Macon: Hero or Antihero?

In Angry Black White Boy, Macon is certainly the main character. Is he, however, the hero?

There are many events in the story which can be identified as parts of the Campbell's hero's journey. For example, we can point to the LA riots as the call for Macon, and the interviews as tests for him. Although not every single part can be found, an argument can still be made that Macon generally fits the hero's journey story arc.

Although Macon structurally fits the hero's journey, and his intentions are good (to call out and get rid of whiteness), the way he goes about it isn't super appealing. Throughout the story, Macon does things that aren't very hero-like, some of which are things that a typical hero certainly wouldn't do (robbing people). Macon doesn't have great characteristics for a hero either. He's sexist, as seen in his interview with Kim Sheffield (the way he thinks about her etc.). Macon is also quite self-centered and entitled.

Macon's reaction to the white people's response to his beliefs are also quite inconsistent. When Crazy Chris calls in and talks in African American vernacular, Macon praises him and says that he "has potential." On the other hand, when Macon sees white people dressing up in traditional African American clothing, he doesn't like it at all. While both are appropriating black culture, Macon accepts one but not the other. We especially see this when Macon punches the 12 year old kid wearing blackface (a reaction that a stoic hero probably wouldn't do). These inconsistencies bring to question Macon's arrogance (he ignores behavior which is similar to his) and internal beliefs/intentions.

Having these things in mind, is Macon a hero? Or is an antihero? Or is he something completely different?

Separation Anxiety

One of the biggest challenges faced by Jack in his process of assimilating into society is his separation anxiety. Separation anxiety, the excessive fear or worry about separation from home or an attachment figure, is a normal stage for infants to go through as they learn about their relationships. Separation anxiety is normally self-treatable and is common amongst five-year-olds. Jack, however, isn't a "normal" kid (normal based on society). 

Jack has spent nearly every second of his life within 11 feet of his mother. Throughout the story, we've seen this separation anxiety from Jack. For example, when Ma is having her first shower, Jack is with her. At first, Jack doesn't want to get in the shower (an example of his disposition against change). When Ma gives up on getting Jack into the shower, she shuts the door so that the water doesn't leak out. Unable to see his mother, Jack panics and hits the door to get it open. In addition, he's also crying, showing the emotional turmoil he is going through (Donoghue 172). 

This separation anxiety will be something Jack needs to overcome in the future (ex. when he leaves for school, etc.). 

What's less obvious though, is Ma's separation anxiety from Jack. Although it isn't as obvious, there are some signs that Ma is extremely attached to Jack and worried about him. When they first arrive at the precinct, Ma asks for Jack to stay by her side the whole time. When her parenting is questioned, she gets defensive. When talking to her father, she says that "He's [Jack] the world to me," (Donoghue 226). 

Sure, Ma's separation anxiety isn't as bad as Jack's, but I believe it'll take time for her to become comfortable with Jack being independent. Up to the point we're at in the story, Ma has literally spent 5 years of her life taking care of Jack, and most importantly, protecting him from Old Nick. We see her become super protective of Jack whenever Old Nick is around, telling him not to touch Jack or look at Jack. She will almost certainly carry these protective instincts with her on her return home. 

Ma even explicitly states that she needs to work on being herself again, instead of being Jack's ma. 

Breaking the Cycle

In A Lesson Before Dying, the idea of the "cycle" is mentioned multiple times.

We're first introduced to it when Grant is looking out of his window and watching the children cutting wood. He thinks to himself: "What am I doing? Am I reaching them at all? They are acting exactly as the old men did earlier. (...) Is it just a vicious cycle? Am I doing anything?" (Gaines 62). The cycle that Grant is referring to is the cycle that Jefferson is experiencing: African American children grow up and then get thrown in jail or given a death sentence.

This cycle has been around for a long time. Grant's old teacher, Matthew Antoine, tells Grant to "Just do the best you can. But it won't matter." when Grant asks him for advice (Gaines 66). Antoine is referring to the cycle and how Grant cannot change it as a teacher. It's clear that this cycle is quite difficult to break.

