A Review Of Mathew Kelly's Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man

An author by the name of Mathew Kelly depicted his view point of what courage was. He stated, "Courage is not the absence of fear but the acquired ability to move beyond fear." Some would view this as the standard of what it means to be courageous, others would never be able to have the ability. One of those individuals who do not possess the ability to be courageous would be a unnamed man who narrated The Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man. A man who faced the challenges of blurred racial lines, and could not make a distinct decision of his true character. Readers should view this book critical of the narrator 's actions and decisions concluding him to be a coward. The ex colored man should be considered a coward because of his inability to accept his race, and his refusal to follow the traditions of his upbringing. Being critical of him is not racist; however, it is he proves …show more content…
He discusses his decision to be a white man and reveals to himself that, "…I cannot repress the thought that, after all, I have chosen the lesser part, that I have sold my birthright for a mess of pottage."(154) His lack of confidence throughout the story served no purpose. Why did it take a lifetime to realize that he chose the lesser part and did not live life to the fullest extent possible? In addition to this, "mess of pottage" means he chose what was more attractive in the short run without identifying or acknowledging that he may feel differently in the long run. Discussing the ending Steven Wander said, "From a certain perspective, the ex-colored man 's decision is anything but unreasonable, and no cause for self-censure,"(43) but the story is based on his "self-censure". A successful music career was not dependent on him being white or black, thus his insecurities did not need to be a central theme. It is the uncertainty that leaves a sour taste because ultimately the narrator should be seen as a