In this novel, James Weldon Johnson uses black language, but he is not renowned to the black culture. The protagonist of “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” by James Weldon Johnson has characteristics and habits of a white man. He is a black man, yet his skin is fair. He has adapted to the characteristics of the white man. He is an experienced musician whose social life evolves around white musicians, thus forsaking the black race.

The principal theme in the novel is the identity of race. It is associated with “blackness” in the music world. The protagonist holds tight to the American dream, which is sought by all men, and of all races. He has the hopes to move forward in his pursuit, unregulated by his color. However, he must “pass” as white in order to do this.

Because he “passes” and denies his heritage, he is therefore unable to find his identity. He is black, yet his skin appears white. Is he black or white? This is the inner battle and identity crisis he struggles with. Passing, although it is helpful in some ways is overall destructive. It creates a man without an identity. Passing sets standards, which say one cannot be both, black and white. By passing he has denied himself of his entire culture; he has become too involved with the white culture to be a part of his own.

In fact, the narrator grows up thinking that he is white until an incident in school. He didn’t know he was black until the principal asked all the white scholars to stand. When the narrator stood up with the white children, he was asked to sit down and to wait for the “others”. He did not understand. The white children jeered at him and said, “Oh you’re a nigger, too”(p7), the black children admitted, “we knew he was colored”. They all failed to realize that he was mixed. But during that time period, a person that had any Negro in his blood was considered to be one hundred percent black. As a young child he was unable to comprehend how he could be black when he looked white.

“Passing” is basically becoming white. Although he is a black man both by birth and birthright, his complexion is light enough, therefore he can be seen as a white man. His skin color is a paradox within itself. It is what saves him and also what curses him, at the same time. The protagonist is light enough that he does not fit in with the majority of the other blacks. Similarly, he is not dark enough to appear to be a Negroid. This lightness of color saves him because he is able to blend in with the other whites. This ability enables him to escape the harsh treatment blacks faced. Paradoxically, his skin color is also a curse, as blending with the whites causes him to lose his heritage.

of his skin. “It is difficult for a white man to learn what a colored man really thinks.”(p9) The narrator is thus “forced to take his outlook on all things, not from the viewpoint of a citizen, or a man, nor even of a human being, but from the viewpoint of a colored man.”(p9) The black man could only look at things from the viewpoint of being colored. He was colored and this made all the difference.

Some topics in this essay:
Weldon Johnson, Sometimes Negro, , black white, “pass” white, skin color, black culture, white black, black heritage, white children, preventing narrator’s ability, James Weldon, detrimental intermediary preventing, narrator’s ability identity, james weldon johnson, white person, passes white, black person, intermediary preventing narrator’s,