Later in the story, Vivian asks Grant whether the cycle will be broken, and he responds with "It's up to Jefferson, my love." (Gaines 167). At first, I found this phrase quite confusing. Jefferson can't really do anything in jail, so what can Grant be possibly talking about? Shouldn't Grant have more responsibility to change the cycle, since he is a teacher who can be a positive influence for the African American children? I thought of this response from Grant as evidence of his want to leave everything behind.

After reading Jefferson's journal, however, I think I've realized how Jefferson is going to break the cycle. In Grant's journal, we see the community's bond with Jefferson. Children to old folks all came and visited Jefferson in his last days. These visits are really the only time in the book where we get to see the entire community come together. They also could imply that Jefferson is moving them emotionally and influencing them to treat each other better.

Jefferson's journal also provides us insight on Grant. When given a pencil, Jefferson said that he didn't need the eraser because Grant had told to him to just scratch out his mistakes and keep writing. This is a chiller version of teaching compared to Grant's drilling at school. Additionally, the text is unaltered, possibly suggesting that Grant doesn't want to change it nor criticizes it. Jefferson's journal also shows the growth of him as a person; he calls himself a man. After reading this phrase: "tell them im strong tell them im a man," Grant could realize that his way of teaching Jefferson works, which could lead him to change his teaching style. By doing so, Grant would be reaching his students more effectively and could lead to the breaking of the cycle.

He's doing the best he can

From our class discussions, it's pretty clear that we're not the biggest fans of Anse.  Even the narrators, especially Vernon Tull, as lazy, weak, and clueless. Although these depictions are not unfounded, there are still some sympathetic parts to Anse that we should remember.

One of Anse's more notable traits is how he will die if he sweats. The lack of sweat on Anse's clothes is one of the main ways Vernon Tull can tell that it's not Jewel's clothes. As a result of his condition, Anse just sits on his porch and rubs his knees while his children work. Although this depiction is quite humorous, it is only applicable to Anse after his injury. It's mentioned in the story that Anse suffered a major injury. It's entirely possible that Anse's injury could've caused his current condition. In sports, there are injuries known as "career-ending." Perhaps Anse suffered a "work-ending" injury.

It's entirely plausible that Anse's current condition is caused by his past injury. His philosophy of vertical vs. horizontal beings, then, serves as a coping mechanism. Additionally, Anse has shown some effort to work in the story. For example, he offers to help Cash with the coffin (even though he ends up doing more harm than good).

Another moment where one can feel bad for Anse is when he's besides Addie's death bed. He "lays it [his hand] on her [Addie's] face and then on the hump of quilt where her hands are. He touches the quilt as he saw Dewey Dell do, trying to smoothe it up to the chin, but disarranging it instead. He tries to smoothe it again, clumsily..." (Faulkner 52). Anse is showing love in this moment, as he's trying to have a intimate moment with Addie before she dies. You can't not feel bad for a husband who's trying to be with his dying wife.

And the kicker is: Addie doesn't feel the same way about Anse. When Anse courts Addie, he's just a young man (without any parents too) with a little property looking to start a family. When they get married, Addie doesn't seem like the best wife either. The only child she willingly has with Anse is Cash. Even then, she still prefers Jewel, who isn't even Anse's son. Dewey Dell and Vardaman are only born because Addie feels as if she's obliged to, and the birth of Darl makes Addie want to kill Anse. She goes so far as to plan her revenge, which wouldn't happen for many years until she died.

Yes, Anse has a lot of flaws, but there are aspects of him which I can sympathize with.

He's doing the best he can.

Ulysses vs. Odysseus

Seeing that my last blog post was about Odysseus, it's only fitting that I now talk about Ulysses.

From watching "O' Brother Where Art Thou," you can see that Ulysses is meant to be Odysseus. There are many similarities between Ulysses and Odysseus such as their scheming lies, (somewhat) lack of remorse, and clever planning. However, there are some key differences such as their portrayal to the audience.

