I’m loving this book!

After going through Native Son, Invisible Man, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Beloved, I’m very excited to be reading The White Boy Shuffle! Don’t get me wrong, I loved the other books as well. Each book was unique in its own sense, but I’m happy to read a book closer to the culture of 2018. Yes, Gunner is growing up in the 80s and 90s instead of the 2018, yet I could still recognize a lot of the racial stereotyping that he is going through. Someone mentioned this in class, and I thought it was very true: this book could’ve only been written in the 90s. Before that it wouldn’t have hit home won’t a lot of people, a little too early. But the 90s was the perfect timing for it. Beatty is able to point out the remainders of racism that a lot of people may not have thought about at the time, yet point them out in a very intellectual and nerdy, hilarious manner. Each sentence is packed with so many words and advanced vocabulary and cultural references but somehow Beatty just adds in a cuss word or funny joke and it works. The book is taking about a very serious topic of racism, with the prologue beginning with a plan for mass Africna American suicide. And although I laugh at the jokes and the craziness of it all, I think Beatty is able to get the seriousness across with the humor just as much as Richard Wright is able to make his point with Bigger. The humor is what makes people relate and understand more, perhaps, because they realize why they’re laughing and have to think deeper about what’s happening under the surface. Beatty is a very talented writer, and, I’m very excited to see where this book goes!

Comments

  1. ZonaDecember 1, 2018 at 7:49 AM

    Awesome post, I'm also really enjoy this novel! And I think especially like you said, because its well-written, funny, and more contemporary. And I agree that perhaps it's the humor regarding serious topic that makes it so impactful, and that the reflection of why we find the humor funny is especially important.

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  2. Leslie AnukwuDecember 4, 2018 at 6:43 PM

    Honestly I liked this book most out of all the ones we've read so far. I understand what you mean, the other books we've read aren't bad, but I vibe with this one. Its easier to read and although it touches on hard topics, like racism, it still is pretty light-hearted. It reminds me of the way I or a typically teen would tell a story among friends, with a couple cuss words and some jokes thrown in for good measure.

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  3. OliviaDecember 9, 2018 at 10:29 AM

    Yeah this book is definitely a breath of fresh air. I hadn't thought about it, but you're definitely right that Beatty is able to make us connect more to the issues he raises by burying them under jokes. I feel like it makes the entire book more accessible and enjoyable to read, but it also almost makes you notice the darker stuff even more when he brings it up.

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