Essay Questions

What is the main satire throughout the book ‘Sellout’ by Beatty?

The book introduces the narrator and his father living in a small, poor village. The narrator's father is a societal scientist, and his primary job is advising and helping people get out of poverty. The narrator's father succeeds in helping his neighbors to live a better life. Ironically, the narrator and his father live below the poverty line, and they even lack basic needs. The reader finds it sardonic that the narrator's father can improve other people's lives but fail to upgrade his life and that of his son.

How does the author build the theme of racial discrimination?

The narrator and his father are black, living among the white community. The blacks are discriminated against in almost every aspect of life. For instance, the blacks live in small, poor villages because they are segregated and denied access to better opportunities. The worst part of this discrimination is the brutality directed towards blacks because they are always accused of criminal activities. The narrator's father is fatally injured when shot by the whites. The narrator says that the likelihood of a black person being shot recklessly is high.

What is the figurative meaning of the small town the narrator lives in when growing up?

The small village the narrator lived with his father while growing up is called Dickens, a small town in Los Angeles. Then as the narrator becomes an adult, the small town starts to vanish, and it completely disappears with time. The signs welcoming people to the town are no longer visible. The small town is symbolic because it represents the gradual transition of black Americans to the westernized culture. The narrator says that he is no longer living as a black man but as an American in all aspects.