A skin color (symbol)
A skin color is a symbol of a distinction between people. The narrator mentions the idea of “the next greatest generation” several times. Its representatives are supposed to be prejudice-free, understanding, compassionate. However, it doesn’t seem to work. A skin color is still as important as it used to be. The protagonist can’t even count how many times he has heard the word “nigger” and other color-related insults. References to “Brown,” “white,” “half-breed” children continue that terrible tradition of passing down prejudices.
A book of poems (Allegory)
“A book of poems” that is written by the protagonist himself is allegory of his inner world, his soul. He knows that he is “damaged” and it is not an easy task for him to talk about everything that has happened to him in the past and continues to haunt him. Finally, he finds a way to express his thoughts, but the problem is that people don’t want to know anything about this aspect of his life. They say that his poems are “dark,” too frightening and depressing.
Damage (motif)
The protagonist is afraid that he is “too damaged.” “In the margins of the yellow pad” he writes down titles for the story, so called “unholy trinities: Drunk, Black, and Stupid. Black, Broke and Stupid. Drunk, Black, and Blue.” The last “seems the best.” The whole story is the protagonist’s battle against himself and his inferiority complex.
