Double-Consciousness

"It is a peculiar sensastion, this sense of double consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others" (Du Bois, 5).
Du Bois is confronted with the dilemma of balancing multiple of aspects of his singular identity. By this notion, Du Bois is forced to confront many of the issues that were presented to Rich. Rich was forced to balance her identity as a woman, feminist, lesbian, and Jew. Du Bois is also pressured by the challenge of truly identifying himself of "an American, a Negro... two warring ideals in one dark body" (Du Bois, 5). Much like Rich, Du Bois see's himself in one fashion, but deals with reactions of the outside world. Rich deals with the reaction of her father whereas DuBois deals with the reactions of the large class of White Southerners. It is interesting to note how similiar the viewspoints are and how they deal with the same impending forces.
Beyond the pressures the two authors deal with, both understand that they have a specific message to convey to the world. Du Bois states that he "would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world" (Du Bois, 5). They both simply wish to be able to balance the many aspects of their identity, without being influenced by the many external forces that wish to impede them.