Colson Whitehead prologues the novel with an event at Nickel boys where two bodies are identified at a graveyard. What happened to them and who they are is a question on board. Elwood, the protagonist, is a young boy who lost his parents and is being raised by his grandmother. Harriet is a very strict grandmother and instills good discipline in her grandson. The Nickel boys is a great book that opens the eyes of many readers to how the ancient United States treated black people. The whites always targeted the black regardless of how much they tried to be on the right side. Elwood is a civil rights ambassador and wants to implement what his mentor, king Martin Luther said. The writer uses Elwood and Turner to describe the book’s main ideas throughout the novel. The writer uses various literary styles to reflect on the main idea. Symbolism is a significant aspect of style that pops out in the book, and the secret graveyard is a symbolic word used to relate the kind of suffering and torture the black boys faced in The Nickel School. The writer uses a sympathetic tone throughout the novel to connect the reader with the injustices and discrimination the black boys faced, creating the book’s main idea. The story of the young black American inspired the archeology students to want to know more (Whitehead 43). This essay focuses on the review of The Nickels Boys.
To begin with, Colson identifies the theme of the civil rights movement, where the rights of black people in the US were not adhered to. Elwood is trying to ensure that there is justice and equity for everyone. He experienced unfair treatment for being put in juvenile prison for a crime he didn’t commit, making him more interested in advocating for civil rights. “King described agape as a divine love operating in the heart of man/ A selfless love, an incandescent love, the highest there is/ He called his Negro audience to cultivate that pure love for their oppressors, that it might carry them to the other side of the struggle.” (Whitehead 54) With the above quote, Elwood always uses this phrase to give himself hope. Even though Elwood is put into the reformatory school, his goal is kept still by martin Luther king Jr words and hopes that someday he will achieve what he has always wanted. In the juvenile school, he does what is right even when the rest of the people are doing some injustice. Elwood is an innocent boy with a cheerful, naïve optimism about the world. Elwood avoids all the negativity surrounding him and idolizes Martin Luther King Jr to make him strong and help him keep going. The writer also explores the prevalence of racism and injustice. The orphans and less advantaged blacks were thrown into the Nickel Boys so that they could be used to undertake some crimes and other forms of social injustice. Elwood is an example of a black boy who was criminalized for something he did not do because he was black and had no one to fight for him. This indicates that many teenagers in the place were brutalized and punished for minor crimes that some did not even commit.
In conclusion, Colson Whitehead is inspired by the events narrated by the boys at the reformatory school in Marianna. The Nickel boys is a great book that opens the eyes of many readers to how the ancient United States treated black people. The whites always targeted the black regardless of how much they tried to be on the right side. The book mirrors the injustice and racial discrimination in our societies. Many people, especially those who are orphans or those who do not have someone to fight for them, are brutalized and even jailed and punished for crimes they did not commit. The writer uses Elwood and Turner to describe the book’s main ideas throughout the novel. The story of the young black American inspired the archeology students to want to know more about The civil rights of citizens should be respected and everyone should be granted their freedom and rights. Elwood does not give up on his dreams even if he is traumatized and undergoes suffering, and he still hopes that someday he will fight for the negros just like his mentor stated. The novel reflects on the violence and racism in the reform school.
Work Cited
Whitehead, Colson. Nickel boys. Albin Michel, 2020. 34-67.
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