Essay Questions

What is the significance of Macon's tattoo?

Macon unwisely decides to have the date of the disgraceful Rodney King verdict tattooed on himself. He does this as he is outraged at such a blatant act injustice and reasons that the tattoo is to be reminder for him of this day of infamy. He ends up having an African-American for a roommate in college and he shows off his tattoo as proof of his “solidarity” with the struggle of African-Americans, not knowing that his roommate had actually experienced the horrors of the L.A. riots first hand. Once again, his attempt to identify with African-Americans fails miserably; his tattoo, instead of becoming a symbol of solidarity ironically becomes a symbol of cultural appropriation and a distasteful, painful reminder to a person who has experienced racial persecution personally.

How is the theme of racism and race relations tackled in the narrative?

The theme of racism and race relations is discussed through the character Macon Detorny, a white, Jewish kid from Boston. He is the unlikely and decidedly awkward mouthpiece that the author uses to talk about this controversial theme. Being Jewish, he too has received his fair share of discrimination and this makes him sympathetic to the difficulties of African-American race relations. Macon however is a truly odd bird in that he identifies greatly—too greatly perhaps—with the struggles of African-Americans; so much so that he turns radical and becomes outright antagonistic to whites. He is completely oblivious to the fact that he too is white and whenever he tries to show his solidarity with the “black struggle” he just ends up looking like a fool. Making Macon play the part of the fool is central to the novel as the author is saying that the issue of race relations is more complex and requires more than just white folks apologizing to African-Americans en masse.

The gun is a significant, recurring symbol in the novel. What does it symbolize?

The gun is symbolic of many things in the narrative. It is used to symbolize the foolishness and futility of Macon’s activism and his misguided attempts to be a speaker for the oppressed. It also represents hate and violence as it is the preferred tool of thugs and unjust police enforcers. It is also a symbol of power clumsily and thoughtlessly wielded—a perfect metaphor for how Macon approaches the complex issue of race relations in America.