African Americans have faced discrimination and racism for centuries; many individuals and groups have worked profoundly to overcome these challenges. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead is a novel that shows characteristics of Dark romanticism and Gothic Literature: creating a mood of decay, horror, and terror, focusing on the psychological effects of guilt and fear, and seeing human nature as more evil than good. Whitehead incorporates many harsh types of language to portray a mood of decay, horror, and terror. He says, “Professor Carmine told her that the little flute of bone in her hand most likely belonged to a raccoon or other small animal. The secret graveyard redeemed her” (Whitehead 9). As these words don’t show a painful action, the mood…show more content… Getting hit in the head like that can make you addle-minded and confused. Turner never thought it’d make you forget two plus one” (92). He’s using a connection to physical force, which is always terrifying. Whitehead explains that enough force on the brain can make you forget basic knowledge like the answer to one plus two. These examples portray how this novel is used to get the reader to realize how painful and harsh the Nickel Academy was. Whitehead embraces the thought of using guilt and fear to get his movement across. He shares that being afraid can be the biggest motivation: “She kept a sugarcane machete under her pillow for intruders, and it was difficult for Elwood to think that the old woman was afraid of anything. But fear was her fuel” (30). This lady is so afraid of the worst, she does everything to make herself feel safe. She might not understand why she needs to keep a machete, but fear is the only thing on her mind. Whitehead uses this to show his ideas in a different and easier-to-understand way. Fear also comes from past events and experiences: “They walked into the colored housing. Elwood’s posture is
