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
There have been many novels written about the experience of being born black in America but only so few have been able to give the reader a vivid point of view of what African Americans have gone through for generations. The book “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a very sympathetic letter to his fifth teen year old son Samori. Coates explains his experiences in the past on how being born into the world as a “Black Body” is considered as a disadvantage in America. Coates grew up with strict parents that were consistently keeping a keen eye on him always having his father constantly beating him and an always anxious mother. But as he grew older and had a son of his own he then realized the reasons behind his parent’s actions.
The language that Coates uses engulfs the reader into his thoughts by using vivid descriptions and actions. As he reveals his thoughts and concerns for his son, we are placed in the mist of his fear and experiences. Although he is able to paint his world for us, he also allows us to contemplate and interpret some of the meanings behind his words. Much as if we, ourselves were developing the thoughts and ideas behind his points of view. In this sense, he is telling the reader what to think while allowing them to process the information he has presented. Even though his ideas are drawn from personal experience and may have no factual backing, the mere contemplation of its correlation or being given some truth to the statement. Additionally, a tone is set throughout the article, his language not only captures the mind but emotions. His descriptive language intensifies when he
Between the World and Me, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, is written as a letter to his son about realities associated with being black in the United States of America. His tone is somewhat poetic and quite bleak, based on his personal experiences. The book is intense, it is an address to a nation that ignores its own blatant history of racism, a nation that does not prosecute police officers who kill innocent black citizens, a nation that supports a policy of mass incarceration. He writes about growing up in Baltimore, Maryland and details the ways in which institutions (school, police, and the streets) discipline, endanger, and threaten to harm black men and women. Between the World and Me is an intimate confession of the fears of a black American father.
“Between the World and Me”, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, is a letter written to his son about what it means to be black and how tough it is to be a part of this race in the United States of America. In this book, Coates talks about his life in the black community, starting from childhood memories all the way to present day. Coates also tries sends a message, which is that his son should not lower his guard and be completely confident about who he is, instead he should be afraid about what the world is capable of doing to a black man. In this work, Coates disagrees on what it means to be black or white in America.
In part one of “Between the World and Me,” Coates gives constant examples on how the black community deals with the loss of their bodies and violence on the daily. He makes his argument by being brutally honest. He does not hold back when talking on the subject, making the reader feel somewhat convicted after reading. He uses the element of right timing throughout part one to show how intense racism still is.
Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me has been compared favorably with James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. The book begins with a letter to his nephew which Coats mimics in writing to his son. Themes of ‘Bodies’ related to racial identity, the experience of being black in America, and how to break down racial barriers are very prominent in both books however they vary slightly.
Between the world and me is a letter to Ta-Nehisi Coates's fifteen-year-old child, Samori. He weaves his own, authentic, and scholarly advancement into his ruminations on the most proficient method to live in a dark body in America.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a book that demands attention in today 's society where racism and hostility towards the black community are still very common. The book is written in the form of a letter to Coates’s son where he examines the black body and how it is viewed in the world by white americans. Coates gives insight into relevant social justice issues such as Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Trayvon Martin and provides an intense reality depicting the life of those in the black community. Coates describes his life growing up and explains the ever changing realizations he comes to regarding the black body as he grows and develops. He takes the readers on a journey through his experiences and education, allowing us to directly see his opinions regarding the black body develop and reshape over time. Coates focuses in on his different forms of education and how they influenced his opinions on power and freedom of the black body. Ultimately through his life experiences and education Coates realizes that the black body can be viewed as simultaneously powerful and powerless within society.
The next part of the book that caught my attention was Coates’ upbringing. I am from the southern part of the United States so listening to the author explain his surroundings and being able to relate that to something more personal helped with my understanding of the book. I also liked the fact that he included where he was from, when most people who make it out do not feel the need to proudly claim the place they were born and raised.
Between the World and Me by writer Ta-Nehisi Coates depicts himself writing a letter to his son describing what it is like to grow up in a black body. He tells of the hardships that he went through growing up and what he did to deal with them. Coates gives his opinions on how the word treats African Americans, and believes that the the country can never fully repay them. In another one of his works The Case for Reparations he says how after a discussion, people may discover more about themselves. Coates believes that people are scared to learn about what they have done without even knowing it and the fact that it doesn’t directly affect them prevents them from doing anything.
Between the World and Me is a long letter that Ta-Nehisi Coates writes to his teenage son, Samori. Coates uses history and past experiences to express to his son how America does not value the black man’s body. Coates starts by telling of what it was like for him growing up in Baltimore. How he saw black men dress and carry themselves in attempts to possess themselves and power. He then talks about the awakening of his black consciousness at Howard University. Howard is where he first started learning about the contributions of black people in American history. He also was introduced to a variety of different types of black people. Howard is also where Coates experienced the death of a close friend, Prince Jones, that catapults the most powerful message in his novel; The American Dream is an insidious idea glorified by whites and the media that was built on the marginalization of black people.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is an American educator, journalist, and writer. Ta-Nehisi writes about social, cultural, and political issues, regarding African-Americans for The Atlantic where he is a national correspondent. Not only did Coates write the book Between the World and Me but he also wrote The Beautiful Struggle.Before reading this book I had no clue who Ta-Nehisi Coates was. When I first read that we had to do a book report I immediately froze up because I hate reading books. I prejudged Between The World And Me before I even opened the book. I inferred that it would be a very boring just by looking at the cover over the book, looks can be deceiving. Ta-Nehisi had three goals when he decided to write this book. He explained that the first goal was personal, he wanted his son to understand that this is White America. He wanted the world to intellectually and emotionally process Between the World and Me, so that the readers could understand how the world is being portrayed from a black man’s point of view. Coates wanted white Christians to be interested and curious about his book, which became another goal for him to write this book. Those white Christians that believed racism had completely been deceased. Lastly, he wanted the world to explore theological connections with the book. Hopefully, allowing other African Americans to believe that we’re stuck also. I personally believe he did all three throughout the book. “The Dream” is a thought that us black people will one day
Between the World and Me examines the history and present circumstances of racial inequality and segregation in America. Coates directs the book to Samori to give his audience personal insight into the various stages of a black man’s life. From his childhood, to his college experience, to his complicated role as a father, Coates gradually unfolds a critical account of the relationship between black and white communities. He calls those who “believe themselves to be white” the “Dreamers” and criticizes them for the indifference toward black people 's experiences. He wants the audience to reflect upon themselves and realize that they are part of the problem.
Throughout the autobiographical novel Between the world and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, there is the ever-present theme of invisibility; what it’s like to grow up as a black body in America and have your struggles be non-visible due to the color of your skin not being light enough.
Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me is in essence about the rigors inflicted on