The connection between Hughes and Hurston is not a simple one.
There is a much deeper story that exists between these two authors.
You didn't really think I chose them randomly did you?
In today's class, I want to you do some research into the relationship that existed between Hughes and Hurston.
Where did their relationship begin? How did it end?
What part did each author play in The Harlem Renaissance?
Then, I want you to compare and contrast the two works (Gun and Spunk)we read in this class in an essay.
Be sure to discuss the stylistic approach employed by both writers.
Specifically, write about how it is unusual that each writer chooses to make the opposite sex the subject and focus of these two works.
How does each story address a particular struggle that is at once universal in appeal and unique to the masters of The Harlem Renaissance?
What themes are developed in each story that address the struggles of African-Americans during the time of The Harlem Renaissance?
What societal ills does each story address?
Be sure to address the idea that African-American writers shared the many of the same views as their European counterparts.
Remember, James Joyce viewed his beloved Dublin as a place to be loved and hated.
What criticisms did Hughes and Hurston offer about Harlem during the time of its famed Renaissance?
