Essay on “On Being Crazy” by W.E.B. DuBois
African American authors of the twentieth century bring to us an era of discrimination, and transformation of United States, in a poignant and funny style. Their stories and novels are a reflection of the society that has seen deep racial prejudices and confusing principles that were in charge. Out of many authors of the kind, W.E.B.DuBois was prominent for being the first African American PhD holder from Harvard University, and the first to document black demography. His writings recall the duality of African Americans – one an American and the other a Negro. This paper tries to dwell into one of his short stories “On Being Crazy” and understand the conceptual differences that existed during those times. It also supports the humor that goes in his writings, and highlights the mastery in striking it close to the heart.
“On Being Crazy” opens with the statement that he was hungry and was seeking a place to sit and eat. On a routine day, that was not a strange request but it was a day of the early twentieth century. During those times, American slavery was abolished but the mindset of whites had not changed. They did not wish to share a table with a ‘nigger’ a term used to address black people. No matter what the black person might be in real life – a professor, a teacher or a manager he was still a ‘nigger.’
Then he goes to a theater to listen to music. His neighbor seat woman says that it is social equality to sit beside her and she does not want it. She acts as though he is an untouchable. The black man says that he wants music and probably music would like him to hear it too. The usher supports the black man’s stance by saying it is not social equality but Beethoven’s music. There is hidden humor in the usher’s tone that tickles us. The term ‘social equality’ is used very loosely to show that everyone is aware of it but still did not want it.
The travelogue continues when he goes to the hotel where he sent his luggage. That goes to say that the luggage was accepted without knowing the owner. On looking at the black owner, the clerk rejects to give a bed to him. Weary tone of the black man sets in but his sense of humor is not lost yet. He thinks that the ‘white hotel’ needs a lot of work to look white. All he wanted was rest but he finds that it is a question of social equality again. The clerk says that ‘we don’t want social equality’. ‘We’ here could mean the hotel management and people like him. The black man also does not want social equality but just a bed to sleep. Not finding a place to rest the black man walks to the train station.
He wishes to rent a sleeper for couple of nights. The train station clerk cannot sell a sleeper to him because it is Texas. ‘They’ consider it social equality. The black man thinks it is barbarism. The story does not refer to the characters in person or by their names but just sentences flow to indicate conversation. Left with no choice and being rejected everywhere the black man decides to walk. The situational comedy indicates how inhuman people can be to a black person, even though he seeks simple things of his day – food, relaxation, and rest. Standing back from them when approached, not sharing tables, theater seats, water fountains, trains, or buses are so ingrained into the white people that resistance to change is evident. Ill-treating people based on skin color was so rampant that it takes many decades, and generations to overcome such prejudices.
Continuing our story, we come back to the black man walking on the street and he finds that a man jumped off to the other side of the road. Conversation strikes between them. The wayfarer is walking on the other muddy side because he thinks ‘niggers’ are dirty to walk with. ‘Nigger’ is term used when his grandfather was alive indicating that it has survived past two generations and yet persists. By this time, the black man’s patience is wearing thin. He rebukes the white man that he is also dirty, and ignorant. He tries to be pleasant too by agreeing that blacks and white should work together to vote out the starvation. Blacks cannot vote because they are ignorant, says the white man. The final stroke comes out of the white man’s mouth that he does not want his sister to marry a black. The climax discussion is funny again because marriage between black and white was unacceptable during those times. However, there was no probability of this back man marrying the white man’s sister it just ticks off the white man. Every alternate sentence the white man repeatedly tries to prove that he is a ‘nigger’ and that is why. They both agree that they are crazy.
Conclusion:
What plagued the society was the inter-racial mix. White people were and are the majority in the population. They came from different countries, mostly European. Their skins are lighter and so there was camaraderie amongst them. African American people were brought into the country as slaves. For centuries, they remained without education, money, or status in the society. They were set free to live and work in the places of their choice after abolishing slavery. Southern states of United States like Texas remained racially prejudiced to the blacks because slavery was rampant in these parts. The black freedom was ridiculed by the whites and ignorance about equality continued for many decades.
This short story is a true reflection of those turbulent times when were people coming to grasps with the changing reality. The black man in the story, the protagonist sees himself both as a liberated American as well as is aware of his ancestry. He gives up discussion with the wayfarer because it is not leading to any logical conclusion. The white man is bent upon convincing him that ‘niggers’ are dirty, ignorant, and cannot marry white women. In most cultures across the world inter racial marriages are discouraged despite the modern thinking. The author of the twentieth century DuBois is not too far from us, the modern people when he points us in this direction. He brings to us the cultural milieu and the confusing scenarios faced by the protagonist. Despite his patience and humor he faces discrimination and name calling. Common people do not consider whites and blacks as equals and so social equality remains a joke. DuBois needs to be applauded for the humor and subtle ways used in conveying a serious problem that rides the society.
