Yuwei Shang

Prof. Jiyon

Writing 39B

26 Oct. 2019

The usage of ‘black body’ in the book Between the World and Me

Ta-Neshisi, who is a famous black writer and reporter valus issues among culture,

society and politic. He wrote a letter to his fifteen-year-old son and published it as a

book. The book gain lots of attention and was important in the theme of ethnicity. The

book is popular for it address the social issue directly and use appropriate words allow

audience from all age and color to read. ‘Black bodies’ been used as a metonymy for

black people throughout the book. It is not only an expression of black community as a

group, but also a strong way to present various emotions to audiences enable them to

have a stronger connection with the book’s context.

Coates use ‘black bodies’ to strengthen the nature beauty and strength inside black

bodies. ‘Coates probes at the collective identity associated with the black body in

America and how this informs personal identity.’(Zoe) Coates use metaphor saying the

black bodies are ‘selves’ (79), the selves belong and can be discretionary by it’s owner.

By using selves, Coates emphasis the importance of the dominance of one’s body and

foreshadowing the damage society can build upon blacks. Coates also connect spiritual to

physical by present the ‘soul’ as ‘voltage conducted through neurons and nerves’, and

‘spirit’ as ‘flesh’ (79). Because Coates was writing to his son, due to the young age of
Samori, when the connection was built between a substance (body) and fabricated (soul),

it will be easier for Samori to acknowledge the message from his father. It is also

fundamental to let his son have the awareness of the beauty of ‘black bodies.’, since

Samori already discover the disadvantage of having black skin through the news reports

on media. Once Samori appreciate the black bodies, he will feel intense regret when he

see the damage upon black bodies. ‘Black is beautiful- which is to say that the black body

is beautiful, that black hair must be guarded against the torture of processing and lye, that

black skin must be guarded bleach, that our nose and mouths must be protected against

modern surgery.’ by describing different parts of a black, Samori can realize that the

richness of nature beauty inside the black bodies which is given by the mother earth.

Coates emphasis the identity of black, let Samori considers black people as a group and

show the unite among blacks.

The sovereign rights of one’s body is a representative figure of blacks’ pollical rights

and the right to control their own life, Coates use the expression of black bodies as an

alarm to the ‘Dreamers’ how they treated blacks. ‘Either I can beat him or the police.’

(16) by directly quoting from Coates’ father, Coates illustrate parents’ thoughts of taking

over of their children’s body, showing that the right of control their children’s body

shifting from police to parents. White audience can sense the importance of control, even

beat, of one’s body. Coates also use metaphor to show the powerless of parents by saying

‘our parents resorted to the lash the way flagellants in the plague years resorted to the

scourge.’ White readers can understand how black parents feeling in the situation and
reflect how they cruelly serve blacks in the past. ‘This is a war for the possession of his

body and that would be the war of his whole life.’ (18) Coates emphasis the importance

of the control power of one’s body and see it as a ‘war’. ‘War’ is competing and full of

violence, as well as the struggle for black to have the acquisition of control of their own

body and thoughts. The oppressive truth white audience seen in the context evoke their

commiseration toward blacks who fights for their body rights. In Coates’ opinion, black

bodies represent as a fundamental right of a human as well as the asset a human owned.

By describing the stress and violence he faced in his life, Coates try to let white audience

to acknowledge his rage toward the regulation.

Coates also connect his black audience by using "black body" as ideologies to

explore the diverse definitions of dignity. By describing how black bodies was treated:

‘frisking, detainings, beatings and humiliations.’ (9) Coates arouse the resentment from

black readers and force them to face the painful memory caused by ‘Dreamers’. Coates

also pointed out that the destruction of one’s body is the highest form of control. By

saying ‘the destroyers are merely men enforcing the whims of our country, correctly

interpreting its heritage and legacy.’ Coates critic the policy of current government build

in the society. Coates ask black readers to image these ‘destroyers’, reconsidering what

extent a human can reach (due to his or her own experience) to the class, race and power,

shows police brutality and the murder of unarmed blacks repeatlly to intensify the

inequality happened among black people. Coates reveal the truth and the reveal reasons

behind cruel incident. Coates also claim ‘the plunder of black life’ as ‘a default
setting’(111) it’s like a long-established rule of whites to do whatever they want to

blacks. Reminds blacks to review history and how two races interact from years ago to

the present, showing that the difference and conflicts between whites and blacks are not

formed in a short amount of time.

Coates refer whites as ‘dreamers’ to show his disagreements to the common

understanding of ‘American dream’ and alert white audience to recognize the true

atmosphere they’re live in. Broadly speaking, ‘American dream’ is the concept that:

based on the equality and the freedom of the country, anyone who makes great effort to

achieve his or her goal, he or her will achieve prosperity in America. Coates by distorting

the concept by saying: ‘For so long I have wanted to escape into the Dream, to fold my

country over my head like a blanket. But this has never been an option because the

Dream rests on our backs, the bedding made from our bodies.’ (11) Coates introduce his

concept and expiations of dream, emphasizing the dream is an exaggerated delusion

between whites. In the letter, ‘those family’ refers to the whites’ families who live in the

delusion of a prefect society and continue with their life. Coates denounce his whites’

readers of not questioning the consequence of do not recognize the reality and the moral

they ignore which exists in society. Coates envy and sympathy of whites live in their

dream for they are not seeing the real side of the world, ‘dreamers’ are not free,

‘dreamers’ are still live in their tales they’ve build. The ‘dreamers’ are not having the

fully contact with the world. There are disagreements among the white readers: ‘Is it a

mistake that many of us live in orderly suburbs, attend safe schools, and maintain our
wealth? Is it a mistake that we have been trained since birth to believe that we are white

based on specific physical characteristics?’(Christopher) Christopher take Coates’ word

personally and disagree with similarlize all white people.

Throughout the book, Coates express his doubt toward incorrect ideas and simplified

answerers. To Coates, no matter how the real world miserable, as long as he cannot face

the true world, he cannot live free. He wants his idea pass though his son which is the

primary purpose of the book. To some extent, this book is also a letter to white and black,

to warn people do not live in the ‘dream’ without realizing the truth.