"Signifyin"

There is definitely a common vernacular found amongst most African-Americans. Moore very plainly states this among other things in the "Black Aesthetics" section of his book. Then he dives into the concept of double meaning, saying that in black literature this is mostly seen as a type of metaphor; it says one thing but means another. After reading The First Part Last, I was trying to find this relationship and after discussing the book with the class I understood it some what better. "Signifyin" represents the double meaning, or double voice found within black literature. Even though I can see some of what Moore is talking about in The First Part Last as it relates to his concepts, I do not feel that it is necessary nor is it 100% applicable. To me this is just a theory that he came up with. I find it very awkward that he puts a racial label on a book based on how it is written. I hate to disagree with him, but I feel that his theory is merely an assumption that can not be proven. With all that being said, I would not apply "signifyin" to this book, but I would say that there is language throughout the text that is found predominantly in African-American culture.