Author: Kayla Clark

The entirety of this course on African American Literature put an emphasis on the concept of “looping back” to previous ideas. While, at a glance, that may seem redundant, I have come to value the methodology of implementing fractals within the course outline. At the beginning of the semester, I favored storytelling that thrived on formulas because I felt that there needed to be a sense of clarity of characters and plot; this was incapsulated by the method of practicing “order, disorder, order restored”. However, after visiting literature that focused on repetition, a lack of that clarity, and abrupt changes in modes of storytelling, I have a newfound appreciation for the unpredictability of prose. One piece that emulated that unpredictability was “The Water Cure” By Percival Everrett, which follows a grieving father through the aftermath of the loss of his child. The novel relies on the reader’s sense of the unknown; we are not to know the truth or reliability of the narrator’s story. Everrett’s main character, Ishmael Kidder, is written in a way that gives the reader a feeling of chaos, as though Kidder’s mind may not be considered “sound”. There are continual shifts in language, events, and even in Kidder’s personality, and though it was, at times, uncomfortable, it was fascinating. I longed for more literature that gave me that irregularity. This course’s practicing of the methodology of continuously referencing itself and prior topics emulated the concept of recursion offered in Ron Eglash’s, “African Fractals”, which was then further employed in “The Water Cure”.

“African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design” by Ron Eglash reviews the concept of geometric fractals and connects the idea of repetition to culture and anthropology. Within his work, Eglash describes recursion, specifically “self-reference” recursion: referring to one thing by saying another (Eglash, 110). Author Percival Everett features this idea of recursion within his own work; in ‘The Water Cure”, where he utilizes a fluid method of language. The entirety of the book relies upon the fact that there are no absolute answers. The author names his main character Ishmael Kidder, using the play on language as a surname as an indicator for the unreliability of the narrator’s narrative, as well as reminding us of his parenthood. Later, after a potential act of revenge, which results in the kidnapping of a perceived perpetrator of his daughter’s death, Kidder names his victim “Art”. Understanding the backstory of Everett, Kidder, and black authors, allows the nuance of Everett’s reference to the war on black art to be recognized. Percival Everett, among other black authors, have been targeted by a history of stereotyping, as popularized by Thomas Jefferson in his “Query XIV” piece (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, “Query XIV”). He believed that these writers suffered from “plain narration”, an innate simplicity due to racist bias. Jefferson’s claim that doubted the value of black art appears to be both contested and gratified by Ishamel Kidder; throughout the novel, there are pieces of art that may have been Kidder’s own work. They hold no astounding talent within the works, and as Jefferson said, were of “elementary trait” and seem to align with his theory. However, taking into account both Everett’s and Kidder’s interactions with Jefferson, there is a complexity drawn out by recursion within “The Water Cure” that rejects that bias. Kidder calling his victim “Art” reflects the intracity of his, and Everett’s relationship with art. Everett writes, “Naming functions as a device for distancing as much as a emblem of connection. Name. Naming. Named.” (Water, 44) Naming the fragments of environment around him, including his victim, portray significance in the specifics of his actions. His torture of Art as a human being reflects his torture of art as a concept, how it taunted him, hurt him, caused him pain as he struggled to find his foothold writing stories and drawing. His freeing of Art represents his freeing of art, of letting go. Kidder’s referencing of Art was also Everett’s reference of art, an example of Eglash’s process of recursion appearing in the text. It is these conversations between author and Jefferson, as well as narrator and Jefferson, that pulled me into the type of story which may lack a more popularized, or basic, storytelling formula, and had me immersed in the irregularity of the novel. “Looping back” to prior content, such as “Query XIV”, allowed for a fuller understanding and immersive experience of each piece read; the connecting of works read at vastly different times was made possible only though the process of engaging with those works in a more in-depth way and thinking with a depth otherwise untouched by another method.

The concept of “looping back” to previously covered topics creates links between works and ideas that would be otherwise left untouched. It creates a more effective learning environment as well as a better understanding of each piece. Prior to taking this class, I was not actively practicing the steps of looking back on earlier matters covered and applying them to new material. Now, however, it is routine to consciously think about how one or more subjects apply to seemingly unconnected work and linking them together. Without exercising this with “The Water Cure” by Percival Everrett, I would not have been able to fully understand the complexities nor enjoy the content. With the learning process of looping back, I now see how it could be correlated to a myriad of works, including Jefferson’s “Query XIV” and Eglash’s “African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design”, and by engaging in conversation with more than one piece at a time, I felt that I had a more thorough understanding of the intricacy presented within the book and course, overall.

