As I read through this novel by W. E. B. Dubois, I recognize that all of his writing, pertaining to Booker T. Washington was sort of like a politician trying to talk about his opponent in the nicest sense possible but deep down he knows that none of what he is saying means any thing to him. Even though Dubois tries to say that Washington is the best thing that has happened to the negro race since the civil war, I just sense some sort of resentment or hatred in his tone. I am not saying that because Dubois goes on to say that Washington’s idea of education will not get the negro far in the future and condoning civil liberties and the right to vote at times like this could very well mean the demise of the negro race. The reason I say that I don’t believe Dubois is because he in a sense worships Washington for his accomplishments and his hard work but at the same time tries to say that all the hard work done by Washington is of no use to the common negro because the lack of higher education. Because with that higher education the negro will be able to combine that knowledge with the knowledge learned at the industrial school of Washington and go on to better things. Dubois, also argues that the great speech given by Washington where he says that “In all things that are purely social, we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.”, was a great step toward making the white man realize that the negro problems and are not his problems and should be left to the negro. This, obviously might not have been Washington’s attention at all. But in my opinion, both have an opinion and both have the right to express it.
