It was the best time for both the authors to express their views concerning the challenges that was experienced by the African American who lived in the United States. In the introductory part of the book “The Dreams of My Father.” The author uses composite character, pseudonyms and events that resulted from chronological order, most of which is about his family (Obama, Barack, 13).
He tries to explain the black American feelings and emotions that were experienced because of racial segregation, religion, and politics. On the other hand, Jack explains about the challenges of rare, religion and the civil rights for the Black American. Both authors are driven by the need to talk about the rights of the black American who were mostly deprived of their rights because of their skin color (Bloom, 12).
This paper is going to show some of the common themes written by both the authors as they expressed their feelings about some major themes that created inequality in America. Both the authors do campaign for equality among all the Americans without considering their background or the color. Some of the major themes that are discussed by both the authors includes; religion, race, colonialism and the family. The authors also talk about the movements created by the black Americans and some of the major reasons to why these movements were opposed. The class is also perceived to be a major challenge in both stories. At a point, both authors explain how the black students were forced to read the books that were written by the wealthy white men who were great achievers. They perceive that being black was being a major beneficiary of the white man's success.
Colonialism
The theme of colonialism has been deeply discussed by both authors. Jack talks about the experiences faced by the black Americans during his time. During the period, the Europeans had greatly dominated the African continent. Colonialism did not only take place in Africa, but also back in Americans. On the other hand, Obama explains about colonialism as he refers to the book “heart of darkness.” He explains that during this time, colonialism was at its heights (Bloom, 27).
The white had invaded the largest part of the African continent, including Kenya, which is the ancestral homeland to Obama. He recalls his father’s voice vividly as it is explained by the Kurtz voice, which is considered as the mysterious character in his book. Obama explains how his father visited him during a December holiday and brings him some gifts and a basketball. The father later goes to the school where Obama junior was schooling and a request for permission to address the students that were in the same class with his son.
The dad talks about colonialism in Africa by the British and the effects that it had caused. Another scene of colonialism is seen where Obama explains about his visit to Kenya, where his sister Auma who was one of his extended family in Kenya invited him. He goes to the place where his dad and the grandfather were laid to rest and he notes that his father is grave, which was under a mango tree, did not have his father’s name. He tries to draw some parallel lines between the indefinable and elusive qualities that were shown by his farther and Kurtz (Obama, Barack, 117).
Race Relations
The theme of race is widely explored by both Jack and Obama in their respective books. In the book, “Class, Race and Civil Right Movements”, the author explains the challenges that were experienced by the blacks in between the period of the 1950s and 1960s. He explains that race relations were greatly determined by the class, sociology and the struggles that were made by the black Americans. The social dynamics was one of the key determinants of the race relations. (Bloom, 122).
Obama explains the challenges he faced after he returned to America from Indonesia. He is admitted into a Whiteman school. He explains how the other students produced “monkeys sound in class as he answered questions in class”. Most of the conversation that takes place in between his friends and him were based on race.
He tried to assess what race meant and to be precisely what it meant to be black. The author expresses anger in the book when he recalls one of his white friends stating that he knew how a black person feels when he attends a party and finds that the number of black people is outnumbered in a party. (Obama, 144).
In conclusion, both the authors tries to explain the effcts and the challenges that was experienced by the African American through the themes of colonialisim and race.obama gives this views and feelings on a personal level as he is one of the many African americans that faced this challenges,jack explains ways in which the themes were shown and how African American struggled in fighting for equality.
Works Cited
Bloom, Jack M. Class, Race, and the Civil Rights Movement. Bloomington: Indiana University
Press, 1987. Print.
Obama, Barack. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. New York: Crown
Publishers, 2004. Internet resource.