Both Ulysses and Odysseus possess an innate ability to lie extremely well. Ulysses was able to make up stories about the treasure and the backstory of the Soggy Bottom Boys, just like how Odysseus was able to make up multiple backgrounds as he tested his family. Along similar lines, both characters are quite clever. Ulysses was able to make a (somewhat good) plan to save Tommy from the KKK and craft multiple methods of making money. It was also Ulysses who (presumably) thought of the plan to save Pete.

Other than their craftiness, Ulysses and Odysseus also aren't the most empathetic. Neither Ulysses or Odysseus show a huge amount of remorse at the loss of their friends. We already know that Odysseus wasn't too flustered when he lost his men, and Ulysses displays a similar disposition. When Pete gets turned into "a frog," Ulysses doesn't seem too depressed. At least, not as much as Delmar. It can be seen, however, that Ulysses shows some regret when he admits to his friends that he lied to them about the treasure. When he tells them the news, he looks quite remorseful (he was looking down, etc.). One can make the argument, however, that he wasn't sad for his sake rather than his friends' (didn't want to deal with the backlash).

There are obvious minor differences between Ulysses and Odysseus. Ulysses is obsessed with his hair. Ulysses is a southern American. Ulysses has seven daughters. There is, however, one significant difference between Ulysses and Odysseus is how they're portrayed in their respective stories. Throughout the Odyssey, we got the idea that Odysseus was amazing at everything. He was the fastest, smartest, and hottest. Ulysses, however, isn't all that. Ulysses starts the story as a runaway prisoner (for pretending to be a lawyer), not a lost king (which sounds and is a lot more impressive). Throughout the story, we're given a lot of proof of Ulysses's not-so-great skills. When Ulysses and co. were trapped in the barn by the sheriff, he did nothing besides repeat "we're in a tight spot." He let Big Dan wack him across the head with a stick without any fight or realization of what was happening. It might've been for the best that Ulysses didn't fight, however, as when he tried, Vernon Waldrip handled him pretty easily.

It's clear that Ulysses possesses some vulnerabilities and isn't as great as Odysseus. I (and most other modern readers/viewers), however, probably find the imperfectness of Ulysses more attractive than a highly rated Odysseus.

Is Odysseus Overrated?

During the "Wanderings of Odysseus," we got to see if the descriptions of Odysseus (made by Menelaus, etc.) matched his actions.

In the books we've read so far, Odysseus has been portrayed as the "best at every kind of trick" (3. 123-124). Menelaus, Nestor, and many of others have described Odysseus as a perfect person who was extremely wise and skilled. He is credited with many successful battles and strategies such as the Trojan Horse. We get a vibe of Odysseus being perfect and the best at everything.

Does this description match up though?

First, let's talk about how Odysseus deserves to be respected and how the idea that he's amazing at everything is somewhat true.

After the Trojan War, Odysseus does many things that no other man has ever done. For example, he visited Hades, withstood the Sirens' song, and survived Scylla and Charybdis (Books 11-12). Along the way, he was able to endure many terrible events such as surviving Charybdis's whirlpool by gripping the trunk of a fig tree (12. 430-436). After being freed from Calypso's captivity, he was able to build a raft from scratch and outlast the wrath of Poseidon while at sea (with the aid of a few gods). While in the care of the Phaecians, he was able to defeat King Alcinous's sons in multiple physical competitions (despite missing workouts while on his raft). It's safe to say that Odysseus isn't your average soldier.

Odysseus is also pretty smart. His cleverness can be seen in his accomplishments at Troy (Trojan Horse), and especially in tricking Polyphemus. Introducing himself as "No man," even though he doesn't attack Polyphemus for a while, goes to show how clever and how he's a few steps ahead of everyone else.

