What we say, who we are
Subtitle: Leopold Senghor, Zora Neale Hurston, and the philosophy of language
By: Parker English.
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Lanham, MD
Language: eng
Number of pages: 139
ISBN-13: 9780739126516
Subjects: Senghor, Léopold Sédar, -- 1906-2001 -- Criticism and interpretation; Hurston, Zora Neale -- Criticism and interpretation; Language and languages in literature; Speech in literature; Ethnology in literature; Blacks -- Languages
Description: "In What We Say, Who We Are: Leopold Senghor, Zora Neale Hurston, and the philosophy of Language. Parker English explores the remarkable overlap between Leopold Senghors concept of "negritude" and Zora Neale Hurston's view of "Negro expression." Senghor provides a broad summary and Hurston provides many specific details concerning ways in which a person's sense of herself can emerge from how she talks - about anything. Gleaned from what is common to the views of Senghor and Hurston, English uses the term "performism" to designate a more general approach to speech, which he then explicates with some of the most prominent discussions of J.L. Austin's analysis of illocutionary speech acts. The explication also adopts the externalistic/internalistic distinction from the dramaturgical approach to social psychology and the presentational/representational distinction from theorists of professional acting. English ends his work by closely examining Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God in light of his discussion of "performism," drawing new and intriguing conclusions about the extent to which Hurston's main character exemplifies W E.B. Du Bois's concept of doubleconsciousness. What We Say, Who We Are is addressed to those interested in Africana studies, African American literature, and the philosophy of language."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Senghor's discussion of negritude and Hurston's discussion of Negro expression; title: Performism : a view gleaned from Senghor and from Hurston; title: Performatives and reflexivity in light of Hurston's ethnography and fiction; title: Exchanges of speech; title: Speech and senses of self in Their eyes were watching God; title: Performism in the world.