Genre
An anthology
Setting and Context
The events in the story take place in America
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narration
Tone and Mood
In story prevails optimistic tone, the questions of highly importance are discussed
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of the story is the "New American Negro," in the author's terminology, and the antagonist is American society which is not ready to accept him
Major Conflict
The major conflict stands in contradiction between the Negro and society
Climax
Climax happens when the archetypal New American Negro’s spiritual life begins to change
Foreshadowing
The race discrimination foreshadows that a modern African American will face some difficulties on his way to acknowledgment
Understatement
In the story the role of social stereotypes is understated
Allusions
The story alludes to the literature books about slavery, historical events (Civil War and Reconstruction).
Imagery
See the Imagery section.
Paradox
The paradox of the story is that although a designated black person wanted to be perceived in society, sometimes his behavior was quite anti-social.
Parallelism
The story has parallels with race discrimination, cultural development, and spiritual revolution of the person.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The author uses metonymy and synecdoche to highlight the pitch of the utterance: “fundamentally changed Negro”, “a race more in a name than in fact.”
Personification
The author uses personification dramatizing the effect of the utterance: “white opinion” “grip of prejudice.”
