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Analysis Of A Negro And An Ofay

Decent Essays

The book, A Negro and an Ofay by Danny Gardner, is the first book in the Elliot Caprice series. This book is set in mid-century Chicago, as Elliot Caprice, the protagonist, struggles to find his place in the world as a biracial man. As Caprice tries to find himself and his place in the world, he encounters many life transitions: going from the classroom to the front lines, to becoming a Chicago cop and then eventually, to becoming a criminal on the run. As the story deepens, the book becomes more of an investigation of where Elliot fits into this world, and it explores his life situations. Much of the book is based on Elliot trying to determine where he fits in the world because of his mixed-race heritage. During the book, Elliot encounters different situations where he must decide whether he should act either black or white. At the beginning of the book, Elliot reflects on his alias (Nathan “Buster” White), as he says the “White was for the most mysterious half of his racial heritage” (Gardner 3). When Elliot was put in custody of the St. Louis County Sheriff department, he gave them his alias, which he resolved to use when his life depended upon his deceptions. In chapter 2 after Elliot has won the debate, John pulled him away to celebrate: “That meant they’d both be white that night.” (9) This statement indicated that John is a white individual, and by the same token, Elliot knows which part of himself he had to be. In the same chapter there was a highlighted moment after

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