Essay Questions

How is the theme of perception discussed in the novel?

The theme of perception is central to narrative because the prejudice experienced by the black population is largely rooted in that: the perception of White Americans of African-Americans. This is particularly interesting because it is an autobiographical narrative written by an African-American human rights activist and Muslim minister during a time when the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak and racial tensions were at an all time high. The narrative presents two major perceptions of African-Americans by Whites in the US, both of which are formed by the author’s experiences growing up in America during the time of the Civil Rights Movement and during his indoctrination into Islam. The author presents the first perception wherein African-Americans are considered second class citizens and are denied access to opportunities to rise above their current status. The second perception is formed when the author undergoes his hadj and sees all manner of dark-skinned nationalities living in peace with various Caucasian races. He also notes the absence of these cohabiting nationalities as viewing themselves as either superior or inferior to the other. This experience tempers his previous vehemence towards Whites in America somewhat but doesn’t succeed in changing his stand on racial integration—a matter that the author sees as a futile activity.

What does the author compare the experience of growing up/having been born Black in America to?

The author likens the experience of being African-American in the US to being a child in the care of a manipulative parent. In a parent-child relationship a child’s dependence on their parent is the result of a child’s lack of capability to provide for himself/herself and is rooted in the parent’s love for the child. The author posits however that rather than a parent-child relationship based on love it is based on the desire to suppress the African-American people, much like an unloving, uncaring parent would create a system of dependency upon the care provided by them as a means of asserting dominance.

What does Fire symbolize in the novel?

Fire is a recurring image in the narrative and it is presented in both a positive and negative regard. The author recalls how his childhood home was burned down by white supremacists not too long after they had moved to another city. The author’s father also dies in a blaze. Fire in this context is seen as a destructive, harmful tool of fear and suppression in the hands of racist extremists. The author however also credits this fire as proof positive that the white supremacists view the black community as a threat because they are powerful and independent in their own regard—a force to be reckoned with, therefore a force to be put down.