To understand the history of America and come to grips with the development of blacks at a time where they were looked down upon by the rest of society, we must be able to comprehend the works of intellectuals of that time. Not only must we comprehend these works, but we must also decipher whether or not those works will be able to apply to today's lifestyle in America. One of the most important books for the American Negro today is, hands down, The Souls of Black Folk written by W.E.B Dubois. In this book Dubois wants the reader to understand the term "Double Consciousness". This term comes with many underlying meanings. He also wants the reader to be aware that blacks have the ability of second sight. Not only do blacks have the ability of second sight but we must also be aware of how important it is to endure in self-respect and the development of the soul rather than being submissive and taken in by material lifestyles. In this book review we will explore the many thoughts I have mentioned in this paragraph and a couple of others; for example, the meaning of "soul songs" and the relation of "the seventh son."
             Dubois's main goal in writing this book was to propose the fact that "the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color line" (pg.10 Dubois). What must we do as a people to correct this? Dubois introduces a term called "Double Consciousness". This term is used to explain the concept of an individual always looking at one's self through the eyes of others. In other words Dubois explains double consciousness as being a war within due to the fact that blacks in this country must be able to be American and a Negro at the same time. Most importantly blacks must be able to live in this society without loosing the soul of black folk. This brings me to my next observation.
             The ability of second sight goes hand in hand with the myth of the seventh son. In this book, Dubois mentions that "the Negro is sort of a seve...