Black like me (Essay Sample)

Black Like Me
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The fact that Black like Me is set as an autobiographical memoir as compared to a novel, the themes therein keep stemming from the explicit opinions and real experiences of Griffin as compared to the artistic creativity. In the long run, Black like Me is fairly simple to comprehend where most of the significant themes across the novel have been discussed at length through Griffin while in his long and contemplative diary entries and experiences. The author illustrates the story’s fundamental themes in Black like Me to include the question of identity with a special consideration of the identity question in relation to issues of race. The quest for social justice for Griffin in America temporarily lands him an opportunity to cast off the white identity while transforming him into the lifestyles of black people.
However, as the story progresses, Griffin (profound change) goes through causes of having him learn the manner for which much about himself is disclosed. In his initial looks onto a mirror, he sees a black man and he feels a panic sensation, a sense of lost identity with no recognition of oneself. Ostensibly, the author illustrates that Griffin seeks to experience the obstacles as well as hardships of living a black lifestyle in America in order to understand the intensity of life for blacks (Coring, 2013). Across the number of few weeks in enduring the overall constant poverty, oppression, and difficulty of the black society while within the issues of segregation, Griffin develops new identities as black man (Griffin, 2006). When he stands in front of the mirror, he is able to see a black man who has a look of a defeated hangdog. This illustrates that the blacks have difficulties in seizing opportunities.
In Montgomery, however, the self-concept among the black population is responsible for the determination and energy through the illustration of one of its leaders, and Marin Luther King Jr. (a preacher). Generally, Griffin determines that the living conditions for the black population are appalling while still considering the fact that the black communities appear defeated and run-down. He adds of the look of hopelessness and defeat on his face after a few weeks while taking his character as a black man. The author illustrates that the blacks in Montgomery have started practicing passive resistance which included a nonviolent approach for the refusal of compliance with the racist laws as well as rules (Borisoff, Barry, Borisoff & Barry, 2008). Griffin, weary and depressed about his black man's life, briefly stops consuming his medication while he lightens his skin into his initial color. He also starts alternating between races back and forth, visiting a place first as a white man and later as a black man. He immediately notices that while he is a white man, the whites treat him with the utmost respect while the blacks address him with such fear.
With respect to the SPD on health, Griffin takes a look at the protestant work-ethic considerations where he sees a black man. On the other hand, while a black man, the blacks approach him with generosity as well as warmth even as the whites treat him with contempt and hostility. He panics briefly with a feeling that he is of lost identity coupled with the setting out of the exploration of the entire black community. Griffin develops the expectation of finding hardship, oppression, and prejudice even though he becomes very shocked at its extent (Griffin & Bonazzi, 1996). This is well in terms of everywhere he goes, what his experiences and difficulties as well as insults are. The term "nigger" appears to keep echoing from various street corners. The author illustrates the story’s this becomes rather impossible for him to find an ideal job, or even restrooms prohibited to the blacks. Clerks obviously refuse to cash in checks while white bullies nearly attack him prior chasing the man away.
Further, he adds that Social domanice impacts the tolerance dialogue necessary in bridging the terrible gap that separates them. Griffin proceeds to observe that the races are not in complete understanding of one another by any means. While in Atlanta, Griffin continues to conduct a comprehensive series of interviews among the black leaders prior making a return to New Orleans for purposes of making a photographic record for the time there (Coring, 2013). The author illustrates the story’s this also points at the fact that he goes entirely off his medication and permanently returns to his initial skin color (white). He comes home to family while writing his article that is later published in the month of March 1960. Immediately the article is put up, Griffin is solicited to do interviews for prominent news magazines and television shows.
Under the situation by-personal approach scope, the effigy of Griffin as painted half black and half white is taken down on Main Street. Also, in a Negro schoolyard, a cross is burned and threats are made over Griffin like of castrating him. By the hit of August, things became so bad that he had to move the family to Mexico. On the other hand, the story regarding his amazing experience spreads across the world where he receives more and more congratulatory mail. However, in Mansfield, the prevailing attitude is about racism where Griffin as well as his family has been the subject of the hateful reprisals (Borisoff, Barry, Borisoff & Barry, 2008). Prior to his going, he holds a talk with a black boy explaining that racism is developed through social conditioning and not any inherent quality of the whites or blacks. The author illustrates he places a plea for understanding and tolerance between races with the fear that in case the current conflict can be sustained, there is a possibility of exploding into an outbreak for terrible violence.
According to the author, Griffin undergoes extraordinary personal change regarding Self-image threats where as a black man; there is a depiction of a powerful testament to the crucial importance in terms of race for which forms an identity factor within the racist society. The author illustrates the story’s difficulties involved in finding shelter and food while he was a black man, coupled by the humiliation of not being in a position of finding restrooms which black people were allowed to use. On the other hand, the ultimate attribution error position in the current world is predetermined by the skin color therein. ‘Black Like Me’ is deemed to be a short book even though the social message of experiences by Griffin are spread across the narrative structure of the book and largely functions as the overlaying catalog for the different kinds of racial oppression in the United States (BookCaps & Backups Study Guides Staff. 2011).
This book changes the approach to thinking about the topics of Stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice as people are moving out of the consideration.The author vividly describes the predicaments of the stench, ugliness, and filth o...