Between The World And Me Themes

While reflecting back on his experiences as a black male growing up in America, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers words of advice to his teenage son, Samori, in his newest novel Between the World and Me. Coates’ stories explore three central themes of racism in America, the black body, and the American Dream. Coates work is reflective of the work of other intersectional feminist scholars like Julia Sudbury, Jewel Woods, and Allan Johnson The systemic oppression of blacks through the school-to-prison pipeline and a broken criminal justice system make it impossible for white and black boys to be raised the same. The black body lives in constant fear of being plundered by this broken institution of “justice.” The American Dream is a fantasy for black families because of the exclusivity of white suburbia. Coates ties these three themes together seamlessly while telling the captivating tale of being raised in a country constantly working against him. Race, racism, and systemic oppression are themes that guide Coates’ discussion of other themes later in the novel. In just a few words, Coates explains his take on race and racism. “But race is the child of …show more content…
Between the World and Me addresses race, racism, systemic oppression, the the black body, and the American Dream in ways that are socially important and relevant to current academic discourse among the feminist community. Racism in America is a clear and present danger to African Americans and is evidenced through the school-to-prison pipeline and corrupt police forces across the nation. The black body is in constant fear of being plundered by these outside forces. The white Dreamers of America believe in equal opportunity without realizing their Dream is exclusive and oppressive. Coates’ analysis of American culture is powerful and an important piece of contemporary