Hurston, Zora Neale: 1891-1960
Barracoon, 2018 - Language/Style
- English Language Level: Difficult
- Vocabulary – Many words are old-fashioned or uncommon today.
Grammar & Syntax – The sentences follow older or nonstandard structures.
Oral Style – The storytelling mimics spoken language, which can be uneven or repetitive.
Cultural Context – Some expressions and references are unfamiliar to modern readers (e.g. “Ship of white folks” – slave ships that brought Africans to the U.S.; “Sambo” – a racial term used in the 19th–early 20th century; “Obeah” – a spiritual or magical practice from West Africa/Caribbean).
- Vocabulary – Many words are old-fashioned or uncommon today.
- The language is generally dense, formal, and historic, reflecting early 20th-century speech patterns and the subject matter (oral history of formerly enslaved people). All of this makes reading difficult