Non-fiction1988
The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism
Henry Louis Gates Jr.Themes:
Overview
Region
Diaspora
USA
Era
Contemporary
Language
English
Genre
Non-fiction
About This Work
A theoretical framework rooting African-American literature in the West African tradition of the trickster Esu-Elegbara, showing how Black writers signify on one another and on white literary tradition through double-voiced discourse.
Literary Significance
Foundational text of African-American literary theory; established Gates as the field's preeminent theorist