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The Comet is a science fiction short story, written by W. E. B. Du Bois in 1920. It discusses the relationship between Jim Davis (a Black man) and Julia (a wealthy white woman) after a comet hits New York and unleashes toxic gases that kill everyone in New York (it isn't specified whether it's the entire state or just the city) except them.
A messenger finds himself trapped in a bank vault with a dead body and a chest of gold as a new comet hits the earth. Read the full text of this horror story by the African American writer and activist W. E. B. Du Bois.
- 173KB
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A young Black man and white woman are New York City's sole survivors of Earth's brush with a comet. The two are bound together, free suddenly of racial cast - until the world wakes up again. Everyone in New York City is talking about the impending comet, including the president.
In his short story "The Comet", W.E.B. Du Bois argues through the relationship of the two principal characters that race is an ultimately arbitrary and destructive concept created by white society to profit off of Black bodies, and that if pressure from society were to be removed, one would find such...
Jun 1, 2020 · A review of Du Bois' 1920 short story "The Comet", which depicts a racial utopia after a global catastrophe. Learn how Du Bois used science fiction to imagine a world free from racism and explore the themes and context of his work.
In a vaguely futuristic yet oddly contemporary world, a passing comet casts a shadow of death over Manhattan. Only two survive: a black man whose world has been one of poverty and hard work, and a white woman who knows only leisure and privilege.
The Comet by W.E.B. Du Bois is dark, soul-crushing, and beautiful.
- 51 min
- 1979
- Musique Macabre
