Black Like Me Book Review
...s taken on the journey with Mr. Griffin. When he made his decision, there was much skepticism, and as a reader, I began to be interested as to what experiences he would have while living among blacks. The novel remained fascinating as he encountered other people, especially whites. It was interesting to see how whites treated him differently, even though he had only changed his skin tone. “Ain’t no way you can get away from me Mr. S—thead. You might as well stop right there.” At this point in the story, Mr. Griffin was being tracked down by a white boy on a dark street at night. The intensity increased and the suspense tightened. Although his encounters with whites are often intense, his encounters with blacks were often mellow, yet still exciting. While the narrator was traveling around, he came across a man who invited him to stay at his poverty-stricken shack in Alabama. Although there was not much action, it stayed interesting. It was fascinating how the family loved one another so much, yet suffering so greatly with poverty. The novel was most enthralling, however, because it was an actual true story. This greatly added to the interest of the story because it was amazing that a man could actually perform this to his body and have the courage to enter the black community, regardless of the outpouring racism of the time. Black Like Me is a fascinating novel, but that is not the only reason that everyone should read it. A second reason why Black Like Me should be widely read is because of how revealing it is. As previously stated, it is a true story, therefore, the events and occasions were all factual. This novel is a great first-hand insight into the life of a black in the Deep 3 South. At the time (1950’s-1960’s) the Deep South was a place of the most extreme racism, especially areas such as Mississippi. This novel is actually a journal account of a man’s experiences in the South. What other way could be more revealing than this? For example, when the narrator learned about the Mack Parker lynching in Mississippi, this was a revealing account. He learned that much of the information was covered up so that whites would inevitably look as if they had done nothing wrong. Without a first-hand account of this information, it would seem as if the lynching was simply the fault of “inferior Negros.” The novel also revealed the relationship between blacks at the time. Often, blacks who had never known each other would form a kinship immediately upon their first meeting. “I told them goodnight and returned to my room, less lonely, and warmed buy the brief contact with others like me who felt the need to be reassured that an eye could show something besides suspicion or hate.” This revealed so much about the connection made by blacks. Even though they did not know each other, they knew the difficulties the other had to deal with, therefore they had an inadvertent connection. This type of kinship was formed many times throughout the novel, and each time it left the author feeling warm and pleased. Without a first-hand out, this type of connection made by blacks would never have been revealed. The fact that this book enlightens one to the time period is a great reason why people should read this book. It allows us to connect with our past and appreciate the times before us. We can learn from mistakes made in the past while gaining insight to times that should not be overlooked. One reason to read this book is because it is very enlightening, but there are others. 4 The lesson that Black Like Me teaches is much broader than the evil racism between blacks and whites. The lesson of this novel encompasses the fair treatment of all races, cultures, religions, and sexes. In the novel, not only did the narrator become a black man in the Deep South, but he also became a second-class citizen and inferior, which is what always happens to the targeted group when considering racism. This book teaches us what it is like to be viewed with inferiority, and it shows us that hatred must be eliminated from society. “Why do whites hate us-we don’t hate ...