W. E. B Dubois The Souls Of Black Folk Analysis

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The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Dubois is a compilation of essays, and is considered one of the most influential works of African American literature that addresses many critical social issues of both Dubois' time, and modern America. In his writings, Dubois develops the notion of the veil, wherein black people are able to see how life is for whites, but whites are not able to do the same thing for blacks, causing African Americans to have to live behind a veil through which they face and recognize the many injustices that they face. In his essays, Dubois provides recounts of situations that black men face in order to describe what it is like to live behind the veil. Synopsis In Of the Passing of the First- Born, Dubois recounts a very personal tale where he experiences his first born son’s birth and subsequent death within a very short period of time. The birth of his son instantly transforms Dubois from simply a person to a father. Dubois mirrors his wife’s adoration of the child. The child is born with golden hair, rather than Dubois’ own black hair, which Dubois…show more content…
The songs that begin the chapter are an acknowledgement that blacks have been placed in their inferior position by white people. This section is also used show that whites are ignorant to the issues of African Americans, as shown by their own growing adoption of the songs of sorrow, which only serves to increase the amount of racial injustices faced by blacks. Dubois uses this section to express his hope that racial injustices will soon be a problem of the past. These sections in particular help in demonstrating what life is like through the veil. The entire book aims to both describe the veil, and its impacts and what it is like to live behind the veil, but these sections truly aim to show more the plight of the African Americans, and the negative impacts the veil
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