b. What role does Shiny play in the novel?
Shiny plays as an intelligent young student who is kind of superior in what he does. Normally, this is uncommon and is treated as any different due to his intelligence Shiny exceeds to his best ability. The ex-colored man honors Shiny and sees him as being a unique individual of his race.
e. What is race? And how does Johnson’s novel of “passing” complicate the notion of ineluctable racial identity?
Race is a socially constructed category composed of people who share similar traits that members of a society consider important.
The ex-colored man is unsure about his racial identity. After failures of him achieving things and what blacks experienced, he noticed that it was not easy being a black man. In result, the ex-colored man decides to pass for white, making things for him easier, such as escaping. The ex-colored man tricked many people, but felt different as well; knowing what blacks went through. For example, the lynching scene, he couldn’t believe what he had seen. Still, as being closer to “a lighter skin complexion” he felt that he was more accepted to society and was very privileged.
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What role does the “lynching scene” play in the novel? Is it gratuitous? Explain.
The lynching scene in the novel is described as being an unforgettable sight. As it is unforgettable, the lynching is described as a gruesome act. As any other lynching that was done during the slavery era and in the South, the lynching that is described in the novel is about the same but a little worse. Yes, I think the lynching was gratuitous because the author states that his fate was very strong, giving the two men a reason to commit the