Confronting Manhood: The Struggle of Male Characters in the Fiction of Ernest J. Gaines.

<p>This study examines the African-American author Ernest Gaines's three works <em>The Sky is Gray</em>, <em>In My Father's House</em>, and <em>A Lesson before Dying</em> as examples of oppressed manhood, and the gradual acceptance of the characteristics of manhood in Black males. Chapter One focuses on <em>The Sky Is Gray</em> and follows the young hero as he makes his transition from child to a young man understanding manhood. The second chapter looks at <em>In My Father's House</em>, exploring the relationship between father and son. Due to his father's abandonment, the son never learns what it means to be a man. However, at the same time his son is struggling to discover his manhood, the father finally becomes a man. Finally, chapter three centers on <em>A Lesson before Dying</em>, showing two males can learn manhood from each other. Although both are oppressed, together they achieve the manhood that is being robbed from them.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MA (Master of Arts)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - unrestricted

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Fay, Katie

• Ernest Gaines
• manhood
• Black masculinity
• A Lesson before Dying
• The Sky Is Gray
• In My Father's House
• Arts and Humanities
• English Language and Literature

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by the authors.

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/893

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-2050