If We Must Die, Claude Mckay

A detailed Summary of If We Must Die, Claude Mckay


Claude McKay (1890-1948) is a black Jamaican born poet who wrote during the Harlem Renaissance. This is a time immediately following WWI. Slavery had already been abolished and there was an abundance of racial tension. In 1919 McKay writes a poem "If We Must Die," in which he expresses the anger he felt towards the racial situation of the time. By 1919 slavery had already been abolished but the white people treated blacks as if they were of a much lower class. McKay has several messages for two different audiences, a black audience who is afraid to stand up for themselves, and a repressing white audience afraid to accept blacks as equals.

The African Americans of 1919 are McKay's central audience. Because McKay is black himself, he knows how his race is being treated. At this time black people are being forced to live undesirable lifestyles. McKay's first message to his black audience is to not let the racist white people of 1919 to force them to live in ghettos, and ride in the back of buses (accursed lot). In 1919 blacks struggled to find good jobs, and had to go to different schools from white people. Black people are being discriminated against because of their color and slave background. McKay's second message to


The other audience that McKay addresses in his poem is the racist white people of America in 1919. His first message to whites is that they are acting inhumane. He refers to these white people of 1919 as "mad and hungry dogs". White people were treating blacks as though slavery had never been abolished. They do not give black people any respect and are afraid to accept them as part of their white community. Another message that McKay gives to his white audience is that they are lowering their self-identity by killing black people in vain. McKay calls them "monsters". White people are scared of change. They keep schools segregated and form racial groups like the KKK to regulate the strength of the black community. McKay told his white audience that they are acting like a bunch of cowards (cowardly). White people have degraded themselves by acting like vicious dogs and should consider themselves second class and not treat African Americans as though they are. Another message McKay gives these racist white people is that African Americans will begin to unite and stand up for themselves in groups (kinsmen we). He told white people that black people would fight for equality (show brave). Even though

Some common words found in the essay are:
African Americans, Klan Murderous, Claude McKay, WWI Slavery, white people, black people, racist white people, people 1919, white audience, racist white, Harlem Renaissance, slavery abolished, black community, message mckay, african americans, black audience, white people 1919, people black people, mckay racist white, black people fight,

Approximate Word count = 820
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • ampquotThe White Houseampquot and ampquotIf We Must Dieampquot by Claude McKay ampquotThe White Houseampquot and ampquotIf We Must Dieampquot by Claude McKay both depict the time of the Harlem Renaissance and its surrounding events in the history of the United ... 1650 words
  • Claude McKay ... Claude McKay was known as an internationalist because he ... McKay shows power to defy and fight back in renowned poems such as ampquotIf We Must Die.ampquot This poem was ... 593 words
  • Barriers To Entry In White America ... In Claude McKayamp39s poem, ampquotIf We Must Die,ampquot he identifies the need for his ampquotkinsmenampquot to stand up against oppression and fight back. ... 1372 words
  • The Harlem Renaissance ... Claude McKayamp39s 1919 sonnet ampquotIf We Must Dieampquot expressed his anger toward the race riots of 1919 and urged blacks to respond with violence when confronted with ... 3175 words
  • justice in america ... The feeling of excessive defensiveness and anger are expressed by Claude McKayamp39s in his ampquotIf We Must Die,ampquot in which he describes himself and the black community ... 1294 words

Professional Essays

  • Poems of Claude McKay ampamp Paul Dunbar The formal structures of Claude McKayamp39s ampquotIf We Must Dieampquot and Paul Laurence Dunbaramp39s ampquotWe Wear the Maskampquot operate in unusual ways. ... 978 words
  • Two African American Poems The formal structures of Claude McKayamp39s ampquotIf We Must Dieampquot and Paul Laurence Dunbaramp39s ampquotWe Wear the Maskampquot operate in unusual ways. ... 978 words
  • Individual vs the Group in Literature ... Other aspects of the same racial and class conflict are set forth by Langston Hughes in ampquotHarlemampquot and Claude McKay in ampquotIf We Must Die.ampquot Both are angry bursts of ... 2426 words
  • Alice Walkeramp39s Everyday Use ... Emily Dickinsons Because I Could Not Stop For Death, and I Heard a Fly Buzz When I died, Claude McKays If ... McKay, C. 1919. If We Must Die. ... 2739 words
  • Native Son ... ampquotIt must have been good ... But how, then, are we to account for Biggeramp39s humanity if not by looking as Butler has done to Biggeramp39s acts of kindness ... 10529 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.