A Life Worth Living?
While reading White Boy Shuffle I found myself constantly laughing. The book was so funny purposely filled with interesting characters I felt more connected to out of all the books we had read. We discussed the purpose of Beaty's humor throughout the book, despite the continual path the book followed growing more serious and depressing with every chapter. The finale struck me as I had been able to laugh my way through Gunnar's story, and yet he was depressed on a suicide mission.
The importance of Beaty's ending for me was in the reasoning for Gunnar and Nicks's depression. A topic I rarely see in literature taught to high schoolers is the effects of racism when racism is more hidden. People can make the argument that Gunnar wasn't oppressed and that he and Nick were actually the opposite, given opportunities any kid would love to have. Furthermore, the "support" from their fans in their sports and Gunnar's poetry couldn't possibly be racist because all they wanted to do was see their stars succeed. These arguments are quite common, and one thing the book does which is interesting is it brings light to the issue of Black fetishization and dealing with racism post-civil-rights era closer to today. Gunnar and Nick are fetishized constantly as these amazing basketball players with "god-given" talents, the classic stereotype of a Black basketball player. Furthermore, as Beaty challenges this stereotype, the rags to riches determination sports story, with Gunnar and Scoby seeking no pleasure in the game the more they are loved, it deepens the issue of racism.
Nowadays its harder for some people to be aware of racism and how it affects people's everyday lives when the actions are less overt and/or are things such as microaggressions. It's clear to see how someone being denied admission to a school-based on race is racist, but it's much harder to see how the flurry of offers from universities based on Gunnars basketball skill is also racist. This fetishization Nick and Gunnar encounter throughout their lives, from the "colorblind" school teachers of Gunnars youth, to the poetry fans Gunnar encounters in college, brings this issue to light. We as a society still do not talk about how much Black men and women are fetishized by white people. They are seen as these exotic beings, as prize animals, and somehow a measure of how far society has come. The idea of teaching "colorblindness" to kids and the fact that two Black males from Hillside are able to succeed so far is used as this example to say "wow look how much we've done here in America. We cured racism!" However, that is the direct issue Beaty is pointing out. So many people have the mindset that racism is gone because it presents itself in different ways, and they refuse to see how they contribute to it. One of the most esteemed positions you can have as a person in America is to be an athlete. Furthermore, if you are an athlete of color there is this idea that you "won" and you "made it out" and were able to find a way to succeed in the system despite all odds. Though the idea is to be supportive, the fact that our nation has given kids of color very little options as "ways to make it out", the biggest being an athlete, is an issue. This carries into stereotypes like, Black people are automatically good at basketball, and that's just their innate god-given talent, and in other cases things like, Mexicans are fast and naturally good at running (from running across the border of course, which is beyond racist).
These less overt examples of racism, seemingly less "harsh" than say slavery or some other counterpart used as comparison causes the effects of these things to be overlooked. That is why it's so important that Beaty shows how depressed Nick and Gunnar get, despite their fame. The effects of racism and the fetishization of Black men get to them and lead to a rather depressing ending for Nick, Gunnar, and the entire area of Hillside. We love these characters and we don't want them to die, and that is what Beaty intends us to feel. Beaty wants us to be forced to realize why it is they feel this way, despite our initial instincts to say "but you have so much to live for" opening a much-needed discussion on racism and its effects today.
The importance of Beaty's ending for me was in the reasoning for Gunnar and Nicks's depression. A topic I rarely see in literature taught to high schoolers is the effects of racism when racism is more hidden. People can make the argument that Gunnar wasn't oppressed and that he and Nick were actually the opposite, given opportunities any kid would love to have. Furthermore, the "support" from their fans in their sports and Gunnar's poetry couldn't possibly be racist because all they wanted to do was see their stars succeed. These arguments are quite common, and one thing the book does which is interesting is it brings light to the issue of Black fetishization and dealing with racism post-civil-rights era closer to today. Gunnar and Nick are fetishized constantly as these amazing basketball players with "god-given" talents, the classic stereotype of a Black basketball player. Furthermore, as Beaty challenges this stereotype, the rags to riches determination sports story, with Gunnar and Scoby seeking no pleasure in the game the more they are loved, it deepens the issue of racism.
Nowadays its harder for some people to be aware of racism and how it affects people's everyday lives when the actions are less overt and/or are things such as microaggressions. It's clear to see how someone being denied admission to a school-based on race is racist, but it's much harder to see how the flurry of offers from universities based on Gunnars basketball skill is also racist. This fetishization Nick and Gunnar encounter throughout their lives, from the "colorblind" school teachers of Gunnars youth, to the poetry fans Gunnar encounters in college, brings this issue to light. We as a society still do not talk about how much Black men and women are fetishized by white people. They are seen as these exotic beings, as prize animals, and somehow a measure of how far society has come. The idea of teaching "colorblindness" to kids and the fact that two Black males from Hillside are able to succeed so far is used as this example to say "wow look how much we've done here in America. We cured racism!" However, that is the direct issue Beaty is pointing out. So many people have the mindset that racism is gone because it presents itself in different ways, and they refuse to see how they contribute to it. One of the most esteemed positions you can have as a person in America is to be an athlete. Furthermore, if you are an athlete of color there is this idea that you "won" and you "made it out" and were able to find a way to succeed in the system despite all odds. Though the idea is to be supportive, the fact that our nation has given kids of color very little options as "ways to make it out", the biggest being an athlete, is an issue. This carries into stereotypes like, Black people are automatically good at basketball, and that's just their innate god-given talent, and in other cases things like, Mexicans are fast and naturally good at running (from running across the border of course, which is beyond racist).
These less overt examples of racism, seemingly less "harsh" than say slavery or some other counterpart used as comparison causes the effects of these things to be overlooked. That is why it's so important that Beaty shows how depressed Nick and Gunnar get, despite their fame. The effects of racism and the fetishization of Black men get to them and lead to a rather depressing ending for Nick, Gunnar, and the entire area of Hillside. We love these characters and we don't want them to die, and that is what Beaty intends us to feel. Beaty wants us to be forced to realize why it is they feel this way, despite our initial instincts to say "but you have so much to live for" opening a much-needed discussion on racism and its effects today.
I think the concept of fetishization you bring up is especially seen in the basketball camp Gunnar attends. An element of dehumanization became prominent in this part of the book. The boys in the camp were only treated well for the talents they possessed in basketball, as they had the potential of making their "owners" a lot of money in the future. Although this dehumanization is very hidden because of the great success black athletes have achieved, Beatty makes sure we realize it.
ReplyDeleteYour analysis of the book is really good and I it is very true that even in "cheering" for somebody, the racism can still be seen if you actually pay attention. The way that people viewed Scoby's "god-given" talent is also racist because it isn't even like they enjoyed that he was a good basketball player. All they wanted to do was see him miss a shot as if the idea that god would give a black boy that talent was too appalling for them to comprehend. Furthermore, sports in general are becoming more dehumanizing because it isn't even really about the sport anymore. The NBA, MLB, and other professional sports leagues are becoming more and more about the business than the sports.
ReplyDeleteI found Beatty's tone for the novel reflected the way that as a society America has decided to talk about race. At first we ignore it, just like they did in Gunnar's elementary school. At the same time we fixate on race. A person of color is onyl valued if they are entertaining (in some cases failing to succeed is entertaining). Think about the Koffman history, it seems that they have survived because they have played the white-man's game. Most of all we don't take race seriuosly, even as our world is morphed by racial issues we laugh because we don't know how to stop laughing.
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