In any culture, there are deeply embedded traditions that display a sense of meaning in the history of distinctive groups of people. These cultural representations are constantly adjusting according to modern times, yet still remain a reflection of their origin; This idea mirrors a seed shape fractal, which, as paraphrased from author Ron Eglash of African Fractals, is a structure composed of a repeated pattern. Accordingly, one of the most important seed shapes is the expression of African American culture. The adaptability of traditions, such as quilting and song, two large themes instituted in the culture, is representative of the concept of this fractal because the expression of culture is continually built upon. It is not merely as a remembrance of a complex history, but as an important component of modern being.

            African American culture, like any, is rich with complexities. There are many approaches to incorporating history into modern lifestyles and, while there are some buried aspects of culture, there are recognizable customs. One example of this is the practice of quilting. Quilting is both a literal tradition passed through generations, as well as a representation of African American culture as a fractal, in a less literal sense. As taught by Professor Elsa Barkley Brown, a historian who wrote an article on African American Women’s quilting, there is a specific methodology passed down from teacher to student when one learns to quilt; there is a lack of symmetry and an increase in intricate patterns. “… the symmetry in [African American] quilts does not come from uniformity as it does in Euro-American quilts; rather, the symmetry comes through the diversity.” (Brown, 924) There is a distinctness in the activity of quilting. Its descendance through generations signifies a central theme of seed shaped fractals because, not only do quilts often carry the physical components of fractals, but they also tell a tale of history that has been adapted to current generations. In other words, it has been recreated in a contemporary way.

Author Alice Walker wrote “Everyday Use”, a short story that symbolizes the importance of African American culture and quilting, and how the two concepts are interwoven. In the story, it follows three women: a mother and her two daughters. The oldest arrives with a newfound appreciation of her history and desires a quilt that has been passed down through her family. The mother and daughter’s dispute over which sister should obtain ownership leads to the debate over whether an artifact of prior generations, such as the quilt, should remain seen but untouched, or used and recreated if need be. Walker wrote, “’Your heritage,’ [Dee] said. And then she turned to Maggie, kissed her, and said, ‘You ought to try to make something of yourself too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know it.’” (Walker, 1801) It is clear that there are significant traits that embody culture in this family’s life and it is being adapted to fit into their present lifestyles by the way Dee encourages her younger sister to take her past and make a life from it. The two different approaches to life within this family displays both stagnancy and growth at the same time, similar to the way historical culture is embedded today. This incorporation of history into their current lives allows for stories told by representative objects to impact many generations to come; history remains part of the past, but the pieces that are held onto are both recreated and cherished. Again, stagnancy and growth, together. Ultimately, the seed shape of culture has its origin, then its continual adapted reconstruction. It is built upon and becomes an integral part of modern culture. When applying the concept of quilting to other themes, there may be a production of understanding how themes unrelated to quilting in African American culture all circle back to a main concept in the way a fractal does.

            Another large element of African American culture is song. Throughout history, it has been a call for freedom, the creation of community, and a mode to tell stories. There are many songs that have been passed through generations without modification, or with very little change, and it is the core for many religious and social communions. There are modern poems and songs created more recently that represent both historical struggles and current ones. This is the display of the fractal: the original concept of the music being adapted into modern culture and added onto. Songs are a way to share experiences and tell narratives meaningfully. Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, a renowned singer, recognized largely in the black community, discussed in an interview the importance of song in African American culture throughout time and contemplated the relationship modern society has with it. There are many who remember the classic freedom songs and, as implied by the concept of fractals, many who cherish those classics and create something new, yet reflective. Reagon’s interview covered her musical group’s, Sweet Honey in the Rock, devotion to sharing black music and existence. Reagon educated her audience on music’s connection to identity, and how it brings people together, now and during a turbulent past. Songs, as subsystem of African American culture, is an important idea concerning fractals because it is such a large part of history. Its ability to tell stories and bring people together in both the past and present creates that sense of a loop or cycle. There is a repetition each time a song is remembered or created because they are all connected in the complex way that the seed shape is.

            African American culture is one of the most important representations of the seed shape because it is a central idea for many less general ideas. That is, culture is a big picture idea that supports many more specific integrations of fractals. Many concepts discussed throughout the course carry themes of traditions passed along through generations and they may be related to the importance of history in modern culture. By connecting future work back to the idea of repetition regarding the expression of African American culture, there may be an evident reflection of modern activity that tells of its origins. Therefore, there may be a better understanding of a multitude of concepts regarding both African American culture and literature.