On The Cultural Identity Dilemmas And Reconstruction Of African Americans In August Wilson's Plays

Negro slaves were forced to leave their homeland when they were sold to the American continent. A new generation of black was born without the root of the native culture, drifting in the American multicultural edge. Due to the intervention of heterogeneous culture,American blacks were influenced by both African traditional culture and WASP(White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) mainstream culture. The dual cultural backgrounds have caused American blacks' confusion and struggle in their process of seeking cultural identities. After World War II, black literature kept on developing. The rise of African minority literature has brought the problem of African Americans' culture identity more attention. Therefore, how to maintain black people's cultural identity in WASP mainstream culture has become a common theme of African American writers.August Wilson is acknowledged as one of the most celebrated black dramatists in American theater. His mixed identity both as black and white, his domestic misfortune and personal experience of being unfair treated have raised his concern for American blacks' cultural identity issues. Wilson is not only deeply influenced by the thought of the black civil rights, but also does practice by basically focusing on how to pursue the theme of the black identity in his works. He penetrates into the black world, and constantly thinks about the various problems that the black ever faced or is facing in America caused by racial discrimination and prejudice.Based on the cultural identity theory, this thesis attempts to make a comprehensive analysis of August Wilson's plays to reveal the different ways and internal motivation of the value choice made by American blacks under the influence of the dual cultural identities, and moreover, to make an objective evaluation of Wilson's artistic attainments. The thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter one and chapter two introduce August Wilson and the cultural identity theory, including Wilson's life and creation works, the definition of cultural identity theory and their present study situation both at home and abroad. Chapter three presents the cultural identity dilemmas and confusions of African Americans in August Wilson's plays in their process of seeking and pursuing self-value. Besides, a series of dreadful consequences of cultural loss will be manifested. Chapter four analyzes the strategiesAugust Wilson has used in his plays to help black people come through predicament and reconstruct their cultural identity.At last, this thesis reaches a conclusion that the traditional African culture has proved to be the spiritual pillar of black people. Black culture shows no innate weakness compared to the white-dominated culture. However, the narrow racialism and objective historical reasons have limited the development of black culture and made African Americans constantly question their own culture. The consequence of such vicious circle inevitably has led to the culture erosion of the blacks. Therefore, black people in America must dare to face up the cultural dilemma, and bravely defend black culture so as to adhere to their cultural identity.Only then can African Americans secure themselves a space in the white society.