Between The World And Me Summary

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Between the World and Me is a piece of non-fiction literature written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, an award-winning author, journalist, and educator. Coates writes about numerous controversial topics such as cultural, social and political issues, and particularly discusses the issues as they pertain to African Americans. Between the World and Me takes the form of a letter from Mr. Coates to his son, and speaks upon the social, economic, and historical context among black people, and young black men in particular who live in America. The introduction of the work begins with Coates’s response to a question asked by an interviewer regarding the relationship between violence and being black in America. Throughout his work as a response to the interviewers …show more content…

He illustrates a picture that from early on, the game of surviving begins with trick questions. Each bringing a beating, a shooting, or a pregnancy with the slightest incorrect answer, movement, or hesitation (Coates 2015:22). The language and physical presentation of one’s self, including head nods and handshakes, which evolved from fear, is one understood and protected by those who have survived. Coates writes “Fail to comprehend the streets and you gave up your body now (2015:25).” In other words, respect the rituals that have been laid before you, or you will more than likely pay with your life. Again he uses ‘body’ to allow all readers to place themselves in the situations throughout his book. He pushes the reader to either relate or to learn what it is to be brought up by the streets. For an African American who has grown up in similar circumstances, oppressed and forced to abide by street codes, this novel communicates the need to rise above simply surviving. For the reader who was raised in more of the sitcom life Coates describes, they are pushed outside of their upbringing and into the body of an underprivileged American. They are forced to imagine a life in constant protection

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