In the short story “The Comet” by W.E.B Du Bois, the author uses rhetorical strategies and literary devices to mend the story into an afrofuturist world. A couple examples of these are symbolism and pathos. The lesson of the story is built up mostly through symbolism. The story is written about a comet that hits NYC, taking out the full population of the city except for a black man, Jim, and a white woman, Julia. The two are able to put their differences aside, realize that all humanity is equal, and are willing to do whatever they need to to help each other survive. Towards the end of the story, when people from outside of the city express to them that it was only NYC affected by the tragedy, Julia is quick to return to her ways from before the comet. She joins with the other white people and act in a racist manner towards Jim. They call him derogatory names and there’s even a threat splurted out offering to lynch him.
Dissecting this story, there’s symbolism all over. To start, the comet itself is a perfect example of symbolism. Although the fictional story makes sense for the comet to simply be a hypothetical where New York City is struck and nearly wiped out, there’s a much deeper meaning to it. I believe that the comet is there to represent struggle and hardship that the whole world faces, as one. For example, the United States had never been closer than after the attacks of 9/11 or Pearl Harbor.
Once we realized that we are not invincible and were proven to be vulnerable, everyone joined together, put their differences aside and became united. Once the effects of the tragedy pass, like in the story when they realize there were more people alive or in the real world when people move back onto their normal routines, we lose that unity and connection and return to our regular, separated ways. The author uses pathos to go hand in hand with his use of symbolism. Throughout the story, the author grows a connection between the reader and the two characters. He creates a feeling of hope that the two can make everything alright, only to rip it apart once the tragedy passes. I think that W.E.B. Du Bois uses this strategy, writing a fictional story with real life implications, in order to have the reader come to a subconscious conclusion of the issue he’s attempting to bring to light. When reading this story, it had me questioning the history of the US, past and present. How did people really treat other human beings so poorly? Why did racism begin ? Why can’t we live in a society that everyone is unified ?
