In Coates’ piece, “Letter to My Son”, the author uses a range of techniques to initiate an intricate focus on America’s race problem. He writes from the perspective of a father, making his piece more intimate and connecting for the reader. His shift of focus to the dynamics of black society not only allows us to understand blacks in America but the nature of American society/history as a whole.
Coates introduces the topic by using a personal anecdote. His conversation with this reporter pushes him to question why people in America have this fixed mindset on race. His voice in these opening lines is one that is filled with sadness, but also implies he has reconciled with this grim reality, “I had expected to fail”. When Coates is being interviewed he mentions how he feels that this “constant interrogation” makes him feel that American society is hesitant to acknowledge racism. These questions probe him to wonder why American history is treated with such veneration, rather, he expresses contempt for the effect it has had on blacks. Such an unorthodox approach to American history makes us, the readers, question our own beliefs on the most influential country in world history. The author also alludes to modern segregation in America. Blacks and whites live in such different worlds that political polarization in America is one of the main effects of this, “the only people I knew were black”. This juxtaposition when referencing life in black society against life in white society aims to highlight the difference in living standards in the US. Additionally, it shows how black society has been made the way it is by whites. Coates’ experience with death only underscores the normality of such a situation and the difference in society, truly sickening in the land of the free. The later reference to America as a “body” shows how it is a living, changing entity.
Coates uses a variety of literary techniques and the incorporation of different perspectives to connect with the reader. The piece as a whole directly connects to us readers because Coates refers to the audience in the second person, “You”. This connection is reiterated when Coates refers to the audience as “black boy”, allowing us to better empathize with the feelings and actions of black child. This father-son dynamic is used to stress the importance of this relationship in a society where too often than not, doesn’t exist. A child is used so Coates can easily explain ideas about race to his audience. The author uses a controversial stance on whites, “pillaging of life”, to connect to a broader idea that whites seek to subjugate, control and destroy the “black body”. When comparing white America with black America, Coates uses relatable anecdotes, “Memorial day..”, to highlight this difference. This symbol of a body is used to show how whites have exploited blacks: Once during slavery for profit and now for power. With this take Coates subtly hints at the topic of white privilege. The will to bend cultures towards white society – like the whitewashing of blacks, “desire to live by the standards of Bellow” – leads Coates to draw to the conclusion that whites encompass a “demon religion”. Furthermore, Coates takes aim at the common perception of a black man, “dipped in Russell sweats”, by arguing that this misconception fails to acknowledge the fear that black men have towards white people, “girding themselves against the ghosts of the bad old days”.
To conclude, the text asks us readers to question how black society can change in a white nationalist America. This encourages the audience to fight back against white nationalism and support black culture. Several literary techniques including anecdotes, symbols, and diction help to convey this message.