How do the similar deaths of men in Riders to the Sea and John Redding Goes to Sea use the images of the sea, or more specifically the Atlantic, to show the struggles of the characters? With both men dying, do the respective authors believe that life in this transatlantic world should be pursued? Are members of a community externally determined to stay there?
How has the theme of mixed race changed from an earlier work such as The Octoroon into Color Struck?
How does John’s death relate to the desire for social and cultural change in the Harlem Renaissance? Is Hurston using his attempt to pursue his own path a critique at artists who try to deviate from pre-existing African American traditions and customs in their art, as opposed to her belief that they should be carried on?
