James Weldon Johnson's Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man

James Weldon Johnson’s “Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man”, has created his narrator to be perceived at face first as an average white male, whereas society ‘brands’ him to be of colored descent. However, in regards to society 's principle of the one drop rule, the narrator is left to face an identity complex, in understanding whether he is black because society has categorized him on the account of his bloodline, or white given his external appearance. For in the conclusion of the novel, he makes the conscious decision to pass as white. Yet in erasing traces of his his Negro descent, this question whether the narrator’s decision violates particular morals in passing as white. Or, that the narrator’s decision demonstrates how he an individual …show more content…
For the principal inspects the narrators class, and requests, “white students scholars to stand for a moment”, he does so, and in return is demanded by his teacher to remain seated. The significance and irony of this revelation has brutishly teaches taught the narrator that he is not who he believes to be, which is white. For the significance of the situated predicament is that it’s the education system that has changed the narrator’s perception of himself, and taught him where he where he is categorized in to society. Furthermore, the irony is that the creation of his identity complex originates from a guiding figure of the education system, whose job is to ensure that their student’s are taught the ‘correct’ objective views views of society. When in fact, this occurrence will perplex the narrator for the rest of his life. Furthermore, thisthe occurrence gives gives aim to thethat concept of the what identity means to thedoes not belong to the narrator., and Rather, the situation serves as a how the situation critics to whether how identity is created by the individual, or created, and reinforced from social institutionsal views. Evidently, Johnson uses the social institutions such of as grade school a the trope in how societal rules are instilled within children who will than …show more content…
Such as it is demonstrated by Jimmy Gatz, who recreated himself as Jay Gatsby. By in which, Jay Gatsby successfully erased traces of his former identity, which enabled him to recreate himself, and move towards the particular future he desired. Rather remaining an individual who would be categorized for his former social rank. For the act of successful concealing all ties to his past is demonstrated from the numerous amounts of rumors that circle Gatsby himself. For the differing views that Gatsby “Killed a man,” or is a “German Spy, Oxford” and so on. This inability to comprehend who Gatsby is, demonstrates how he has become an enigma to the face of society. In effect this leaving him to become an A priori, to only being perceived as the person he appears to be, rather than for who he once was. For the reality is, Gatsby is the son of a poor farmer from North Dakota, who left home and managed to recreate himself through the fortunes of luck and good intentions. For Dan Cody, and Meyer Wolfshmier gave Gatsby the means to become the individual he is. Nevertheless, if Gatsby allowed himself to be recognized for his past, then society would always recognize as him as the ‘ex’-impoverished man (new money), instead of being the person he appears to be. Such is the same with Johnson’s novel, For the narrator is labeled by