slave wife, he would be giving up his prestigious life, one the he strived towards whileShow MoreRelatedCultural Immersion Project 3- Couple of the Muslim Faith Lillian Reaves1481 Words   |  6 Pagesa result of Rahim’ childhood experience, those experiences made him unsocial and difficult for him to relate with the opposite sex. Despite the negative effect that Rahim’s cultural background has had on his social life, the background has made him become determined and responsible in life. His cultural beliefs have played a significant influence in his past relationships. Dina cultural background is African American. 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