This is a coming-of-age novel. Its principal character is a Black-American teenager. Benji is middle-class attending a private prep school, where he, along with his younger brother, are the only black pupils. His parents own a holiday home in Sag Harbor, which is an up-market holiday destination. Owning property on Long Island signals wealth and social aspirations. Nonetheless Sag Harbor embraces institutional racism,
“The book had a nice map of the village in it….and we knew where our neigborhood began because that’s where the map ended. The black part of the town was off in the margins.” p18
The novel isn’t sour. It’s joyful in its depiction of growing-up. The trials and tribulations of adolescence. The magnificent description of working in an ice-cream parlour – with free ice-creams for the workers! Going to parties, attempting to buy beer – under-age – and, importantly, growing out of childish passions. Experimenting with guns and being accidently shot; the centrality of car ownership – even if it’s a wreck – are classic American experiences for teenagers.
No matter how wealthy a black person is they’re black, which means experiencing pervasive racism. Pervasive and invisible to the person handing it out.
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“His face had that expression I’ve seen many times, when I’m walking down the street and there’s a white person sitting alone in a car. The look on his face was the one they always get before they lock the car doors. Click, click, click up the street as I pass. We were in South Hampton.” p236
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