Themes In Black Like Me
John Howard Griffin: Black Like Me
Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin, states the chilling truth of being a black man in the late 1950’s to the early 1960’s. John Howard Griffin is a white journalist who wants to know the real experience of being treated as a black person. Griffin transitions from a white man to a black man by darkening the pigment of his skin through medication. He walked, hitchhiked, and rode buses through Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. As Griffin makes his way through the South, he experiences things that no human ever should. In the beginning of the novel, Griffin states that he believes the only way to know the truth is to become a black man in the South. John Howard Griffin explains, “The only way I could see to bridge the gap between us was to become a Negro. I decided I would do this.”(Griffin 7) This quote explains that Griffin wants to bridge the gap between white and black. By writing this it shows how far Griffin will go to make equality a reality. Griffin wanted to understand completely how it was being a black man in the South. The main idea of Black Like Me …show more content…
“The Negro’s only salvation from complete despair lies in his belief, the old belief of his forefathers, that these things are not directed against him personally, but against his race, his pigmentation.”(Griffin 49) “They don't do it to you because you’re Johnny—they don’t even know you. They do it against your Negro-ness.”(Griffin 49) This has happened to me in a way. Someone hasn’t liked me because I was friends with someone they didn’t like. They didn’t know who I was; they just knew they didn’t like my friend so they didn’t like me. In the situation that happened to me, it wasn't extreme at all. They didn't prevent me from going places; they didn't call me mean names. They just didn't like
Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin, states the chilling truth of being a black man in the late 1950’s to the early 1960’s. John Howard Griffin is a white journalist who wants to know the real experience of being treated as a black person. Griffin transitions from a white man to a black man by darkening the pigment of his skin through medication. He walked, hitchhiked, and rode buses through Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. As Griffin makes his way through the South, he experiences things that no human ever should. In the beginning of the novel, Griffin states that he believes the only way to know the truth is to become a black man in the South. John Howard Griffin explains, “The only way I could see to bridge the gap between us was to become a Negro. I decided I would do this.”(Griffin 7) This quote explains that Griffin wants to bridge the gap between white and black. By writing this it shows how far Griffin will go to make equality a reality. Griffin wanted to understand completely how it was being a black man in the South. The main idea of Black Like Me …show more content…
“The Negro’s only salvation from complete despair lies in his belief, the old belief of his forefathers, that these things are not directed against him personally, but against his race, his pigmentation.”(Griffin 49) “They don't do it to you because you’re Johnny—they don’t even know you. They do it against your Negro-ness.”(Griffin 49) This has happened to me in a way. Someone hasn’t liked me because I was friends with someone they didn’t like. They didn’t know who I was; they just knew they didn’t like my friend so they didn’t like me. In the situation that happened to me, it wasn't extreme at all. They didn't prevent me from going places; they didn't call me mean names. They just didn't like