Eldridge Cleaver Criticism
Eldridge Cleaver stands as a formidable figure in the American literary and political landscape of the 1960s, best known for his candid and provocative exploration of racial dynamics and identity in his work, Soul on Ice (1968). This collection of essays, deeply embedded in autobiographical narratives, reflects on the complexities of being black in a predominantly white society, earning comparisons to Frantz Fanon from critics like Maxwell Geismar. Born in Arkansas and raised in Los Angeles, Cleaver's early life of legal troubles and incarceration provided a foundation for his engagement with political ideologies, significantly shaping his later writings.
During his time in prison, Cleaver educated himself and became heavily influenced by figures such as Malcolm X, ultimately aligning with the Black Panther Party as their Minister of Information. His essays challenged traditional literary standards, as noted by Richard Gilman, gaining both acclaim and critique for their unflinching honesty about race relations and prison life. Cleaver's radicalism was emblematic of the era’s Black Power movement, illustrated by his subsequent exile after a confrontation with law enforcement and further writings during this period, including Post-Prison Writings and Speeches (1969). However, Shane Stevens critiqued these works for lacking the depth of his earlier essays.
His later years marked a significant transformation; Cleaver converted to Christianity, an evolution documented in Soul on Fire (1979). This work, while less acclaimed, shed light on his shift from militant activism to a more introspective spirituality, as highlighted by critics like Paul T. Hornak. Despite varying receptions to his later works, Cleaver's writings continue to provoke discussion on race, identity, and transformation. His journey, as seen through the lens of critics such as Robert Reid-Pharr, David Horowitz, and Kim Hubbard and Meg Grant, underscores the continued struggle and quest for racial equality that defined his legacy.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Cleaver, (Leroy) Eldridge
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Maxwell Geismar
(summary)
In the following essay, Maxwell Geismar lauds Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice as a groundbreaking work of the 1960s, highlighting its incisive cultural criticism, its parallels with the writings of Frantz Fanon, and its bold exploration of racial and social themes, culminating in Cleaver's matured literary voice.
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White Standards and Black Writing
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Gilman contends that Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice epitomizes a new form of black writing that transcends traditional literary paradigms by centering on black identity and experience as an intrinsic theme, challenging conventional critical perspectives rooted in white standards.
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Painting Black Cardboard Figures
(summary)
In the following essay, David Evanier critiques Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice for its pop Leftist style, its simplistic portrayal of social issues, and its failure to delve deeply into the complexities of human nature, despite Cleaver's evident literary talent.
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Quest for Dignity
(summary)
In the following essay, Shane Stevens examines Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice, praising its powerful exploration of racial issues in America and Cleaver's quest for personal dignity, while highlighting its significance as a compelling spiritual autobiography that confronts the moral dilemmas faced by the black man in a racially divided society.
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The New Mainstream
(summary)
In the following essay, Julian Mayfield critiques Eldridge Cleaver's Soul On Ice as a significant and beautifully written work, arguing that it embodies the American mainstream through its exploration of violence and the black experience, while also noting Cleaver's controversial and intense examination of racial and personal issues.
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Black Anger
(summary)
In the following essay, Robert Coles contends that while Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice demonstrates moments of profound literary skill and emotional depth, it is marred by his indiscriminate condemnation of white people and other black writers, warning of the dangers of uncritical praise and the need for Cleaver to continue refining his craft.
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Eldridge Cleaver: Humanist and Felon
(summary)
In the following essay, Michael Cooke argues that Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice is characterized by a unique blend of satirical tone and autobiographical content, examining human relationships and societal conditions with a fluid narrative that combines personal insight and broad socio-political critique.
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Playboy Interview: Eldridge Cleaver
(summary)
In the following interview, Nat Hentoff discusses Eldridge Cleaver's views on the emergence of new black leadership, distinct from established figures, emphasizing the necessity for radical change, including armed resistance if demands for racial equality and empowerment are not met, as outlined in the Black Panther Party's ten-point program.
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The Black Arts
(summary)
In the following essay, Jack Richardson argues that Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice employs a dynamic and honest style to challenge the racial and psychological dualisms in American society, creating a transformative literature that forgoes typical cultural invectives to establish a new cultural identity.
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A Call for Black and White Sanity
(summary)
In the following essay, Lindsay Patterson examines Eldridge Cleaver's post-prison writings, highlighting his incisive critique of American society and racial issues, and underscores Cleaver's call for a coalition of sane individuals, both black and white, to address these pressing concerns effectively.
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The Fire This Time?
(summary)
In the following essay, Harold Cruse examines Eldridge Cleaver's political and literary evolution, arguing that Cleaver's work, particularly in Post-Prison Speeches and Writings, reflects the complexities of American racial politics and highlights the challenges Cleaver faced in reconciling political revolution with cultural identity, amid an enduring struggle against systemic racism.
