Can You Expect Anything From White People?
One theme that I've found extremely interesting in Angry Black White Boy is the idea that Macon seems to latch onto, even to embody as Book II ends: you cannot expect anything from white people. As a premise, I understand the argument Macon is making. His argument is that white people are so steeped in their privilege that they can never truly become invested in racial issues and can never contribute to a solution. I think the details of his life seem to point to that argument - the image of young Macon walking down the streets of his suburb while all the white people watch the Rodney King riots on their TVs placidly shaking their heads is a good supporting anecdote for him, and I think Macon is right to be angry that other white people aren't angrier. After seeing this behavior in many different manifestations (like the Day of Apology) I can understand his argument.
On the other hand, just for pragmatic reasons, it seems like he should expect something from white people, and that he does expect something at least from himself. If white people don't expect anything from ourselves, they won't try. It is because Macon expects that he can gain approval from black people that he works towards racial justice - that's not a great reason to work towards racial justice, but it at least shows that Macon thinks that he is capable of more than the white devil is, even though he says he is a white devil in public. Like Fing always says, if you truly don't expect anything, you won't try. That is where Macon leaves us at the end of Book II: he has failed himself, ultimate proof that he cannot expect anything from white people, and that there is no point in trying to fix issues of race because they are fundamentally unsolvable to him.
So, how do we read the ending in this context? The ending, the way I read it, really complicates this argument. The way I see it, Macon's refusal to die for the cause is what he needed in the first place - he needed to correct his expectations of himself. Macon's inflated sense of justice, his overestimation of himself, causes the Day of Apology to go awry. Macon refuses to truly acknowledge the racism that lives within himself - he says he sees it, but he admits that if he looked in his "heart of heart of hearts" he would see a part of himself he hated. I really do believe that Macon wants to end racial injustice, but he's going about it in questionable ways caused by his refusal to accept his own racism. That's why I think that his statement "No," he will not die for the cause, right before he is dead, can be read as a huge step. He finally understands that he is the white devil, and his contributions to race, had he lived, might have been meaningful, because they would have been honest.
That's how I read the ending. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think that Macon is right to flame white people. And he wouldn't flame them if he didn't expect something from them. And I think white people should expect a lot from themselves. I also think that white people should acknowledge that racism has been built into us. I am racist, and I hate it, and I want to contribute to the solution. I also think white people should be angry about race. In that respect, I think Macon definitely had it right. But there are many times when Macon was definitely wrong. Macon is an extremely confusing character, and I really am at a loss for what to get out of this book other than a pleading reminder to explore the parts of myself that I don't like instead of trying to pretend they don't exist.
What do you think, how do you read Macon's refusal to die for his cause? How do you read this book, honestly?
On the other hand, just for pragmatic reasons, it seems like he should expect something from white people, and that he does expect something at least from himself. If white people don't expect anything from ourselves, they won't try. It is because Macon expects that he can gain approval from black people that he works towards racial justice - that's not a great reason to work towards racial justice, but it at least shows that Macon thinks that he is capable of more than the white devil is, even though he says he is a white devil in public. Like Fing always says, if you truly don't expect anything, you won't try. That is where Macon leaves us at the end of Book II: he has failed himself, ultimate proof that he cannot expect anything from white people, and that there is no point in trying to fix issues of race because they are fundamentally unsolvable to him.
So, how do we read the ending in this context? The ending, the way I read it, really complicates this argument. The way I see it, Macon's refusal to die for the cause is what he needed in the first place - he needed to correct his expectations of himself. Macon's inflated sense of justice, his overestimation of himself, causes the Day of Apology to go awry. Macon refuses to truly acknowledge the racism that lives within himself - he says he sees it, but he admits that if he looked in his "heart of heart of hearts" he would see a part of himself he hated. I really do believe that Macon wants to end racial injustice, but he's going about it in questionable ways caused by his refusal to accept his own racism. That's why I think that his statement "No," he will not die for the cause, right before he is dead, can be read as a huge step. He finally understands that he is the white devil, and his contributions to race, had he lived, might have been meaningful, because they would have been honest.
That's how I read the ending. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think that Macon is right to flame white people. And he wouldn't flame them if he didn't expect something from them. And I think white people should expect a lot from themselves. I also think that white people should acknowledge that racism has been built into us. I am racist, and I hate it, and I want to contribute to the solution. I also think white people should be angry about race. In that respect, I think Macon definitely had it right. But there are many times when Macon was definitely wrong. Macon is an extremely confusing character, and I really am at a loss for what to get out of this book other than a pleading reminder to explore the parts of myself that I don't like instead of trying to pretend they don't exist.
What do you think, how do you read Macon's refusal to die for his cause? How do you read this book, honestly?
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