Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Thesis (Master's)

Department or Program

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

First Advisor

Saul Lelchuk

Second Advisor

Anna Minardi

Third Advisor

Rena Mosteirin

Abstract

Afropessimism is the idea that Black people will never be able to truly overcome the centuries of racism and oppression they have faced. A bleak notion, the idea heavily contrasts with Afrofuturism, the ways in which Black people use technology to regain their autonomy and rise from the societal binds they’re placed in. This story focuses on how even in the supposedly more evolved and progressive political landscape of the modern world, Black people still cannot escape the shackles of racism, particularly in the United States. Taking the common themes of and ideologies of Afropessimism, Harvest follows the story of a young, biracial girl in the rural American south. In an environment rich with atrocity-ridden history, Harvest tells a Black experience story, one that doesn’t necessarily show the traditional ways in which racism has harmed Black people, but more nuanced and tragic ways it still does in a modern world. This story is told through a thriller and horror lens to highlight the similarities of real versus supernatural horrors in the world. This look into a Black experience is one with unsettling parallels to the real world and what it means to grow up and exist as a Black person in predominantly white spaces.

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