In The Book, What Does The Sambo Doll Represent

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Another significant object mentioned throughout the novel is that of the Sambo doll. This specific doll, which was even referenced in the aforementioned Battle Royal scene, was described as a “grinning doll” that performed “infuriatingly sensuous motion”, which was “detached from the black, mask-like face” (Ellison 431). Much like the bank, this particular doll represents an increasingly racist view of African Americans. As I mentioned in my reading journal, “the doll symbolizes the way in which the White community feels as if they can control and utilize African American individuals for any purpose they see fit.” Although mentioned many times before, the Narrator doesn’t actually encounter the dolls themselves until he sees a distinct member

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