The Color Line
Du Bois begins his argument by declaring: “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line,” and he repeats this statement several times throughout the book. The color line refers to…
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The Veil
The Veil is the most frequently mentioned symbol in the book, and one of Du Bois’ most important ideas. In some ways, it is possible to think of the Veil as a psychological manifestation of…
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Double Consciousness
Double consciousness is one of the most influential and enduring of Du Bois’ ideas, though he only mentions it explicitly a handful of times within The Souls of Black Folk. Double consciousness arises as…
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African-American Spirituals
In many ways, Du Bois depicts a rather bleak picture of “the souls of black folk,” outlining the way that the seemingly endless injustice and suffering black people endure forces them into a double consciousness…
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