John Coates's Between The World A Me

Between the World an Me perfectly delivers a message on race, racism, oppression, education, and slavery. Coates covers a lot of different topics in this book. He often uses real life stories to raise questions on certain issues in America. Coates tells this story to his son and the audience. Coates starts out in Baltimore, educates himself at Howard University, and forms a family in New York. Coates living experiences definitely shape the way he viewed society. Coates grew up in Baltimore and at the time this was the only place he knew about. Everyone he grew up with was black and dangerously afraid. He felt like his everyday life was so different than those living the Dream. Here, is where Coates tries to figure out how he can live

The format of this book is a letter to Coates’s son and it is divided into three parts. Although this is meant to be a letter to his son, Coates uses some very complex and advanced language that can be hard to understand for a fifteen-year-old boy. However, I think the way this book was written definitely helps get the powerful message across. The personal aspect helps understand how gender, class, and race impact everyday experiences. Coates tells his son many different stories, some in which are very harsh. There are also times where Coates directly tries to reconnect with his son. For instance he uses phrases like, “Have I told you this before.” Coates shows his emotional and loving side to his son and wife. He understands that their lives aren’t necessarily the same, but they are both black living in a society created by the Dreamers. Overall, his bold and passionate language appropriately delivers his message on life in America as a black boy and man. This book tells the truth and nothing less. Coates keeps it real with his son at all times. He even tells his son that tough love is needed between him and son. He rather beat his own son than the police. This analogy is one of several that Coates uses to talk about oppression in America. Coates style can also be seen as very informative, he is telling is son everything he learned at the Mecca and his readings. He believes that school systems don’t necessarily tell children everything and doesn’t allow children to raise questions on particular issues. For instance, why were all the black heroes that he learned about always