W.E.B. Du Bois wrote The Comet with a prominent theme of successful miscegenation in order to alter the general population’s disapproval of interracial relationships during the 1920s. Using an ultimatum, the author proves to the reader that the opposing races will not be seen as equal, until the world ends- unless society comes to the realization that blacks and whites can live in harmony. As soon as the poor black man, Jim Davis, and the rich white woman, Julia, discover each other, they are faced with overcoming the stereotypes that were expressed during this time period. The differences of society’s treatment between the two races and social classes lead to the questioning of the idea of miscegenation: Is an equal relationship between a black and a
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Julia says to Jim that they must go to the Metropolitan tower to try and find her father, while Jim says they need to go to Harlem to search for his family. Julia’s initial reaction is scared and shocked at the thought of going to Harlem, but after realizing that’s where Jim’s family is from, she understands that she must go (Du Bois, 15). She could not imagine going to a place so poor with a high population of black people, and she definitely would not have gone to Harlem before the comet. Another key aspect this story conveys is the difference in how each race is treated and how they treat each other. When Julia’s father found her and Jim on top of the Metropolitan tower, his immediate thought was that Jim had harmed his daughter. Without meeting Jim or giving him the opportunity to explain the situation, he reaches for his whip and says to Julia, “It 's—a—nigger—Julia! Has he—has he dared——" (Du Bois, 29). This illustrates how strong racism was during this time period. Julia’s father’s reaction to Jim confirms that family values in this time period entirely dismissed the idea of
Julia says to Jim that they must go to the Metropolitan tower to try and find her father, while Jim says they need to go to Harlem to search for his family. Julia’s initial reaction is scared and shocked at the thought of going to Harlem, but after realizing that’s where Jim’s family is from, she understands that she must go (Du Bois, 15). She could not imagine going to a place so poor with a high population of black people, and she definitely would not have gone to Harlem before the comet. Another key aspect this story conveys is the difference in how each race is treated and how they treat each other. When Julia’s father found her and Jim on top of the Metropolitan tower, his immediate thought was that Jim had harmed his daughter. Without meeting Jim or giving him the opportunity to explain the situation, he reaches for his whip and says to Julia, “It 's—a—nigger—Julia! Has he—has he dared——" (Du Bois, 29). This illustrates how strong racism was during this time period. Julia’s father’s reaction to Jim confirms that family values in this time period entirely dismissed the idea of