Back

"Like a Living Plant": Modernizations of Rootwork in Cane and Passing.

  • Published In: Modernism/Modernity, 2024, v. 31, n. 4. P. 659 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Alafaireet, Mia 3 of 3

Abstract

This article reads transplantation motifs in Jean Toomer's Cane and Nella Larsen's Passing as modernizations of rootwork. While scholarship typically reads the Harlem Renaissance's transplantation metaphors as representations of pastoral longing, these motifs' relationship to traditional botanical healing practices has gone unacknowledged. This article argues that representations of New Negro migrants as uprooted botanical specimens excise the relational logic of rootwork from the fixity of the plantation and repurpose it to suit an emerging context of mobility as the race transplanted into new environments during the Great Migration. Ultimately, New Negro modernizations of rootwork construct a socio-relational logic that positions social ties at the core of Black health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Modernism/Modernity. 2024/11, Vol. 31, Issue 4, p659
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:1071-6068
  • DOI:10.1353/mod.2024.a961639
  • Accession Number:185813031
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Modernism/Modernity is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.