POST: Write a 200-word minimum response to the prompt below. Due by Monday, 11/28, 10 pm.
RETURN by Tuesday, 11/29, 10 pm to comment on two other posts.
PROMPT: This section is very revealing in terms of the themes of "the black body" and "the struggle." Select one of those themes and focus your response on analyzing and explaining what Coates means by that theme, or what his purpose is in creating/using that theme.
The Black Body: I've never heard anyone refer to racist acts with such emphasis on the body. Coates seems to be making a point about the actual, concrete, physical effects of racism on the body. Look closely at Coates' references to the body in the section where he's talking about the situation when the white woman pushed his son. What does he achieve by emphasizing the body, or the physical threat, in that situation? What do you think his point is in emphasizing the body?
The Struggle: What does Coates by mean by "the struggle"? What is it? He is creating a new definition of that idea in the book (for example, he doesn't mean struggle in the same sense as "I was struggling to find my keys"), so read closely and try to understand what he means by it. How does it relate to "the Dream"? How does it relate to his emphasis on questioning and inquiry?
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