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Essay: The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, written by James Weldon Johnson, is a novel that portrays the complexity and paradox of American racial attitudes. ... So, “passing” as white the main character gets an apprenticing job in a cigar rolling factory in Jacksonville and lives his life as a white man in the south. ... The main character tells his millionaire friend, who quite possibly exerts the greatest influence of all on the “ex-colored man”, he would like to leave Europe and go back down to the south to integrate black culture into his music. He replies, “My boy, you are my blood, by appearance, by education and by tastes, a white man. ...
The main character makes one final decision about his race while “passing” for a white man. ... Ultimately, he decides that it is easier to masquerade as a white man within American society. Hopes, opportunities, dreams, and talents are more relevant for a white man.
Approximate Word count = 889
Approximate Pages = 3.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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