Elizabeth Carter Remember APA format (-3)

Literary Analysis #1

In the “Blood Burning Moon” by Jean Toomer, the author takes the reader back in time

to the rural south-1 during a time of Jim Crow laws. In a small town, Tom Burwell and

Bob Stone challenge each other for the affection of an African American woman named

Louisa. Louisa has no last name, which signifies that she has not taken on a name of the

“master” or she is just any Negro woman. After bob-1 and Tom discovered each other’s-

1 lust for Louisa, a fight breaks out in which Bob’s throat get slashed. Bob, a white man,

was able to stumble back to the white side of town to tell others. An extreme racist mob

formed quickly to lynch Tom and burned him at the stake. Throughout the story, the

author accentuates racism, love and passion, imagery and Tom’s getting lynched.—

Thesis needs a clearer and more unified sense of purpose and theme.

  The moon symbolized the eyes of God as it is lowered to the earth. Clouds symbolized

the presence of God. The blood red moon symbolized the host drenched in blood. In this

story, the moon is raising toward a dark cloud. These represent God hiding his face from

the evil.—If you are gong to make these analytical claims about symbolism, you need to

show and back them up with specific and concrete quoted support from the story.

  In exploring(,)-1 the feelings of Bob and Tom toward Louisa, Toomer portrays a

relationship of love and passion through racism. In order to show racial conflict, Toomer

creates a romantic clash between the two men for their possession. Tom loves and

cherishes Louisa, but Bob is only interested in her for his selfish sexual desires.—show

this by providing text from the story The focus of Louisa is crucial in many ways for the

development of the theme of racism. One way the author brings this together is by

Louisa’s-1 meekness. She appeared to be indecisive between the two men and likes-1 the

attention of being desired by both. Louisa expects Tom to propose marriage soon, but

believes that it could be indefinitely put off (Toomer, 1923, p. 375). Louisa’s meekness

and passivity toward the men stimulates their competition and foreshadows-1 the

violence. Bob’s hatred toward Louisa is apparent as he does not love her or have a desire

to marry her. She is a sex object at Bob’s beck and call. (The sound of Tom’s name or

Tom is with Louisa, Bob becomes infuriated)-1. Bob walks to their meeting place. No

Louisa. Tom Burwell had her. Veins in his forehead bulged and distended. Saliva

moistened the dried blood on his lips. He bit down on his lips. He tasted blood. Not his

own blood; Tom Burwell blood (Toomer, 1923, 379).—If you are using direct quotations,

please enclose this text in quotation marks-1, APA Bob shows his racist ways by thinking

about the good old days when he did not have to worry about Louisa, because she would

have still been a slave. “He saw Louisa bent over the hearth. He went in as a master

should, and took her. None of this sneaking that he had to go through now (Toomer,

1923, 377). The idea of sneaking was repulsive to him. Toomer shows how prejudice and

repulsive Bob was by what he is doing. “Bob Stone of the old Stone Family, in a fight

with a nigger; over a nigger girl (Toomer, 1923, 378). Bob thinks about his family

learning about the relationship. He’s embarrassed when he explains this relationship to

his “Northern friend”. Throughout the story, Bob exclaims, “His family had lost ground”

(Toomer, 1923, 377), because they did not have the power that slavery gave

them.  Toomer alludes to the lost (loss)-1 of white power and sexual possession over

black women. Develop this analysis further.

  Toomer demonstrates racism throughout the story by using imagery. As in the title, the

moon played a role in the story. The story begins and ends with the image of the full

moon in the great door” (Toomer, 1923, 380) as a bad omen. Rethink organization

(regroup with the other section of your essay about the moon). Full moons had been

known for its mood changing powers. The women in the backdrop sing against the moon

in attempt to prevent the brawl. “Red nigger moon, Sinner! Blood Burning Moon,

Sinner! Come out that factory door” (Toomer, 1923, 380). When the women stop singing,

Tom and Bob have their deadly encounter. The moon plays a part in the imagery of dark

and light, which encompass the story and spur on the racial conflict between black and

white. The light and dark images can be seen from the glow of cane fire to the “glaring

search lights” (Toomer, 1923, 380) of the mob. Even the white moon is fight against the

black clouds in an effort to dominate. “The moon was rising toward a thick cloud bank

which would soon hide it” (Toomer, 1923, 375).

  Analyzing the actions that occurred during the fight, Toomer amplified racism through

the lynching of Tom Burwell. During the final showdown, Tom brings out that white

supremacy has been itching under his skin. When Bob does not find Louisa at the

meeting place, so he becomes enraged-1 at the thought of her with Tom. Bob realized he

doesn’t have any power over Louisa and have as-1 been replaced by Tom. The power of

a white man over a black woman has become impotent.—interesting observation When

Bob finds them together, he picks a fight with Tom. (Bob swing on Tom, but missed)—

keep verb tense consistent-1. Bob replies, “Fight like a man Tom Burwell an’ I’ll lick y”

(Toomer, 1923, 379). Bob swings and misses again and again, this time yelling a racial

slur, “Get off me you godam nigger you” (Toomer, 1923, 379). After this remark, Tom

begins beating the wax out of Bob. Bob realized that he can’t beat Tom; he draws a

pocket knife in an attempt to save his dignity. Tom has a knife also, “Blue flashed, steel

blade slashed across Bob Stone’s throat. Blood began to flow” (Toomer, 1923,

379). Neither Bob strength nor racist tongue could save him, but his white supremacy had

failed. As Bob stumbled away from the fight, he knows the white people will avenge his

death. The white mob lynched Tom and burns him at the stake. As the mob watches,

Toomer shows how the white supremacy has blamed African Americans-1 for violence in

the South. Although, the white supremacy is still the dominant power; slavery has

ended. Louisa hopes that people will come out to join her, and she thinks that perhaps

Tom will return.

  All through the Blood Burning Moon, Toomer draws attention to racism through love,

imagery and lynching. (Bothe)-1 men exhibit an intense love that propels each to fight to

the death. The moon in its entire splendor playing with the light and dark value which is

synonymous to (with)-1 racism. After the final showdown, Toomer shows the extreme of

racial hatred as the mob torture, burn and kill Tom Burwell.

Elizabeth,

You make some interesting analytical observations here about the dynamics of racism in

the rural South during the era of Jim Crow laws as Toomer shows it in “Blood Burning

Moon.” However, “racism” alone is not a theme. You need to tailor your thesis statement

to reflect and tie together some of the thoughts in your paper. As is, your paper is

difficult to follow due to a lack of organization and (in some places) a lack of adequate

support to back your claims. See my notes in the margins. If you would like to rewrite

this paper for a higher grade (due by the end of the term), you may.

 No “references” page? (-5, APA)

Readability: 5/20Purpose/Thesis: 8/10Audience: 10/10 Support/Analysis/Critical Thinking: 5/20 (more support and analysis of sources and APA)Organization: 10/15 Depth and Completeness: 20/25

58 F