Discussing “Escape from Pharaoh” by Zora Neale Hurston
Published: 1950
You can find this story in “The Complete Collection”
Technically, this is not a short story. It is an excerpt from Hurston's Novel “Moses: Man of the Mountain”. The novel is Zora Neale Hurston's retelling of the story of Moses. I will say that after reading this excerpt, I really want to read the full novel.
This story begins with the last plague that struck Egypt.
Throughout the story, Hurston links the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to Black people gaining freedom by writing in a southern Black voice. Hurston makes this a Black story just by using dialect. The way she handles how the Israelites would have handled the sudden realization of freedom is perfect. I know these people and I can see them very clearly. The way the Israelites were quick to complain and give up, is right in line with how people react to sudden change. Even when the change is for their benefit.
Hurston is a master of saying so much in so few words. I am looking forward to reading the next short story “The Tablets of the Law” which is also an excerpt from the Novel.
More discussions of Hurston's short stories.
- Discussing The Bone of Contention
- Discussing John Redding Goes to Sea
- Discussing The Conversion of Sam
- Discussing A Bit of Our Harlem
- Discussing Drenched in Light
- Discussing Spunk
- Discussing Black Death
- Discussing Book of Harlem
- Discussing Magnolia Flower
- Discussing Muttsy
- Discussing Sweat
- Discussing Under the Bridge
- Discussing Possum or Pig
- Discussing The Gilded Six-Bits with Marci and Ako of The Colored Pages Book Club
- Discussing the Eatonville Anthology
- Discussing The Country in the Woman with Alicia the Pretty Brown Eye Reader
- Discussing – The Book of Harlem
- Discussing – The Back Room
- Discussing – Monkey Junk
- Discussing – The Fire and the Cloud
- Discussing – She Rock
- Discussing – Mother Catherine
- Discussing – Uncle Monday
- Discussing – Cock Robin Beale Street
- Discussing – The Story of Harlem Slang
- Discussing – High John De Conquer
- Discussing – Hurricane
- Discussing – The Conscience of the Court