Racism In A Lesson Before Dying

Words: 2107
Pages: 9

The fourth trait, that a tragic hero must have wasted potential and be pitiable, puts the reader at odds, on one hand Troy most definitely suffers from wasted potential, his baseball career being the most notable, and on the other hand Troy throughout the entirety of the book, with the exception of maybe his failed baseball career, is not pitiable. His actions are egotisitc and immature, his life may be tragic but he does not represent the height of heroism in any way. An underlying concept in the play is that is how discrimination affects people and how they can fight against it. According to critical race theorist, “racism is normal… the person seeking to challenge them strikes others as impossible” (Delgado). So here is Troy, who is rejected entrance into the MLB by what he claims is racism and others claim is just unlucky. Another example is Troy fighting to break social norms in his workplace by being the first black garbage truck driver. These are all examples of racism, yes, but Wilson presents these mishaps through a …show more content…
The novel, one of Gaines greatest works is set in the late 1940’s. A peaceful time period in American history which had a volatile air glooming around it due to doubts over whether such a lavish standard of living, achieved during war times and a booming economy, could be supported post-war. It was also this time period which allowed for a paradoxical increase in both the freedom of African-American’s to move North and obtain a higher standard of living and the amount of discrimination towards them by White Americans.(The 1940s: Lifestyles). A Lesson Before Dying showcases the dynamic of an African-American family in a time period in which blacks had the freedom provide for their families and get an education but at the same time found themselves victims of discrimination in the South, their potential success having no foundation to build