Lecture Notes on Jean Toomer and His Works

Introduction

• Speaker notes seeing Carolyn Decker, editor of “A Drama of the Southwest.”
• Personal connection to Jean Toomer due to a lack of theater activities during the pandemic.
• The speaker, primarily a theater critic, became interested in Toomer's work again.

Jean Toomer's Background

• Born in 1894 in Washington, DC.
• Grandson of P. B. S. Pinchback, the first African American governor of Louisiana.
• Pinchback's racial background was mixed, influencing Toomer's identity.

Education and Early Life

• Toomer attended multiple colleges from 1914-1918, feeling restless.
• Tried to synthesize various American cultural strains within himself.

Major Works and Themes

Cane

• Toomer's most famous work, derived from his experiences in the South.
• Structure:
  • Part 1: Poems and sketches focusing on Southern folk culture.
  • Part 2: Transition of Southern blacks to industrial Northern cities.
  • Part 3: Culminates in a play, "Kabnis."
• Themes:
  • Struggles with racial identity and the desire for synthesis.
  • The journey as a central image.

A Drama of the Southwest

• Autobiographical play about a man named Tom Elliott in Taos, New Mexico.
• Themes:
  • Identity and synthesis along ethnic and spiritual lines.
  • Illustrates Toomer's self-awareness through the character dynamics.

Personal and Spiritual Influences

Interest in Gurdjieff

• Toomer became a follower of George Gurdjieff in 1924.
• Gurdjieff's work focused on harmonizing mind, body, and spirit.
• Toomer became a leader of Gurdjieff groups in Harlem and Chicago.

Relationships

• Friendship and correspondence with Georgia O'Keeffe.
• Shared desire to transcend societal labels (black writer, female painter).

Themes and Issues in Toomer’s Work

• Toomer's work often explores the tension between individual identity and the desire for synthesis and universality.
• Critiques of cultural and racial essentialism.

Conclusion

• Despite his limited success as a playwright, Toomer's work provides insight into his thoughts on identity, race, and spirituality.
• His plays like "A Drama of the Southwest" reflect a complex self-awareness and irony regarding his own idealism.