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Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (version 2)

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By: (1871-1938)

Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that delves into the complexities of race, identity, and privilege in America. The story follows an unnamed protagonist as he navigates life as a biracial man in a society that is deeply divided by race.

The novel is written in the form of a memoir, allowing readers to gain insight into the protagonist's personal struggles and triumphs as he grapples with his own racial identity. Johnson's writing is both eloquent and poignant, inviting readers to consider the ways in which race shapes our perceptions of ourselves and others.

One of the most striking aspects of the novel is its exploration of passing, a term used to describe individuals who choose to live as a member of a different racial group than they were born into. Through the protagonist's experiences with passing, Johnson exposes the limitations and contradictions of a society that places so much emphasis on racial categories.

Overall, Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is a haunting and beautifully written novel that offers valuable insights into the complexities of race and identity in America. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the ways in which race continues to shape our lives and experiences.

Book Description:
The story of a biracial man living in the deep south after the reconstruction era. He is young and talented. Yet, in order for him to avoid stigma, he has to pass as white. But would his sense of belonging and solidarity to the black community of the time catch up with him at the end? "It is very likely that the Negroes of the United States have a fairly correct idea of what the white people of the country think of them, for that opinion has for a long time been and is still being constantly stated; but they are themselves more or less a sphinx to the whites. It is curiously interesting and even vitally important to know what are the thoughts of ten millions of them concerning the people among whom they live. In these pages it is as though a veil had been drawn aside: the reader is given a view of the inner life of the Negro in America, is initiated into the "freemasonry," as it were, of the race. These pages also reveal the unsuspected fact that prejudice against the Negro is exerting a pressure which, in New York and other large cities where the opportunity is open, is actually and constantly forcing an unascertainable number of fair-complexioned colored people over into the white race. In this book the reader is given a glimpse behind the scenes of this race-drama which is being here enacted,—he is taken upon an elevation where he can catch a bird's-eye view of the conflict which is being waged."


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