The novel chosen for analysis is The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, published in 2019. The Nickel Boys is the story of Elwood Curtis, an African American teenager in the 1960s who gets convicted at the Nickel Academy juvenile reformatory. In Nickel Academy, Elwood witnesses and experiences violence, racism, and trauma. Through the novel, Whitehead brings the reader to the complexity of a racialized and oppressive system that Elwood is forced to endure.
The literal Meanings
The literal and implied meanings in The Nickel Boys are multi-faceted and reveal a world in which racism and oppression continue to exist. The literal meaning of the novel is about the abuse and mistreatment of African American youth in the reformatory system. Whitehead (42) portrays a world in which African American youth are exposed to inhumane conditions and cruel punishments simply because of the color of their skin. The literal meaning of the novel also reveals a world in which juveniles are not allowed to learn from their mistakes, instead, they are subjugated to a system of oppression and racism.
Implied Meanings
The implied meaning of the novel is that racism and oppression are still alive in society today. Whitehead (89) uses the reformatory system as a microcosm for the more significant racial issues in the world. He shows that even though the reformatory system has changed since the 1960s, to a certain degree, the same issues of racism and oppression still exist (Whitehead 89). In the novel, Elwood is given the opportunity to learn from and grow from his mistakes, but he is not given the same chance as his white counterparts.
Colson’s portrayal of the reformatory system reflects the larger racial issues in the world. Through Elwood’s experiences in the reformatory, Whitehead (116) demonstrates the lasting effects of racism and oppression on individuals. Elwood is subjected to physical and psychological abuse, which leads to long-term damage. He also depicts how racism and oppression can lead to a lack of opportunity and a lack of hope for the future.
Supporting Scholarly Articles
To further support the literal and implied meanings of The Nickel Boys, a review of scholarly journals was conducted. One scholarly article by Martín-Salván Paula explores the themes of racism and oppression in The Nickel Boys. Martín-Salván (208) argues that Whitehead uses the reformatory system as a microcosm for the larger racial issues in the world. She argues that Whitehead’s novel is a powerful and insightful exploration of the lasting effects of racism and oppression on individuals and society.
Another scholarly article, written by Strickland Adelaide, looks at the implications of the novel for the reformatory system. Strickland (56) argues that Whitehead’s novel is a powerful exploration of the reformatory system and its implications for African American youth. Strickland (75) argues that the novel reveals the long-term effects of racism and oppression on individuals and that these effects can be seen in the present-day reformatory system.
Conclusion
Overall, The Nickel Boys is a powerful exploration of racism and oppression in society. Through Whitehead’s exploration of the reformatory system and its implications, he reveals a world in which African American youth are subjected to inhumane conditions and cruel punishments simply because of the color of their skin. Whitehead also explores the lasting effects of racism and oppression on individuals and society. The literal and implied meanings of The Nickel Boys are supported by scholarly journals, which further emphasize the power of Whitehead’s novel.
Works Cited
Whitehead, Colson. The Nickel Boys. Knopf Doubleday, 2019.
Martín-Salván, Paula. (2022). “A Jail within a Jail: Concealment and Unveiling as Narrative Structure in Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys.” Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, Vol. 63, no. 2, 2022, pp. 204-219, Web..
Strickland, Adelaide (2021). “Ghosts of Past, Present, and Future: On Political Purpose and Critical Hope in Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys.” Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism, Vol. 14, no. 1, 2021, p. 7, Web.