Walter's Decision

Walter's decision was by no means an easy choice. Obviously living in an all-white neighborhood would have its social consequences, but even beside that, money would end up being a future issue. Just because the family can afford the down payment doesn't mean that they will be able to continue putting up the rent.

Of course my first impulse is to agree with the decision, but it's really too complex for me to take a stance. I think that from a civil rights and pride perspective, it was essential for Walter not to let the neighborhood association buy him out of the house. However, I question the family's ability to afford the house. I agree that Walter shouldn't have taken the money, but perhaps it may have been a better choice to take that money and buy a smaller, more affordable house. I think that they had every right to choose the location of their house, regardless of the neighborhood demographic, but it could also be extremely dangerous to live in an area claimed by white people. Change only happens when people act, but the response of the people already living there could result in a lot of excess stress placed upon a family whose ties are already strained, even if no real violence occurred. I can't tell if this decision was a magic cure-all from Walter's perspective, but if it was, I don't think it would work. I don't know if moving into the house was the right decision, but it was a decision, and one had to be made.

I'm not expecting a positive future for the Younger family. Their relations were already worn pretty thin, and they are entering an extremely stressful situation. I don't necessarily expect violence from the people in the white neighborhood, but pressure is likely. Also, Walter's obsession seemed irrevocable, to me. That kind of madness doesn't just slide off like a piece of clothing that's been worn for too long. I doubt that if he discovers some kind of new found love for his wife that it will stick because of the future financial burdens, and they will all probably have to start working more if they plan on keeping the house. Mama's working may keep her from the garden she wanted.

The Soul, According to Du Bois

A Veil divides the world of the white from the world of the black. The Veil divides more than color; it splits the varying degrees of acceptance, freedom, and prosperity. The Veil cuts the "souls if black folk" in half. A part stays rooted into heritage while another part longs to agree to an unfair compromise just to get a glimpse of the other side of the Veil.

The split soul was formed over time. African traditions were broken down, and replaced by a corrupted form of Christianity. This was fed to African Americans with discretion. It was used to propagate the idea of slavery, promising the soul an eternity of salvation to follow an inevitable lifetime of suffering. It resigns the individual, and thus the soul, to submission. As time went on, Christianity was warped by the slaves into something to inspire and bring hope. The soul sprouted wings even while the ankles were in chains. Their souls became defined by their faith.

With abolition, the spirituality of African Americans was consummated; if abolition was the coming of the lord, he came. Spirituality was maintained, but the souls were not joined by the common bond of slavery any longer. Divisions were made within the African American community that caused the souls themselves to divide. Some longed for recognition from whites, others wanted to express themselves freely as individuals. Most wanted a combination of the two. In the world of the "negro problem," it would be impossible for a soul to be whole.