Being Property Once Myself : Blackness and the End of Man

**A prize-winning poet argues that blackness acts as the caesura between human and nonhuman, man and animal.** Throughout US history, black people have been configured as sociolegal nonpersons, a subgenre of the human. __Being Property Once Myself__ delves into the literary imagination and ethical concerns that have emerged from this experience. Each chapter tracks a specific animal figure―the rat, the cock, the mule, the dog, and the shark―in the works of black authors such as Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Jesmyn Ward, and Robert Hayden. The plantation, the wilderness, the kitchenette overrun with pests, the simultaneous valuation and sale of animals and enslaved people―all are sites made unforgettable by literature in which we find black and animal life in fraught proximity. Joshua Bennett argues that animal figures are deployed in these texts to assert a theory of black sociality and to combat dominant claims about the limits of personhood. Bennett also turns to the black radical tradition to challenge the pervasiveness of antiblackness in discourses surrounding the environment and animals. __Being Property Once Myself__ is an incisive work of literary criticism and a close reading of undertheorized notions of dehumanization and the Anthropocene. Winner of the William Sanders Scarborough Prize "This trenchant work of literary criticism examines the complex ways...African American authors have written about animals. In Bennett's analysis, Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Jesmyn Ward, and others subvert the racist comparisons that have 'been used against them as a tool of derision and denigration.'...An intense and illuminating reevaluation of black literature and Western thought." —Ron Charles, Washington Post For much of American history, Black people have been conceived and legally defined as nonpersons, a subgenre of the human. In Being Property Once Myself , prize-winning poet Joshua Bennett shows that Blackness has long acted as the caesura between human and nonhuman and delves into the literary imagination and ethical concerns that have emerged from this experience. Each chapter tracks a specific animal—the rat, the cock, the mule, the dog, the shark—in the works of Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Jesmyn Ward, and Robert Hayden. The plantation, the wilderness, the kitchenette overrun with pests, the valuation and sale of animals and enslaved people—all place Black and animal life in fraught proximity. Bennett suggests that animals are deployed to assert a theory of Black sociality and to combat dominant claims about the limits of personhood. And he turns to the Black radical tradition to challenge the pervasiveness of anti-Blackness in discourses surrounding the environment and animals. Being Property Once Myself is an incisive work of literary criticism and a groundbreaking articulation of undertheorized notions of dehumanization and the Anthropocene. "A gripping work...Bennett's lyrical lilt in his sharp analyses makes for a thorough yet accessible read." — LSE Review of Books "These absorbing, deeply moving pages bring to life a newly reclaimed ethics." —Colin Dayan, author of The Law Is a White Dog "Tremendously illuminating...Refreshing and field-defining." —Salamishah Tillet, author of Sites of Slavery Throughout Us History, Black People Have Been Configured As Sociolegal Nonpersons, A Subgenre Of The Human. Being Property Once Myself Delves Into The Literary Imagination And Ethical Concerns That Have Emerged From This Experience. Each Chapter Tracks A Specific Animal Figure-the Rat, The Cock, The Mule, The Dog, And The Shark-in The Works Of Black Authors Such As Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Jesmyn Ward, And Robert Hayden. The Plantation, The Wilderness, The Kitchenette Overrun With Pests, The Simultaneous Valuation And Sale Of Animals And Enslaved People-all Are Sites Made Unforgettable By Literature In Which We Find Black And Animal Life In Fraught Proximity. Joshua Bennett Argues That Animal Figures Are Deployed In These Texts To Assert A Theory Of Black Sociality And To Combat Dominant Claims About The Limits Of Personhood. Bennett Also Turns To The Black Radical Tradition To Challenge The Pervasiveness Of Antiblackness In Discourses Surrounding The Environment And Animals. Being Property Once Myself Is An Incisive Work Of Literary Criticism And A Close Reading Of Undertheorized Notions Of Dehumanization And The Anthropocene-- Introduction: Horse -- Rat -- Cock -- Mule -- Dog -- Shark. Joshua Bennett. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

A prize-winning poet argues that blackness acts as the caesura between human and nonhuman, man and animal. Throughout US history, black people have been configured as sociolegal nonpersons, a subgenre of the human. Being Property Once Myself delves into the literary imagination and ethical concerns that have emerged from this experience. Each chapter tracks a specific animal figure—the rat, the cock, the mule, the dog, and the shark—in the works of black authors such as Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Jesmyn Ward, and Robert Hayden. The plantation, the wilderness, the kitchenette overrun with pests, the simultaneous valuation and sale of animals and enslaved people—all are sites made unforgettable by literature in which we find black and animal life in fraught proximity.Joshua Bennett argues that animal figures are deployed in these texts to assert a theory of black sociality and to combat dominant claims about the limits of personhood. Bennett also turns to the black radical tradition to challenge the pervasiveness of antiblackness in discourses surrounding the environment and animals. Being Property Once Myself is an incisive work of literary criticism and a close reading of undertheorized notions of dehumanization and the Anthropocene.

"Throughout US history, black people have been configured as sociolegal nonpersons, a subgenre of the human. Being Property Once Myself delves into the literary imagination and ethical concerns that have emerged from this experience. Each chapter tracks a specific animal figure-the rat, the cock, the mule, the dog, and the shark-in the works of black authors such as Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Jesmyn Ward, and Robert Hayden. The plantation, the wilderness, the kitchenette overrun with pests, the simultaneous valuation and sale of animals and enslaved people-all are sites made unforgettable by literature in which we find black and animal life in fraught proximity. Joshua Bennett argues that animal figures are deployed in these texts to assert a theory of black sociality and to combat dominant claims about the limits of personhood. Bennett also turns to the black radical tradition to challenge the pervasiveness of antiblackness in discourses surrounding the environment and animals. Being Property Once Myself is an incisive work of literary criticism and a close reading of undertheorized notions of dehumanization and the Anthropocene."-- Provided by publisher Throughout US history, black people have been configured as sociolegal nonpersons. Joshua Bennett explores the place of animality in works by Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Jesmyn Ward, and other black writers, delving into the literary imagination and ethical concerns that emerge from being viewed as a subgenre of the human. Cover -1 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Introduction: Horse 12 1. Rat 29 2. Cock 77 3. Mule 125 4. Dog 151 5. Shark 180 Notes 202 Acknowledgments 216 Index 220