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The Funk of Life
(summary)
In the following essay, James Forest critiques Eldridge Cleaver's Post-Prison Writings and Speeches as a powerful and challenging exploration of social injustice, emphasizing Cleaver's ability to transcend the horrors of his experiences and maintain hope, while also addressing issues of racial violence and the need for honest communication.
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Eldridge Cleaver: 'A Soul Brother' Gone Wrong
(summary)
In the following essay, Shane Stevens criticizes Eldridge Cleaver's Post-Prison Writings as unconvincing propaganda, arguing that Cleaver's full-time revolutionary stance and association with the Black Panthers compromised his potential as a writer, leading to a decline from the insightful narrative of Soul on Ice to mere polemics.
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Aux Armes!
(summary)
The essay delves into the controversy surrounding the teaching of Eldridge Cleaver's "Soul on Ice" in schools, addressing concerns about its literary value and objectionable content, while ultimately defending the book as a profound exploration of a black man's journey from hatred to understanding, likening it to a spiritual odyssey.
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Eldridge Cleaver and the Democratic Idea
(summary)
In the following essay, Bayard Rustin argues that Eldridge Cleaver's political transformation reflects a profound commitment to democracy, emphasizing that Cleaver's rejection of violent revolution in favor of democratic processes underscores his belief in the practical and ideological superiority of democratic ideals over totalitarian regimes.
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Soul on Fire
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Gilman critiques Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Fire as a marked decline from his earlier work Soul on Ice, arguing that Cleaver's religious conversion and subsequent writing lack the eloquence, urgency, and intellectual engagement present in his previous politically charged literature.
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Jacques G. Squillace
(summary)
In the following essay, Jacques G. Squillace explores Eldridge Cleaver's transformation from a militant revolutionary to a "born again" Christian in Soul on Fire, emphasizing the work's reflection on Cleaver's ideological journey, his disavowal of Marxism, and his enduring commitment to human dignity.
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Maxwell Geismar
(summary)
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Cleaver, Eldridge
- Obituaries
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Criticism
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To Mr. and Mrs. Yesterday
(summary)
In the following review, Hunter outlines the principal themes of Soul on Ice.
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Black Cream
(summary)
In the following review, Hughes situates the themes of Soul on Ice in the context of American race relations at the middle of the twentieth century.
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Soul on Fire
(summary)
In the following review, Lehmann-Haupt appraises the insights of Post-Prison Writings and Speeches. Late in November, 1968, Eldridge Cleaver disappeared from the view of the American public and the prison authorities of the state of California. He left behind him a brief and dazzling career as an author, journalist and militant black leader; a lot of friends and admirers; and a number of unanswered questions. This book, Eldridge Cleaver: Post-Prison Writings and Speeches—while it consists of hastily written journalism and speeches that appeared in Ramparts magazine, and was pieced together in Cleaver's absence by Robert Scheer, former Ramparts editor—serves to bring Cleaver's brief career into focus and answer a good many of the questions.
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Complex 'Black Voice' Called Eldridge Cleaver
(summary)
In the following review, Raggio explicates the main points of Cleaver's agenda in Post-Prison Writings and Speeches, separating his rhetoric from his insights on race relations.
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Eldridge Cleaver: Post-Prison Writings and Speeches
(summary)
In the following review, Costello admires Post-Prison Writings and Speeches for its frank approach to American race relations.
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Mad Babylon
(summary)
In the following review, Hood describes aspects of Cleaver's polemics in Post-Prison Writings and Speeches, concentrating on his sexual and social reform theories.
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Cleaver's Vision of America and the New White Radical: A Legacy of Malcolm X
(summary)
In the following essay, Nower discusses literary and historical antecedents of key themes of Soul on Ice, emphasizing the national hypocrisy of white Americans in reference to freedom, justice, and personal and political self-determination among black Americans.
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Quite White
(summary)
In the following review, Johnson recounts Cleaver's life as related in Soul on Fire. Cleaver, who had expounded at length his stirringly militant Black Power beliefs in the best-selling Soul on Ice, was then at the height of his notoriety. It was the era of the police shoot-outs with the Panthers, and brother Eldridge was talking more or less openly of carrying the struggle into regularised urban guerrilla warfare.
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New Godliness Douses Old Fire
(summary)
In the following review, Hornak compares Soul on Fire to Cleaver's previous writings, perceiving a distinct change in his literary style and tone.
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Free at Last
(summary)
In the following essay, Hubbard and Grant profile the life and times of Cleaver, focusing on his spiritual conversion.
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Tearing the Goat's Flesh: Homosexuality, Abjection and the Production of a Late-Twentieth-Century Black Masculinity
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Reid-Pharr analyzes several homosocial incidents in Soul on Ice as evidence of Cleaver's unsuccessful attempt to define a universal black masculine identity.
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Eldridge Cleaver's Last Gift: The Truth
(summary)
In the following essay, Horowitz comments on the significance of Cleaver's "many changes of heart" during his lifetime.
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To Mr. and Mrs. Yesterday
(summary)
- Further Reading