While I fully agree that Odysseus is a physical and intellectual specimen, I'm not too sure about his leadership and heroic qualities. Odysseus does many things that are questionable. For example, one of the examples we emphasized in class was how he kept yelling at Polyphemus after defeating him. Odysseus says "Hey, you, Cyclops! Idiot!" (9. 475). The rest of the crew is begging Odysseus to stop, as his voice was providing Polyphemus with a general idea of where the ship was, which allowed the cyclops to throw rocks that barely missed. On another day, Odysseus might've gotten his crew killed due to his arrogance and recklessness.

Another very noticeable occurrence in the "Wanderings of Odysseus" is that many crew members die for Odysseus's personal goals. We see Odysseus sacrifice some of his best soldiers; he was the one who proposed going to Polyphemus, resulting in many of his men being eaten. In fact, Odysseus's "No man" name, although it provided some use later, made sure that he would be the last man eaten. It's clear to see that Odysseus doesn't really mind losing a few soldiers. At least, he doesn't show much grief; only one soldier got a funeral, and he died by falling off a roof (one of the less glorious deaths).

Finally, Odysseus makes some questionable decisions which leads to him losing control of his crew. Not notifying his crew about the their impending death by Scylla is a questionable decision (12. 224). He decided to stay on Circe's island for a whole year, and needed to having one of his crew members, Eurylochus, remind him of their ultimate goal. In fact, when Odysseus was challenged by Eurylochus, he had to be retrained from chopping Eurylochus's head off (10. 440-442). Odysseus lost control of his crew a couple of times to Eurylochus, who never had any malicious intent; many of his reasons were extremely logical. When one thinks of a great leader, they don't normally think of someone who doesn't have a strong grip on their team. In fact, you could say that Odysseus is more of a dictator than a leader, as he doesn't trust his crew members, and his actions are usually for himself, not the whole ship.

What Heroes of Olympus Taught Me

I grew up reading stories centered around one hero. I read Harry Potter (Harry), watched Star Wars (Luke), and listened to a Chinese folk story (the main hero was a magical monkey). As a result, I believed that there could only be one hero in a story. This viewpoint was backed up by the fact that I lived a whole life through my perspective. In Non-Fiction Writing, we read an essay about how many people have a self-centered view of the world because they experience everything from their own perspective. The combination of this perception with my huge intake of stories about solo heroes made me an extremely self-centered person. I believed that I was the only hero in this world.

A particular narrative I was obsessed with was Percy Jackson. I read every book in the Percy Jackson series at least five times. That series, however, did not create a radical change in my view of the world. It was the series after Percy Jackson where my egotistical tendencies were flipped 180 degrees. Rick Riordan, the author of Percy Jackson, wrote a sequel series called “Heroes of Olympus.” This series didn’t have one main hero, unlike Percy Jackson (I mean, the series was named after him). There were actually seven heroes including Percy.

           

You may be wondering, “David, the switch from one to seven protagonists isn’t super crazy.” Wrong. Switching between different characters' perspective actually made me conscious about my self-centeredness. In the series, I was able to watch multiple characters develop and grow, becoming essential pieces to defeating the evil earth goddess Gaea. On his own, Percy Jackson would've been destroyed within seconds. It was quite a shocking discovery when I realized at the end of the book: "Wow. Everyone mattered." I realized that it wasn't just Percy. From then on, I began to become more conscious of others and less self-centered. I learned about the power of teamwork and that one person can't go it alone. Suddenly, I wasn't the most important person in the world; I was one out of millions of special and unique people. 

The heroes of Olympus didn't have a smooth ride to victory. Throughout the series, they faced huge obstacles from losing friends to getting trapped in Tartarus. It was wonderful being able to watch each character becoming stronger and develop into their own, unique hero. In fact, I began to respect some characters as the series progressed. One of the heroes I admired was Jason Grace. Jason and Percy would always fight and argue throughout the series. Although I was a diehard Percy fan, I couldn't help but feel that Jason's point was valid sometimes. I soon began to realize that even the best heroes are sometimes wrong. As a result, I began trying to see things from other people's perspective. Overtime, this practice has helped me become a better person. Thanks to Rick Riordan, I'm not a stuck-up and egotistical brat today.