English Blog #11

Although, the war had ended African Americans were still facing troubles in America. Claude McKay discuses one of the problems Africans Americans faced which was lynching. The first four lines of McKay’s “The Lynching” seem to have made a connection to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

First, “His Spirit in smoke ascended to high heaven” (The Lynching). As I was reading this I made the connection to the scene where Jesus says, “Into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).  Second, “the cruelest way of pain” which is referring to the hanging and burning of the man being lynched (The Lynching). I was reminded of Jesus’ cruel death. He was beaten with a whip, was mocked, had a crown of thorns placed upon his head ,stripped naked and forced to carry his cross, and was nailed to the cross. Third, “His, father had bidden him to his bosom once again;” (The Lynching 2-3). I believe the father represents God. I think lines two through three are describing God welcoming the man back into heaven. Finally, “the awful sin remained still unforgiving” (The Lynching). I was not able to make a connection with the fourth line. Could McKay be referring to Original Sin? What is the unforgiving sin?  Just like Jesus Christ African Americans were forced to be persecuted. I cannot understand what African Americans did to deserve such cruel and unusual persecution. After the Civil War they were granted the freedom they desired only to be segregated against, and lynched.  

However, I really enjoyed McKay’s poem because it does a good job of allowing readers to feel like they are witnessing the lynching. McKay’s describes the aftermath of the man’s death “Hung pitifully o’er the swinging char. The ghastly body saying in the sun. The women thronged to look, but never a one Showed sorrow in her eyes of steely blue; And little lads, lynches that were to be, danced round the dreadful thing in fiendish glee” (The Lynching 9, 10-14). One thing that really surprised me was the way the children who were present were reacting. He describes the children to be happily dancing around the burned corpse. I was disgusted that children were present at the lynching let alone dancing around a burning corpse. Why are the children happy about the man who was burned and hung to death?

I feel that McKay uses such strong language so that some emotion would be stirred as American people read this poem. As a class we have learned about the lives of the African American people. I can’t help but to think that the lives of the early African American people had not improved much after the Civil was no oneWar. Why was no one standing up against this?