Themes: Clay as a Stereotype of the Black Intellectual
Clay too is a stereotype—a black intellectual caught up in a conflict between his cerebral attraction to the traditions of white culture and his deeper, racial connection to black ethnic culture. This doubleness paralyzes his ability to undertake rebellious action. The only recourse he sees is to lead a false existence that at least leaves him alive. The artificiality and self-consciousness of Clay’s performance have protected him, but when his guard is weakened by Lula’s sexual fantasies and he is goaded into self-revelation by her condescending accusations, he makes himself vulnerable by asserting his humanity. When Clay angrily contradicts Lula’s simplistic notions, she destroys him to protect the stereotypes with which she controls her world.
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