View Message

New Post
Search
Help

This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

Re: Need name for a cunning half brother...
by flossie (dnfosdgvn)
8/18/2021, 12:44 PM
in reply to a message by «•^ILY Alys Down^•»
Consider looking at some established literature set around this time by Black writers to give you a good idea of names used. Maybe Kidred by Octavia E Butler. I think your best options here are Gabriel and Luke, as they’re Biblical, and Biblical names are generally very good options for novels set in this period/context.
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

- «•^ILY Alys Down^•» (_ _..)   +4
8/18/2021, 12:45 PM
He's only ¼ African & prefers to "pass" as white for its ease.
vote up1
- flossie (dnfosdgvn)   +3
8/18/2021, 12:47 PM
I’m not sure what your point is?
vote up1
- flossie (dnfosdgvn)
8/18/2021, 12:59 PM
You still need to be sensitive to the fact that you are writing about a character of African American heritage/descent in a time of legal slavery which is why I recommended Black authors specifically. Please be aware of racist racial categorisation and hypodescent. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadroon I don’t have any sources right now (read: I am tired and have a lot of writing of my own to be doing) but I have read historic accounts of people who were only 1/8 Black being removed from Whites-only spaces. This is one of my current areas of study in literature :)
vote up1
- «•^ILY Alys Down^•» (_ _..)   +1
8/18/2021, 12:54 PM
The character himself does not identify as black. His race has nearly zero bearing on his personality. He views his white presenting skin as a leg up that makes his vendetta easy.
vote up1
- flossie (dnfosdgvn)
8/18/2021, 1:00 PM
So why are you writing him as having this particular identity?Again you are writing about a person of African American heritage during slavery. Please write sensitively.

This message was edited 8/18/2021, 1:05 PM

vote up1