The other day in
class we were talking about why Gaines chose to include the section about Joe
Louis and Jackie Robinson. Although there were many explanations, I wanted to
continue the conversation on the blogs because I found it really interesting.
My personal take:
Growing up we see that Grant didn’t have a true mentor (at least not that we
know of). We sorta talked about how the previous professor could have been a
mentor-like figure however Grant didn’t actually take his advice. Grant did the
opposite of what the previous professor wanted from his students and
consequently he hated Grant the most. Personally, I felt very dissatisfied in
calling the professor a mentor figure for Grant. So, when we read the chapter
about Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson shortly after the chapter with Grant’s old
professor, I was more satisfied. This section in the book is the first time in
the book (correct me if I’m wrong but I couldn’t think of another time) where
we see successful African Americans and their hero’s journeys. When reading
Grant’s narration on Joe Louis, I want to believe that he was Grant’s role
model and mentor-like figure while growing up. If this is the case, I hope to see
the topic/discussion of Joe Louis again when Grant is going through the climax
of his hero’s journey.
Another point to
add: This section is right after Grant’s first visit alone with Jefferson.
Grant is feeling frustrated and helpless because he isn’t sure how to approach Jefferson
or even what end goal to look for. That is why he goes to the bar, where he
finds these men talking about Jackie Robinson. The fact that Joe Louis comes up
in Grant’s mind in his “darkest hour” shows that he holds some significance in
the Grant’s life and hopefully later in the story. As for Jackie Robinson, could
he be the role model to Jefferson? Is this a crazy theory? I don’t know I hope
that these heroes make another appearance later in the novel to tie it
together.
Nice observation. Louis and Robinson might be the closest to "mentors" in the timeline of the book, giving him a little boost in motivation to break through Jefferson's abrasive personality - "crossing the first threshold".
ReplyDeleteI see some strong connections between the way Grant thinks about Robinson and Louis as "heroes" in this section, and the way he soon after describes what it means for Jefferson to be a "hero." There is something undeniably heroic and inspirational about the journeys these two famous figures have undergone, and Robinson in particular is often talked about (justifiably so) in heroic terms. When Grant is explaining to Jefferson how his actions can reverberate in the wider community, and that it's vital for him to assert his dignity and humanity in the face of racist dehumanization, thereby delegitimizing that racism, I can't help but think of Jackie Robinson asserting his own humanity through the way he *ignored* all the racist vitriol that he faced every time he took the field. In both cases, there's the physical achievement (stealing home; walking to the electric chair), but it gains its meaning by the WAY the hero comports himself while doing it.
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