Hurston and Cullen's Views on Heritage

In "Characteristics of Negro Expression," Zora Neale Hurston analyzes the patterns present within African American literature; among these is the subject of African heritage. Hurston treats African heritage as an idea that authors are widely familiar with, aligning with authors like Claude McKay though starkly contrasting with Countee Cullen's Africa poems. In his poem "Heritage," Cullen famously writes, "What is Africa to me?" before listing the many Africa stereotypes he is familiar with. In doing so, he emphasizes his lack of true connection with his ancestral homeland. All he knows of Africa are the vague notions of "Jungle star or jungle track," criticizing the views of African Americans who claim to know Africa and contradicting Hurston's broad viewpoint.

African identity is an idea that Hurston discusses through popular examples from folklore and "culture heroes" such as animals typically found in Africa. In incorporating these symbols to broadly describe African American literature, she implies a high level of familiarity with Africa that is celebrated in the literature. Most importantly, she does not mention any discomfort towards this identity, which she imagines to be well-established and understood within Black art. Cullen's view is not entirely accounted for in her essay, despite him being a prominent figure who does not treat African heritage as well-understood. Overall, her characterization accurately depicts the majority of African American literature, though Cullen's work is an important outlier.        

While Hurston and several other authors aim to create a bridge between Africa and America through their work, Cullen seeks to highlight their ignorance and encourage the search for a stronger connection. He describes the thought of Africa as painfully incomplete when he writes, "So I lie, who find no peace / Night or day, no slight release / From the unremittant beat / Made by cruel, padded feet / Walking through my body's street." Here, he depicts his suffering as he tries to reconcile his American life with what life could be like in Africa, all while hinting at an oppressive force that is at fault. Unlike other African American authors, he is not satisfied with a vague impression of Africa - he longs to know exactly what his motherland is like. He also explores the idea of identity in his poem "From the Dark Tower," which ends with the familiar idea of a "mask" that shields the true feelings of African Americans. In the poem, he writes, "So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds / And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds." His use of plural first person narration refers to the collective African American community, who are only pretending to feel comfortable with their "seeds," likely referencing their ancestral heritage. By describing the seeds as "agonizing," he once again emphasizes his desperate struggle to understand his identity, while calling out his fellow African Americans for putting on a fake show for the world. 

A key goal of African American literature, particularly during the Harlem Renaissance, was to reconnect with African heritage and allow African Americans to discover pride and joy from within. Cullen is not dismissing the importance of African heritage, rather he is focusing on the idea that their ancestors' forced removal from Africa deprived them of their identity. African Americans are simply victims of this system and he urges readers to reject the oppression by digging deeper into their heritage. Hurston's "Characteristics of Negro Expression" functions more as a celebration of African American style and identity, and only mentions heritage to further these points. Ultimately, both authors agree on heritage being a powerful possession, though how to use it remains a debate.