Sarah's African American Literature Blog

“Like the good Reverend King I too “have a dream,” But when I wake up I forget it and Remember I’m running late for work.” The final words of R ö lf Kaufman linger in the reader’s ears as they finish the novel. Gunnar’s father who has not played a significant role in his son’s life, or his audience’s experience, for that matter, ends the novel so dramatically, leaving the reader with a vague understanding of Beatty’s thesis. The Kaufmann family history is excessively degrading but when told by Gunnar, has several humorous aspects that may cause the reader to laugh. Laughter is an important theme of the novel, and the question of whether Gunnar has continued the role as an entertainer as his family lineage has predestined him to is prevalent throughout the novel. Now it appears that for the first time, the audience has an inside look into his father’s thoughts. His father works for the LAPD as a police officer but also poses as a sort of reference for identifying criminal

“I’m no fucking Tiki doll, no fucking icon. (…) It’s not fair. I wasn’t born to make them happy.” During Scoby’s meltdown, he recounts all the times he has been revered as a god, by his fans. However, Nick doesn’t want the pressure and he does not appreciate being a sort of mascot, barely acknowledged as human. The burden of perfection isn’t necessarily what causes him to crack, rather he fears the consequences of his “gift”. As Gunnar puts it, “The worst thing he can do is perform well. Because then there is no turning back.” Especially for African Americans, if they are exceptional in some way, they are used as part of a show or entertainment. Similarly, Gunnar’s role at his old school was the funny, cool, black guy, and although he may not have been the butt of the joke, like his father, he was still there to entertain. The White Boy Shuffle reminded me of the film Do the Right Thing , which we have been discussing in Race, Class, Gender. Especially relating to Scoby’s talent,