Quest for identity in Dave Harris’s poem, “After Zuko”

Abstract

Dave Harris is among those writers who write for the rights of blacks, who have been pushed out of social associations and faced instability in their social and economic living and because of that they have to face identity crisis, disgrace, discrimination and dishonor. This paper aims to analyze the Dave Harris’s poem “After Zuko” as a quest for black identity. It has been interpreted and analyzed in the light of struggle of black Americans in restoring their honor. In this poem a fictional world character “Zuko” from “Avatar: the last air bender” has been discussed. Dave Harris very realistically created a connection between the story of that character with his own struggle as being a black American. By losing one’s own identity, it is very difficult to live in a society where minorities are treated with  discriminatory behavior. The study follows the parameters of qualitative research and selected poem has been interpreted to observe the black American’s condition and their struggle to restore their identity and honor in white society.