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Jackson As A Son In Emancipation Day By Wayne Boyd

1073 Words5 Pages

The 1940’s was defined as a time of segregation, meaning that growing up as a person of colour during the 1940’s was extremely difficult. However, the book Emancipation Day written by Wayne Grady ,sheds light on the perspective of a light skinned young man named Jackson Lewis who is born into an African American family that is black. Throughout the novel, William Henry who is the father of Jackson Lewis, is in extreme disbelief that Jackson is his son. The author conveys the development of William’s character by attempting to get him to accept that Jackson is his child despite the fact that his skin tone differs from his own. We see his growth when we see him try to stop isolating him since Jackson is born to William trying to help Jackson …show more content…

Doesn’t he have a middle name? Never mind my father Jack said. We’re talking about me”(Grady 100). It is evident that Jackson doesn't want to talk about his father even to his wife.Vivian and Jackson have been married for some time now and she desperately wants to meet his family she asks Jackson to take her to Windsor Jack responds by saying“ you’re snow white, he said, stopping and you want to meet the seven dwarves( Grady 100).This quotation shows and also proves that Jackson doesn't see his family as important people to him because him referring to his coloured family as the seven dwarfs and his white wife Vivian as snow white implies that he sees his family as the help. Jackson is trying to isolate himself and his wife from going to windsor so that vivian won’t see that his family is coloured. Jackson does not show much growth but we do get to see how William grew through Jackson's eyes “he saw Benny go down, big as he was, and the old man still on his feet, arms flailing, fending off blows… he saw his father search through the sea of white faces, saw his eyes find his own, light up momentarily and then turn away.Jack watched as his father went slack, dropping his arms and letting himself be pummelled by the crowd”(Grady 148), It is evident that when William saw his son and knew he was safe he was overcome with relief and saw no point in fighting off the crowd any longer he dropped his arms and accepted the beating William doing that show that he loves his son and only wants to protect

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