The-Discovery-of-What-It-Means-to-Be-an-AmericanWord文档格式.docx

The-Discovery-of-What-It-Means-to-Be-an-AmericanWord文档格式.docx

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shistory,heraspirations,herpeculiartriumphs,herevenmorepeculiardefeats,andherpositionintheworld一yesterdayandtoday一areallsoprofoundlyandstubbornlyuniquethattheveryword“America”remainsanew,almostcompletelyundefinedandextremelycontroversialpropernoun.Nooneintheworldseemstoknowexactlywhatitdescribes,notevenwemotleymillionswhocallourselvesAmericans.

2IleftAmericabecauseIdoubtedmyabilitytosurvivethefiiryofthecolorproblemhere.（SometimesIstilldo.）IwantedtopreventmyselffrombecomingmerelyaNegro;

oreven,merelyaNegrowritenIwantedtofindoutinwhatwaythespecialnessofmyexperiencecouldbemadetoconnectmewithotherpeopleinsteadofdividingmefromthem.（IwasasisolatedfromNegroesasIwasfromwhites,whichiswhathappenswhenaNegrobegins,atbottom,tobelievewhatwhitepeoplesayabouthim.）

3Inmynecessitytofindthetermsonwhichmyexperiencecouldberelatedtothatofothers,Negroesandwhites,writersandnon-writers9Iproved,tomyastonishment,tobeasAmericanasanyTexasGI.AndIfoundmyexperiencewassharedbyeveryAmericanwriterIknewinParis.Likeme,theyhadbeendivorcedfromtheirorigins,anditturnedouttomakeverylittledifferencethattheoriginsofwhiteAmericanswereEuropeanandminewereAfrican-they

werenomoreathomeinEuropethanIwas.

4The&

ctthatIwasthesonofaslaveandtheywerethesonsoffreemenmeantless,bythetimeweconfrontedeachotheronEuropesoil,thanthefactthatwewerebothsearchingforourseparateidentities.Whenwehadfoundthese,weseemedtobesaying,why,then,wewouldnolongerneedtoclingtotheshameandbitternesswhichhaddividedussolong.

5ItbecameterriblyclearinEurope,asitneverhadbeenhere,thatweknewmoreabouteachotherthananyEuropeanevercould.Anditalsobecameclearthat,nomatterwhereourfathershadbeenborn,orwhattheyhadendured,thefactofEuropehadformedusboth,waspartofouridentityandpartofourinheritance.

6IhadbeeninParisacoupleofyearsbeforeanyofthisbecamecleartome.Whenitdid,Ilikemanyawriterbeforemeuponthediscoverythathispropshaveallbeenknockedoutfromunderhim,sufferedaspeciesofbreakdownandwascarriedofftothemountainsofSwitzerland,There,inthatabsolutelyHiroshimalandscape,armedwithtwoBessieSmithrecordsandatypewriterIbegantotrytorecreatethelifethatIhadfirstknownasachildandfromwhichIhadspentsomanyyearsinflight.

7ItwasBessieSmith,throughhertoneandhercadence,whohelpedmetodigbacktothewayImyselfmusthavespokenwhenIwasapickaninny,andtorememberthethingsIhadneverlistenedtoBessieSmithinAmerica（inthesamewaythat,foryears,Iwouldnottouchwatermelon）,butinEuropeshehelpedto

reconcilemetobeinga“nigge"

.

8IdonotthinkthatIcouldhavemadethisreconciliationhere.OnceIwasabletoacceptmyrole一asdistinguished,Imustsay,frommy“place”一intheextraordinarydramawhichisAmerica,IwasreleasedfromtheillusionthatIhatedAmerica.

9ThestoryofwhatcanhappentoanAmericanNegrowriterinEuropesimplyillustrates,insomerelief,whatcanhappentoanyAmericanwriterthere.Itisnotmeant,ofcourse,toimplythatithappenstothemall,forEuropecanbeverycripplingtoo;

and,anyway,awritei;

whenhehasmadehisfirstbreakthrough,hassimplywonacrucialskirmishinadangerous,unendingandunpredictablebattlestill,thebreakthroughisimportant,andthepointisthatanAmericanwritei;

inordertoachieveit,veryoftenhastoleavethiscountry.

10TheAmericanwritei;

inEurope,isreleased,firstofall,fromthenecessityofapologizingforhimselfItisnotuntilheisreleasedfromthehabitofflexinghismusclesandprovingthatheisjustawregularguy”thatherealizeshowcripplingthishabithasbeen.Itisnotnecessaryforhim,there,topretendtobesomethingheisnot,fortheartistdoesnotencounterinEuropethesamesuspicionheencountershere.WhatevertheEuropeansmayactuallythinkofartists,theyhavekilledenoughofthemoffbynowtoknowthattheyareasreal一andaspersistent一asrain,snowtaxesorbusinessmen.

11Ofcourse,thereasonforEurope9scomparativeclarityconcerningthedifferentfunctionsofmeninsocietyisthatEuropeansocietyhasalwaysbeendividedintoclassesinawaythatAmericansocietyneverhasbeen.AEuropeanwriterconsidershimselftobepartofanoldandhonorabletradition一ofintellectualactivity,ofletters一andhischoiceofavocationdoesnotcause