Porgy Gullah Religious Beliefs By April S. Brown

Porgy & The Gullah Culture  The Gullah are a distinctive group of Black Americans from South Carolina and Georgia in the southeastern United States.  The Gullah people are directly descended from the slaves who labored on the rice plantations, and their language reflects significant influences from Sierra Leone and the surrounding area.  Heyward captures the Gullah culture and the richness of its people in his novel, Porgy.

Images of the Gullah People

Images (con’t)

“A Peculiar People: Slave Religion and Community---Culture Among the Gullahs”  “Both Islamic and traditional African religions, similar to Christian spiritual belief, adhered to a kind of monotheism” (52).  “Evil came from other sources, not the creator” (52).  “Supernatural causation of suffering, disease, accidents, death under obscure circumstances, and other misfortunes was a core of African thought” (56).

Gullah Religious Beliefs  Gullah people’s religious beliefs are a mixture of Christianity and African beliefs.  Followers of the Gullah religion believe in the teachings of Christianity, but they also subscribe to some of the pagan traditions of the their African ancestors.  Heyward portrays the Gullah religion through his depiction of the daily lives of the residents of Catfish Row.

Excerpts from Porgy   Pg ”De’ las’ man in de grabe-yahd goin’ tuh be de nex’ one tuh git buried.”   Pg “How come yuh ain’t ax me fuh pray ober um?”   Pg ”…an’ tell she tuh mek a conjer tuh cas’ de debbil out Bess.”   Pg ”…the scourging wrath of the Gods---white, and black.”

Analysis of Gullah Religion & Porgy  Some critics argue that Heyward's use of religion in Porgy causes readers to stereotype African Americans  Other critics contend that Heyward’s approach allows readers to view the African American characters of Porgy as multi-dimensional

Thinking Exercise  Pair up with a partner and share your thoughts about Heyward’s use of religion in Porgy

Works Cited  Creel, Margaret W. A Peculiar People: Slave Religion and Community---Culture Among the Gullahs. New York University Press,  Heyward, DuBose. Porgy. University Press of Mississippi Jackson, 1925.