I Versus We Theory is Hidden Everywhere

I Versus We Theory is Hidden Everywhere

Although each author gives him- or herself the goal to write a very unique piece of work, we the readers can see similarities amongst writings stretched over decades. Created characters, settings, and circumstances tend to change from one piece of work to the next, but themes, more often than not, all deal with the same everyday problems. These repeated themes are not by accident. Writers analyze what the public likes to read about. In fact, probably one of the most common themes is the I vs. We theory, which is simply the idea that people can change from being selfish into looking out for the whole group, such as a certain race, family, friends, or age group. Because the theme is so intense, it is usually found in novels, where there is plenty of room to express numerous examples to totally convince the readers that the main character has truly changed. By looking at J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, we can show how they, too, write about this transition, as does Sam Greenlee in The Spook Who Sat By the Door. Although these three novels were published over the span of three decades with varying cultural groups, they all illustrate the exact same issue.

The Spook Who Sat by the Door by Sam Greenlee shows the I vs. We theory by establishing the problem of one man, Dan Freeman, who is only concerned with his well-being, but unfair treatment of others turns him into a military hero. At first, in chapter two, Freeman concentrates primarily on his acceptance into the CIA. This selfish attitude is still portrayed in chapter five when the Dahomey Queen, a nearby hooker, is used for pleasure purposes only. In this same chapter, Joy, Freeman’s girlfriend, shows up and asks him to quit the CIA. Although he loves her, he refuses to give up his dream to be the only black employee in the CIA. The transition to the "We" phenomenon occurs in chapter eight when Freeman chooses to leave the CIA and decides to work as a social worker. The pay, as well as his social climbing, takes a fall, but his hunger to help others does an about-face.

A local gang keeps Freeman eager and energetic to fight for all blacks, not just for a few kids.