Black Like Me Character Analysis
The novel Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin, tells the story of a sensitive white man from the south. He embarked on a personal mission to experience the hatred and bigotry towards the blacks that was rampant in the south during that time period. Putting his family and safety on the back burner, he proceeded to alter his skin to a black pigment and set off into the muggy south. No longer seen as a human by other whites, he discovered how the blacks were oppressed to the point of no hope. He walked the streets one night as a black man, hated and feared by whites and respected by fellow blacks. While the next night he walked the streets as a white and felt spite from the blacks and acceptance from the whites, but the whole time he was the same man. These experiences only seem to strengthen the core of this man's beliefs. He remains a dedicated and courageous man with scientific curiosity in the subject of race.
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When dealing with hate, John's courage was essential in completing his experiments.
There where times when bigots treated him so harshly that he felt unsafe, but he knew that this was part of being black. For example, when a racist teen pushed him against a wall and robbed him. "'Give me what you have, nigger'" (96). Putting himself in this type of danger simply to understand the black's life was important to him. He was not going to give up because he felt that would be giving up on the problem altogether. But his courage didn't only show in times of danger, it also was apparent when he was being mistreated by a clerk. John was hungry and the clerk refused to sell him food, but he was persistent in his plead for equality. "As any other human, I need food to live. The nourishment is more than skin deep so please give me some food"' (119). He has the same courage that any black needed to live in the unfair world they inhabited. It was almost a trait of the environment and not a personal
one.
Another trait he shows is his unconditional dedication. Many would simply give up in the conditions and situations that John faced, but he showed dedication by standing strong. His dedication became apparent during his skin treatment. The painful process had him in a state of constant pain and discomfort (13). He stayed dedicated because he knew that if he stopped that he would never know the truth. But his dedication was tested the most during his stay in the south as a black man. He was constantly mistreated and oppressed. He felt the effects of the hate in many ways be he stayed on track and didn't give up. Some would say that he was crazy to attempt it, but anyone who knew him knew his dedication. "I went home and told my wife, after she recovered from her astonishment, she unhesitantly agreed that if I must do this thing, then I must"(4). His dedication was strong and it stayed strong in order to complete his scientific experiment.
His style of research, although unorthodox, shows he is scientifically curious. He had a scientific agenda while viewing the life style of the blacks. He wanted to pick apart the problem and search for a solution, at least a hope, and to do this he must become black. "How else except by becoming a Negro could a white man hope to learn the truth?'" (7). His scientific style also shows when he actually uses a test and control group to see the difference how he is treated. He walks the same streets, once as a white, once as a black. "'The mood was different on this night, good spirits from the whites and hateful glares from the blacks'" (111). This is using a scientific method to completely understand the differences. Why does he try to use these effective methods? He wants pure results that will help him, and the rest of the world, realize the problem.
His traits were all important to his research and completion of this project. He went into this project, knowing that he was going to be hated, oppressed, and treated subhuman. This would break down almost any human who is not accustomed to such treatment. His consistency shows that he had better virtues than many men did in that time period. This means he had different motivations to his action. Most white men liked the superior feeling, while he wanted equality. He stayed strong to his beliefs throughout the whole story, and his experiences just helped him understand that the blacks have a lot to deal with in their everyday life.
When dealing with hate, John's courage was essential in completing his experiments.
There where times when bigots treated him so harshly that he felt unsafe, but he knew that this was part of being black. For example, when a racist teen pushed him against a wall and robbed him. "'Give me what you have, nigger'" (96). Putting himself in this type of danger simply to understand the black's life was important to him. He was not going to give up because he felt that would be giving up on the problem altogether. But his courage didn't only show in times of danger, it also was apparent when he was being mistreated by a clerk. John was hungry and the clerk refused to sell him food, but he was persistent in his plead for equality. "As any other human, I need food to live. The nourishment is more than skin deep so please give me some food"' (119). He has the same courage that any black needed to live in the unfair world they inhabited. It was almost a trait of the environment and not a personal
one.
Another trait he shows is his unconditional dedication. Many would simply give up in the conditions and situations that John faced, but he showed dedication by standing strong. His dedication became apparent during his skin treatment. The painful process had him in a state of constant pain and discomfort (13). He stayed dedicated because he knew that if he stopped that he would never know the truth. But his dedication was tested the most during his stay in the south as a black man. He was constantly mistreated and oppressed. He felt the effects of the hate in many ways be he stayed on track and didn't give up. Some would say that he was crazy to attempt it, but anyone who knew him knew his dedication. "I went home and told my wife, after she recovered from her astonishment, she unhesitantly agreed that if I must do this thing, then I must"(4). His dedication was strong and it stayed strong in order to complete his scientific experiment.
His style of research, although unorthodox, shows he is scientifically curious. He had a scientific agenda while viewing the life style of the blacks. He wanted to pick apart the problem and search for a solution, at least a hope, and to do this he must become black. "How else except by becoming a Negro could a white man hope to learn the truth?'" (7). His scientific style also shows when he actually uses a test and control group to see the difference how he is treated. He walks the same streets, once as a white, once as a black. "'The mood was different on this night, good spirits from the whites and hateful glares from the blacks'" (111). This is using a scientific method to completely understand the differences. Why does he try to use these effective methods? He wants pure results that will help him, and the rest of the world, realize the problem.
His traits were all important to his research and completion of this project. He went into this project, knowing that he was going to be hated, oppressed, and treated subhuman. This would break down almost any human who is not accustomed to such treatment. His consistency shows that he had better virtues than many men did in that time period. This means he had different motivations to his action. Most white men liked the superior feeling, while he wanted equality. He stayed strong to his beliefs throughout the whole story, and his experiences just helped him understand that the blacks have a lot to deal with in their everyday life.