Reconsidering vulnerability, history, and our postmodern condition in Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys
This paper analyzes Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys (2019) by exploring the consequences of an uneven distribution of vulnerability in relation to both historical and contemporary contexts. This study emphasizes the significance of this depiction in comprehending the enduring effects of raci...
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Published in | Orbis litterarum Vol. 79; no. 6; pp. 563 - 575 |
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Main Author | |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
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01.12.2024
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Abstract | This paper analyzes Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys (2019) by exploring the consequences of an uneven distribution of vulnerability in relation to both historical and contemporary contexts. This study emphasizes the significance of this depiction in comprehending the enduring effects of racial oppression and institutional disparities. This means that while all humans are inherently vulnerable, systemic inequalities make some people more vulnerable and less protected than others. Whitehead depicts the experiences of the young black boys at the Nickel Academy as heightening their vulnerability, the more they embrace resistance. The novel points to the notion that political structures not only establish hierarchies and inequalities among individuals but also place them in a position of inherent vulnerability, judged by preconceived notions of permanent inferiority and inequality. Ultimately, Whitehead depicts vulnerability as a method of uncovering the truth and fighting for justice by giving voice to the black perspectives that have been marginalized and silenced throughout history. |
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AbstractList | This paper analyzes Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys (2019) by exploring the consequences of an uneven distribution of vulnerability in relation to both historical and contemporary contexts. This study emphasizes the significance of this depiction in comprehending the enduring effects of racial oppression and institutional disparities. This means that while all humans are inherently vulnerable, systemic inequalities make some people more vulnerable and less protected than others. Whitehead depicts the experiences of the young black boys at the Nickel Academy as heightening their vulnerability, the more they embrace resistance. The novel points to the notion that political structures not only establish hierarchies and inequalities among individuals but also place them in a position of inherent vulnerability, judged by preconceived notions of permanent inferiority and inequality. Ultimately, Whitehead depicts vulnerability as a method of uncovering the truth and fighting for justice by giving voice to the black perspectives that have been marginalized and silenced throughout history. |
Author | Aqeeli, Ammar |
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Cites_doi | 10.1017/hyp.2021.25 10.1093/alh/ajs046 10.1215/9780822373490-001 10.1093/melus/mlz010 10.1215/9780822373490-002 10.1177/019372397021004003 10.1215/08992363-7-1-77 10.2307/2954388 10.4324/9781315631653 10.5749/minnesota/9780816695263.001.0001 10.4324/9780203358856 10.1215/00382876-9561531 10.4324/9781315632919 |
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RelatedPersons | Whitehead, Colson (1969- ) |
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SubjectTerms | incarceration justice neoliberalism paternalism vulnerability Whitehead, Colson (1969- ) |
Title | Reconsidering vulnerability, history, and our postmodern condition in Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys |
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