In my
notes on Wednesday, I focused a lot on the car incident, where Elwood was
caught getting a ride from someone who had stolen a car. Although he was
completely unaware that he was riding with a thief, he still got sent to the
reform school.
“First
thing I thought when they said to keep an eye out for a Plymouth,” he said. “Only
a [racial slur] would steal that” (Whitehead 42)
This was
quoted from the officer that pulled over the stolen car. His disregard for the
fact that Elwood was merely a bystander, followed by this comment, clearly
shows interpersonal racism.
Interpersonal
racism is a big issue in The Nickel Boys. Although there are always two
sides to every story, the novel shows that racism only allows one. And if
Elwood’s story may have been considered, even slightly, he probably would’ve
ended up actually going to college and being successful. Unfortunately, however,
the one side of the story that is perceived to be true is almost never on the
side of the minority.
 |
| the Florida School for Boys, which inspired the novel (1900-2011) |
This leads to the idea that the story was set in third person omniscient point
of view for a good reason- people of color were thought of as liars back in the era of civil rights, so no one really knew their true, real stories.
This point of view choice somewhat allows people to empathize with the thoughts
and experiences of Elwood, opening our minds to a new perspective on life.
