While reading O’Conner’s “Artificial Nigger,” I noticed many themes as well. Especially the grandfather’s manipulative way to try to keep Nelson dependent upon him and also submissive to the grandfather and his ways of thinking. It seemed to me the whole trip was about showing the boy what he did not know about being in the city and how different the city was compared to the rural area they were from. Nelson also seems to be unruly when it comes to his grandfather; Nelson is always talking back and putting in his two-sense. This is especially evident when the grandfather, becomes lost and cannot find his way back to the train station. Nelson then takes it upon himself to ask for directions. Nelson seems very independent through out the adventure until he tripped the woman and his grandfather denies him. Then Nelson just seems hurt by Mr. Head’s actions as well as shocked like the rest of the people there that his only blood or “likeness” would deny him. However, Nelson does a good job of making his grandfather feel guilty and Mr. Head does a good job of making Nelson never want to return to the city.
I also noticed within the story that when Nelson and Mr. Head are about to leave for the city, Nelson has a lot of opinions and hatred for “Negros,” however when he actually sees one on the train he does not even recognize that the man is “black” rather he refers to him as “tan”. This was interesting to me because it shows that people do not inherit hate like so many people in this time believed they did such as Mr. Head who was shocked that he could not tell that the man was “black,” but it show that children are ignorant and learn hatred from their family which I admire O’Conner for portraying that idea within this story that, hatred is learned.
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I think the point of the trip was more to keep Nelson under the grandfather's control. He claims Nelson is so ignorant that he won't know what to make of the city and, therefore, will be dependent on him. Mr. Head seems desperate to have Nelson under his control and share his ideals. He is practically attempting to brainwash Nelson. For example, Mr. Head is obviously racist and keeps telling Nelson how there will be so many black people in the city. Nelson at first shares this racism and expresses hatred for black people but he doesn't even realize it when he sees his first black man. I felt like Mr. Head is trying to validate himself through Nelson but in the end he fails because Nelson remains independent after Mr. Head denies him in his moment of need. I don't think Nelson will ever completely trust his grandfather again and Mr. Head realizes that too. So the trip failed.
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