In order to help students appreciate literature and gain exposure to the works of contemporary writers, Choate’s English Department assigns a new book written by a living author every year for its required summer reading. The author then comes to campus during the school year to speak to the Choate community, prompting students to develop a more meaningful connection with the book they have read. This past summer, the English Department chose the winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead.
Graphic by Sesame Gaetsaloe/The Choate News
The book is a work of historical fiction that depicts an abusive and violent reform school in mid-20th century Florida. The main characters, Elwood and Turner, encounter physical brutality, psychological trauma, and racial inequality. “The Nickel Boys is a story about how powerful people get away with abusing the powerless and are never called to account,” said Mr. Whitehead in an interview with The Guardian on June 21, 2020. As a Black American, Mr. Whitehead faced racism throughout his life, and the ongoing protests in America reflect the kind of police brutality and inequality The Nickel Boys depicted.
“In connection with the current Black Lives Matter Movement, I think The Nickel Boys emphasizes the need for equality and the historically Black and White divide,” Rebecca Alston ’22 said. “A school with the task of reformig contradicts [its] actions of abusing and killing children. In the same vein, a police force with the task of protecting and serving contradicts taking innocent lives. The job of the police is to enforce the law, not to be the law.”
The benefit of choosing this particular book for summer reading is the combination of its historical accuracy and entralling narration. “Not all historical fiction is exciting, and I think [Mr. Whitehead] did it in a captivating way that made you want to keep reading. [The story] felt complete. We were getting closure along with the souls of the victims at [Nickel],” noted Director of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Rachel Myers.
While the novel has been praised, The Nickel Boys also received some comments regarding its depiction of oppression and violence. “Reading about all the injustices and unfairness makes your skin prickle,” Max Zhang ’22 said.
A key goal for the required summer reading involves challenging the students to consider new thoughts and ideas. To start the conversation on the complex notion of systemic racism, the English Department chose a story that involves cruelty and trauma to better describe racial injustice. “[Elwood] never had a chance, and it didn’t matter if he was doing everything right,” Dr. Myers noted. “There’s oppression and oppression: that’s part of the message. The system needs to change, not just the people.”
Dr. Myers described what she hoped the students would learn from the reading. “As somebody who has a background in Black studies, I think this historical fiction brings a voice to the marginalized sector.” To guide students’ thought process, Dr. Myers, along with young alumni and English teachers Ms. Alex Ashford, Ms. Ellen Devine, Ms. Victoria Pierotti, and Ms. Megan Shea, created and curated a resource guide for The Nickel Boys. The guide was written to emphasize issues of racial injustice in the United States, advocate and empower the Black American culture represented in the book, and explain the history the novel is based on. Currently, many English classes are using the resource to unpack the themes and messages of the story.
“The guide helped me understand the author’s thoughts when he was describing certain characters and scenes. After finishing the book and reading through the guide, I achieved a newer understanding of systemic racism,” Ethan Chapman ’22 commented.
When asked what he took away from the novel, James Njoroge ’21 said, “The book reflects our society today. Even though it was set in the past, issues like racism and sexism actually change our lives much more than we think they do. I think that it will hopefully change people’s perspective on life as a whole [and] make them more empathetic, especially if they are privileged.”
Literature is a powerful tool that can raise the voice of marginalized populations and acknowledge ongoing problems in society today. Choosing The Nickel Boys as the summer reading challenges the readers to not only further their analytical skills and appreciate contemporary literature but also find deeper connections and understanding about Black Americans and their experience.
