The Subtle Humors of The White Boy Shuffle

Paul Beaty, author of The White Boy Shuffle, constantly adds subtle jokes throughout his novel, filling scenes with intense satirical humor that becomes increasingly uncomfortable as the book continues. These satirical remarks made by Beaty’s main character, Gunnar Kaufman, often make the reader laugh out loud. As the book progresses the moments of humor become more and more dark until the culmination of an atom bomb threat that would wipe out all African Americans. Gunnar himself has a build up of tension, that by the end the reader can almost see him as a walking time bomb. This tension is caused by two factors. The first factor is that people expect him to change the world and please them because of his gifts in sports and poetry. The second factor can be seen in the daily racism received by African Americans that Gunnar both witnesses and receives.  

One of the first instances of this satirical joking occurs when Gunnar is in second grade. The teacher at his all white “multi-cultural” school tries to preach to children that they should not see color. When asked what kinds of things are colorblind, instead of responding like the other kids by saying the law, Gunnar responds “dogs.” Gunnar is acutely aware of the obvious racial distinctions of society even at a young age. The government as we can see today is not colorblind. Growing up in and around LA, Gunnar would be exposed to police brutality himself and in the news. Police brutality that is especially pointed at African and Hispanic Americans.

Later in the book Beaty points out the absurdity of the statement, the law is colorblind. Beaty blends his alternate reality with actual history and allows the reader to see Gunnar’s reaction, when the officers who beat Rodney King within an inch of his life are acquitted. Gunnar feels as though; he is not valued by America. He is a worthless human. Beaty captures the emotion of Gunnar extremely well, allowing a reader such as myself who was not alive during the trial, to feel the utter hopelessness after the decision of the court. Amazingly, in this moment of extreme sorrow and heartbreak occurring both to Gunnar and the reader Beaty drop a comedic seen yet again. Beaty eludes to the beating of a white man in actual history when Gunnar beats a white Wonder Truck driver and shames him. He creates a scene without context that would make the reader laugh out loud. Gunnar and a friend of his, beat the white men with fluffy white bread until the crumbs fall from the sky like rain. Beaty makes this scene extremely hard to work through because, the reader almost wants to laugh at his pros, but this heavy weight of Gunnar’s devastation is still present.

Beaty seems to master the ability to make light of even the darkest of moments or statements. His witty tongue and cheek humor never ceases throughout the book. As the reader moves forward, Beaty’s wit becomes harder and harder to enjoy as his novel takes on extremely dark themes. Beaty is calling to mind African American minstrelsy while showing the extreme hardships of being black in America. He makes his reader see that black life is not a vaudeville show. Beaty creates scenes complex scenes that deserve to be reread multiple times to garner its deeper meanings. The White Boy Shuffle is definitely a book I will reread, just to piece together all these subtle intricacies that cannot be understood with an initial reading.

Janie the Woman who Never Succumbed to Society

Janie the Woman who Never Succumbed to Society

Zora Neale Hurston courageously created a strong, independent, African American, female character, in a time in which females were not meant to be main characters and no African American character met a truly happy ending. Janie, Hurston’s main character, is a strong woman who is thrust into an unwanted marriage at the age of 16. Janie is entrusted by her grandmother to an old farmer who reeks and crawls into bed at night dirty. Unable to stand her treatment in the hands of the old farmer, Janie takes matters into her own hands. She shows that she is able to think for herself and that she will do what is best for herself. Many girls in this situation may have dreamed of fleeing, but Janie took action.

                  Janie meets a man with which she will run away with, Joe Starks. Janie is not dazzled by love or the need for a man. Joe Starks, the man she elopes with, is a risk, a chance at a better avenue of life than what she has already. Janie does not necessarily need Joe Starks to escape. She tells the reader that with or without Joe, she would have still left and never turned back. Joe Starks however was able to aid her in leaving and served as a good husband—in the time the book was written. Joe Starks became a man of power and influence. He became a mayor and a store owner, putting Janie in charge of much of the stores operations. Joe often tried to influence Janie, wanting her to act as a doll in the window of his huge store and home. Janie though not able to totally disobey Joe, rarely agreed with him. Janie thought she should have more free will to do as she pleased, she wanted to go to social events and sit on the porch and joke with the men at night. Janie refused to succumb to societal standards and just be a house wife to look at. After Joe died, without anyone to hold her back, Janie was able to join the community. Without anyone to stop her, Janie took a seat with the men on the porch every night. A seat as the only woman in town able to take part in the men’s antics.

                  Janie did not worry long about the mourning of Joe Starks. She started to wear more vibrant colors, and she let her hair down (something Joe jealously never let her do). Ignoring the whispers of the town Janie refused to be pressured into marriage with a “dignified man.” She did not need a man to take care of her, make her happy, or provide financial support. Janie was able to her own person, without an overbearing husband. A freedom earned after twenty plus years of being put in the dark and she was not willing to give that up lightly.

                  Janie found a rough man who she able to deeply love but, even he was not essential. Tea Cake, Janie’s last husband, made her happy but did not complete her. Janie becomes more independent and strong as Hurston’s story progresses. She leans less and less on anybody for true support. The readers see that she enjoys the companionship of other but, she is able to be her own independent person. She was an independent woman in a time when being an independent woman was looked down upon. In the end, Janie did not need a man to complete her and she did not need the approval of anyone, but herself.