The Souls of Black Folk

by

W.E.B. Du Bois

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Burghardt Du Bois Character Analysis

Burghardt is the infant son of W.E.B. Du Bois. He dies as a baby, and his brief life and death are chronicled in the chapter entitled “Of the Passing of the First-Born.” Although Burghardt does not play a substantial active role in the narrative, his appearance carries important symbolic significance. Because he dies before he can grow up to understand and experience the reality of the Veil, Burghardt remains in a permanent state of innocence and freedom, such that his father feels a perverse sense of relief over his fate. Du Bois also makes a point of mentioning Burghardt’s light-colored hair and blue eyes, mixed-race features that he suggests may have foreshadowed Burghardt’s tragic fate. The implication of this observation is that Burghardt particularly contains the violent legacy of slavery within himself, somewhat like the “tragic mulatto” figure of the American literary tradition. The Souls of Black Folk is dedicated to Burghardt and to Du Bois’ daughter, Yolande, who grew up to become a teacher.

Burghardt Du Bois Quotes in The Souls of Black Folk

The The Souls of Black Folk quotes below are all either spoken by Burghardt Du Bois or refer to Burghardt Du Bois. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Slavery vs. Freedom Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

Why was his hair tinted with gold? An evil omen was golden hair in my life. Why had not the brown of his eyes crushed out and killed the blue? –For brown were his father's eyes, and his father's father's. And thus in the Land of the Color-line I saw, as it fell across my baby, the shadow of the Veil.

Related Characters: W.E.B. Du Bois (speaker), Burghardt Du Bois
Related Symbols: The Color Line, The Veil
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 177
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Souls of Black Folk PDF

Burghardt Du Bois Quotes in The Souls of Black Folk

The The Souls of Black Folk quotes below are all either spoken by Burghardt Du Bois or refer to Burghardt Du Bois. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Slavery vs. Freedom Theme Icon
).
Chapter 11 Quotes

Why was his hair tinted with gold? An evil omen was golden hair in my life. Why had not the brown of his eyes crushed out and killed the blue? –For brown were his father's eyes, and his father's father's. And thus in the Land of the Color-line I saw, as it fell across my baby, the shadow of the Veil.

Related Characters: W.E.B. Du Bois (speaker), Burghardt Du Bois
Related Symbols: The Color Line, The Veil
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 177
Explanation and Analysis: