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W. E. B Dubois Double Consciousness Analysis

881 Words4 Pages

Double-consciousness as described in an article by W.E.B. Du Bois in an article he wrote in 1897 and in his book Souls of Black Folk can be associated with a feeling of ‘otherness’ that is often experienced by subordinate groups in an oppressive majority-ruled society, and often acts as a protective secondary form of consciousness, one that falls below our primary self-consciousness. It forms a significant part of the intricate impression of the duality faced by blacks in America (depicted in this story in the life of a black man living, working, and trying his best to survive and exist in a white-dominated society where racial prejudice, discrimination and segregation still exist), and also of the frantic and opposing points of view, inner strivings, and ethical and …show more content…

The concept of double-consciousness is not viewed as a temporary or sporadic feeling of inferiority but rather a permanent and persistent form of self-perception, making it impossible for those affected to have a unified sense of self. It often exists amongst blacks living and working in a white-dominated society like the one depicted in the story. The concept of double-consciousness comes into play in this story when Carl Lee, after learning of the brutality her young daughter went through by the hands of the two white men, decides to take justice into his own hands. Carl Lee believes that since she is black, his daughter will not be well served justice by the court system that the two alleged criminals are going to be subjected to during their trial. Carl Lee however believes that since the whites dominate the court system, as well as society at large, the court system will set the two criminals free. Therefore he loses faith in the system as well as

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