Of W. E. B. Du Bois's 'Of The Coming Of John'
W. E. B. Du Bois’s “Of the Coming of John” from The Souls of Black Folk. (1903) In “Of the Coming of John from, The Souls of Black Folk”, by W. E. B. Du Bois’s he talks about the years immediately following the civil war. How black people have a since of double consciousness which means that they are always looking at their selves through the eyes of other people. The story talked about the failures and accomplishments of the Freedmen's Bureau's role in Reconstruction. W. E. B. Du Bois’s talks a lot about education in his story and about a boy named John who gets an education but is so ridiculed by racism. In the story the “Of the Coming of John”, A black man named John goes to college and comes back to his town where he tries to open up
a school for black/ negro children. He goes to the judge of the town named Judge Henderson. Judge Henderson is the father of black John’s childhood friend who’s also named John. When black John goes to ask the judge whether he should open up the school, the judge says that he’s been good to black people over the years and John better not be putting the fool ideas of rising and equality into these folks' heads. Judge Henderson continues to say, “In this country the Negro must remain subordinate, and can never expect to be the equal of white men. In their place, your people can be honest and respectful; and God knows, I'll do what I can to help them. But when they want to reverse nature, and rule white men, and marry white women, and sit in my parlor, then, by God! we'll hold them under if we have to lynch every Nigger in the land.” John responds by saying that he is still going to open his school. John opens his school for black children and a month later his old playmate white John comes home and see visits his father Judge Henderson. White John stirs things up with his father and black John’s new school. The judge goes to the school and tells him to shut it down. Black John feels totally defeated. Later on that day he sees a white man trying to hurt his sister and kills him. Then tells his family that he is going North so he could be free. The way black people were treated back in the early 1900’s is upsetting. Men couldn’t even their education and try to pass it down to his people without consequences. It’s a good thing that John did still try to open up the school even when the judge shut him down. Education can change how a person thinks and feels but it cannot change where that person comes from. They will still have to deal with every day battles if they don’t get away from their atmosphere. Lastly, W. E. B. Du Bois’s says that song is the way of people expressing themselves and what they go through in their everyday lives.
a school for black/ negro children. He goes to the judge of the town named Judge Henderson. Judge Henderson is the father of black John’s childhood friend who’s also named John. When black John goes to ask the judge whether he should open up the school, the judge says that he’s been good to black people over the years and John better not be putting the fool ideas of rising and equality into these folks' heads. Judge Henderson continues to say, “In this country the Negro must remain subordinate, and can never expect to be the equal of white men. In their place, your people can be honest and respectful; and God knows, I'll do what I can to help them. But when they want to reverse nature, and rule white men, and marry white women, and sit in my parlor, then, by God! we'll hold them under if we have to lynch every Nigger in the land.” John responds by saying that he is still going to open his school. John opens his school for black children and a month later his old playmate white John comes home and see visits his father Judge Henderson. White John stirs things up with his father and black John’s new school. The judge goes to the school and tells him to shut it down. Black John feels totally defeated. Later on that day he sees a white man trying to hurt his sister and kills him. Then tells his family that he is going North so he could be free. The way black people were treated back in the early 1900’s is upsetting. Men couldn’t even their education and try to pass it down to his people without consequences. It’s a good thing that John did still try to open up the school even when the judge shut him down. Education can change how a person thinks and feels but it cannot change where that person comes from. They will still have to deal with every day battles if they don’t get away from their atmosphere. Lastly, W. E. B. Du Bois’s says that song is the way of people expressing themselves and what they go through in their everyday lives.