Major Issues
Author Links
Essay Questions

Major Issues

Race is a central issue in both biographical and literary studies of Jean Toomer. His contribution to the 1930s Harlem Renaissance, for example, continues to be debated, due to Toomer’s own denial of his role in that movement. It has also been argued, however, that the essential concerns in Toomer’s writing are not racial, but spiritual and philosophical. Scholars have examined Toomer’s structural innovations, most notably the montage of poetry, prose, and drama in his most famous work, Cane. The relationship between reality and fantasy has been identified as a major theme in Toomer’s fiction, in which we see characters’ inner dreams destroyed and the emotional and psychological consequences that follow. The desire for unity and wholeness has been recognized as another driving force in Toomer’s work.

Author Links

The Jean Toomer Pages
A very helpful site which includes extensive biography, critical commentary, bibliography, and photographs. Click on "Biography" and then "Cane" to find an account of the publication and critical reception of the collection in which "Esther" was published.

Jean Toomer
This site presents a biographical overview of Toomer and an essay placing his work in the context of the Harlem Renaissance.

Jean Toomer’s Life and Career
A lengthy essay on Toomer from the Modern American Poetry Site.

Introduction to Cane
This essay examines Toomer’s contribution to the Harlem Renaissance.