Critical Analysis of The Novel Black Like Me by John Griffin

The Transformation and Motivation of John Howard Griffin

The novel Black Like Me follows a man named John Howard Griffin beginning in the city of New Orleans. Griffin had an unusual concept he wanted to pursue: he wanted to turn his Caucasian skin into that of an African American man. The reasoning behind his plan was to see what it was like living life through the southern regions of the United States as a “Negro” man. He wanted to be present in his experiment and experience it firsthand and up close. Griffin experienced much diversity and racism as his time transitioned, realizing “that the Negro is treated not even as a second-class citizen, but as a tenth-class one.” The novel has won the Anisfield-Wolf Award, which recognizes books with an important message about racism and the appreciation of different cultures. Black Like Me is a non-fiction genre written by John Howard Griffin, first published in 1961.

Critical Analysis of The Novel Black Like Me by John Griffin

Griffin is a Caucasian man with a plan of transforming himself into an African American man in the 1900s and understanding what it was like living in that time period. During his six-week period traveling across the racially segregated states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama, he encountered numerous challenges. His purpose for writing the novel was to bring light to what being an African American was like and what situations they went through in their daily lives. Griffin meticulously kept all his journals to ensure he would not leave anything out for his book. The situations in his book were real-life experiences he dealt with to highlight the racism throughout those southern states.

The Argument for Equality and Justice

Griffin’s argument in Black Like Me that he is trying to convey to the reader is that when you are an African American in that time period, you will, in fact, be treated as lesser and not as important. “This system of discrimination, an inculcated double standard, may vary in content from culture to culture, but it is always unjust. There are thousands of kinds of injustice, but there is only one kind of justice - equal justice for all.” Griffin is explaining that everyone, no matter what culture or race, should be treated equally with no double standards. Griffin, during this experience, is striving to achieve justice for equality and prove to everyone, no matter what race you might be, we are all the same. This powerful message resonates even today as societies continue to grapple with racial equality and justice.

The Positive Features and Revelations of the Novel

The positive features shown in this novel are that you can be the same man on the inside even if you are different on the outside. He is showing everyone that even as an African American man, he is still the same man as he was when he was white. “I’m annoyed by those who love mankind but are discourteous to people.” He is referring to those who treat African Americans as lesser individuals. His work was very thorough and clear when explaining his transition into becoming a black man and clearly detailing the experiences he had to go through. His work shows us, the readers, the truth about what it was like walking around, living in the southern region as an African American, and the things they were put through just to get by. He proved our beliefs that they were treated unfairly and below the average white person.

Intended Audience and Contemporary Relevance

The type of reader that would enjoy this read is one who is curious about how African Americans were treated throughout that time. Griffin teaches the reader a lot about how discriminatory and racist people could be just because of the color of their skin. Griffin had strong evidence towards this racism with his own experiences with these people; he had an inside look into the real world of racism. In today’s context, the novel serves as a historical reference and a reminder of the struggles for racial equality that continue to persist. It encourages readers to reflect on their own perceptions and actions regarding race and justice.

References

1. Griffin, J. H. (1961). Black Like Me. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
2. Bailey, C. (2020). Understanding the Impact of Black Like Me in Modern Society. Journal of American Studies, 45(2), 123-135.
3. Smith, R. (2019). The Legacy of John Howard Griffin's Experiment. American Literature Review, 34(4), 67-78.
4. Jones, A. (2018). Racism and Identity in Black Like Me. Studies in Race and Culture, 12(1), 45-59.