Summary Of Between The World And Me

The American Dream embodies the belief that anyone, regardless of their ethnicity or class, can attain success through hard work, determination, and initiative. However, some believe that the American Dream excludes those who suffered and struggled in order to make the American Dream a reality for others. Ta-Nehisi Coates, the author of Between the World and Me, discusses the idea of democracy and the American Dream regarding African Americans and institutional racism. The author displays an effective framework to better understand our nation’s history and crises. He explores the discrimination African Americans experience. James Baldwin, an author and activist for African American rights, discusses similar concepts in his debate against William

F. Buckley at Cambridge University in 1965. Reservation Blues, written by Sherman Alexie, examines the lives of Native Americans and their oppression in modern American society. Each of the following texts provide insight on the concept of democracy and the American Dream’s effect on minority groups.
Written in the form of a letter, Between the World and Me discusses the author’s response to his fifteen-year-old son, Samori, who seeks for a better understanding of racial discrimination as he finds it difficult to come to terms with a society that refuses to guarantee the freedoms that others take for granted. This epistolary style makes an effective argument, as one can relate with Coates and his reasoning because of the pathos invoked by his connection with his son. Coates attempts to answer Samori’s questions by sharing a story of his awakening to the truth through a series of personal experiences. Notably, the book does not address white people specifically, as this causes a particular filtration of ideas when discussing race to the general public. Although Coates is frequently compared to Baldwin, he emphasizes the cyclical permanence of racial injustice in America and the dangers of believing in the American Dream as an African American to his son, Samori. Although Coates does not encourage Samori to utilize his power and potential to believe in the possibility of a revolutionary change, the publication of the novel implies his hope of inspiring thought—greater conversation and change.
The United States follows a democratic system of government, where one Nation [stands] indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all”. However, this statement, found in the Pledge of Allegiance of America, does not apply to all of its citizens. Recent events dealing with the police force and institutionalized racism against black people depict Coates’ following statement: “In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body—it is heritage” (Coates 103). In this passage, Coates explains how the death of Prince Jones was not solely caused by the police force, but induced by the general ideals of American society. He believes that discrimination is ingrained in our society, and this ideology factored into Jones’ death. Coates explains how “[he] knew that Prince was not killed by a single officer so much as he was murdered by his country and all the fears that have marked it from birth” (Coates 78). Although the American Dream calls for a better life with enhanced protection, the corruption in the police force instills a fear among African Americans countering the American Dream and democracy. To achieve their American Dream, European immigrants implemented black slave labor to become successful. According to Coates, the American Dream promoted continued discrimination against African Americans. Coates discusses a “fear” throughout his novel, relating to an experience of a lack of fair treatment. For example, Coates describes an exchange with the Prince George County police force, in which he explains it would be “Better to have been shot in Baltimore, where there was justice of streets” (Coates 76). The police force was so corrupt, that “The FBI opened multiple investigations” in regards specifically to the prejudice against African Americans, but “The police chief was rewarded with a prize” (Coates 76). This example of malfeasance supports Coates’ fears, in the sense that investigations in favor of African Americans were commonly overlooked.
In the Baldwin vs.

Buckley debate, Baldwin explains how the American Dream was built on the graves of black men. Baldwin inspires pathos in his audience when he shares the following illustration: “I picked the cotton, I carried it to the market, and I built the railroads under someone else’s whip for nothing” (Baldwin 21:55). Baldwin’s use of “I” in referring to the black slave labor creates a firm argument that induces the audience to associate the pain of slavery with James Baldwin. This link with slavery relates to the discussion of achieving the American Dream at the expense of minority groups. Most people believe that utilizing statistics in presentations give the largest impact on the reader, as these large numbers will stay in the minds of people. However, countless studies, such as the one conducted in University of California, show that stories are crucial in order to connect with strangers. Baldwin’s specific instance of pathos has a strong effect because he relates himself to the African American slaves—he assembles a personal connection to those who suffered for the American Dream. Hence, Baldwin sets up a very emotional and convincing

argument.
In Reservation Blues, the police of the Spokane Reservation play basketball against Samuel Builds-the-Fire and Lester, both of whom struggle with alcoholism. The officers play unfairly, claiming fouls by threatening Samuel and Lester by saying things like “That’s assaulting an officer…Good for a year in Tribal jail” (Alexie 116). The cops are headed by David WalksAlong, who represents the ways in which authority can be corrupt and misused—where people seek personal gain at the expense of their own people. This police force depicts the concept of hostility and power dynamics, as they threaten to use their maliciously use their power against Samuel and Lester. Additionally, the interaction displays the divide between the police force and their minority group, as they share threatening jokes instead of congenial ones. This corrupt police force and their unfairness can be related to the message in Between the World and Me—officers abuse their power against certain factions of our society.
The American Dream also encompasses the factors of education and the unequal opportunities found among different races.

In order to be successful, one must have a proper education. Coates explains this necessity throughout his novel. Coates feels that the primary public education provided to African Americans does not meet suitable standards and that “The classroom was a jail of other people’s interests” (Coates 48). Additionally, Coates required more than a classroom education in order to survive, as the streets of Baltimore were dangerous. The failure to properly understand and handle the streets would surely result in detrimental consequences. This form of training can make the difference between life and death in a given situation. In fact, “One-third of [Coates’] brain was concerned with [whom he] was walking to school with, the number of times [he] smiled…All of which is to say that [he] practiced the culture of the streets” (Coates 24). One may assume that the constant concern for the street took a toll on Coates’ education, as the fear of the streets preoccupied his mind. He explains in the following passage: “When our elders presented school to us, they did not present it as a place of high learning but as a means of escape from death and penal warehousing” (Coates 26). People in Coates’ situation are deprived of the chance to benefit from education due to the dangerous culture of the

streets.