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Essay On Between The World And Me

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After I read this book, Bewteen The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, I was left in a state of awe. This novel was an experience that I am grateful to have had. Between The World and Me is a phenomenal letter to Samori Coates, the teenage son of the author. This book tells the story of a young man growing up in a completely different world than I am growing up in even though Ta-Nehisi Coates grew up in America. This story provides a detailed insight into what it is like to grow up and live in America as an African- American male. It illustrates what it is like to go to school, play in the streets, work in a job, live in a city, and how society views you, as a black person living in the United States. One of the things that made this book incredible was the way Coates wove the theme of protecting his body …show more content…

With a novel such as this, which deals with racial injustice and is a letter to a child, I expected a hopeful conclusion to the book. Coates writes to his son; “Here is what I would like for you to know: in America, it is traditional to destroy the black body - it is heritage.”Coates is not writing to fill his son with hope for the future, but more to prepare him for it. He believes that there will be no significant change and that the world we live in know is how it will be for his son. Coates is preparing his son to deal with all of the hate, threats, and dangers that he might encounter. This unhopeful message leaves me, a privileged white kid living in the safe suburbs, feeling somewhat guilty and awkward about the privilege I enjoy because of the pigment of my skin. I now realize how naive and unaware I was to the struggles of many people of color in this country. I would recommend this book to everyone from eighth grade and up because since the words are complex, it would be difficult for a younger person to understand. Other than that, I think that everyone should have the chance to read this

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