Part I: An Afrocentric Critical Theory 1. Introduction 2. Historical Situatedness and African American Culture 3. Change and Cultural Representation in African American Literary Criticism 4. Recent Directions in African American Literary Criticism: Toward an African Poetics Part II: Application of the Afrocentric Critical Theory 5. Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon 6. David Bradley's The Chaneysville Incident 7. Invisible Man 8. A Review of Contemporary African American Novels 9. Conclusion