David, you're right, of course. I was mainly interested in mentioning
Vaughan's book, which has useful material on English attitudes toward
racial blackness--attitudes that Jonson's masque gains its force by
upending. Bill Oram
William Oram
[log in to unmask]
413-585-3322
>>> [log in to unmask] 11/24/03 07:02PM >>>
I'm going to take what feels like a risk, here, and admit that I don't
understand how the "racial meaning" of blackness "differs from"
Jonson's
Masque. The black daughters of Africa who migrate to England seeking
whiteness are told that they don't need it--they're already beautiful,
although the English poets have inculcated in them a northern European
aesthetic. Have I grossly misread the text, or is that somehow not
racial?
I found it amazing, possibly for mistaken reasons.
_____
David Lee Miller
Department of English 543 Boonesboro Ave
University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40508
Lexington, KY 40506-0027 (859) 252-3680
(859) 257-6965
FAX 323-1072
-----Original Message-----
From: Sidney-Spenser Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of William Oram
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 7:57 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Blackness in the 16thC
Don't forget the racial meaning, e.g. Othello., which differs from the
Masque of Blackness. Virginia Mason Vaughan, Othello: A Contextual
History has lots of good material, some of it 16thC. Bill Oram
|