Mais pourquoi jsuis la seule à mettre mes explications ici ???

The Human Stain

p. 85 – 88

Not far after the beginning of chapter and right after the “lily-white” thing. Coleman is back to Athena, just after remembering a conversation in which he tried to explain his use of “spooks”. => Importance of a word that can wreck a life (now 2 words. P. 84 “What burns away the camouflage …”)

READ

What is this passage good for ? How does it help us to understand Coleman better ?

I. Coleman’s youth
II. The importance of the narration in the description of his identity
III. Coleman’s family
IV. Fensterman’s bargain : the bitter taste of segregation

I. Coleman’s Youth
. A popular boy : funny nickname, almost a Homeric adjective. Silky + Silk : sounds almost the same : funny to pronounce and hard to forget.
Having a nickname : everyone knows him (haha cf title chapter 1). Like a star. Nickname he used for boxing.
=> goes with his sport skills
. An athletic boy : great at running and at boxing. = an icon ?
p. 88, l. 97 “for successive years now …”
=> a very gifted boy
. A gifted pupil : that’s the origin of the deal the Fensterman propose to the Silks.
1st in his class. Runs for valedictorian. Gets A’s in all subjects. Is almost certain to be the highest ranking colored student in East Orange.

=> Maybe a feeling of superiority. He seems likely to show off, jumping imaginary hurdles. & Finding funny (or ridiculous) the idea that he should have any weakness at school.
Thinks he’s an important person (VIP ?) : p. 88 “Dr F’s proposal meant no more to him …”

. But a rather naïve boy too. Doesn’t seem to realize what’s happening, what he’s asked to do. (Ernestine seems more aware). Selfish ? Only sees that he’s asked to botch his exams. Doesn’t see the segregation issue that’s taking place.
=> that’s why the narrator steps in : p. 88 : “the larger picture he didn’t get yet”.
= Young Coleman can’t stand back from the events, he’s not able to consider the whole thing, the whole deal and its aspects.
Colemand blinded by his success ? Selfish or naïve ?

II. Reminiscence & Identity
I couldn’t help thinking of Proust here : analogy between East Orange & Athena’s campus.
=> Reminiscence, more than a memory since the 1st sentence of the passage leads to a long and complex flashback in Coleman’s past. These few pages are the 1st of several passages that will enable us to understand Coleman better. Knowing him better, we may be able to understand or make a criticism of his actions.
Importance of tenses & aspects. Scene quickly prepared, 1 sentence (but a long one : 10 lines).
1st verb : “he had not been known” : past perfect, passive, negative
=> complexity. Maybe a clue or key to understand Coleman. I won’t say that all the complexity of Coleman’s character stands here, but (far fetched ?) it’s a complex way to put things whereas it could be easier (as in Coleman’s life).
Pb of identity : the name. Is SILKY SILK really Coleman Silk ? Aren’t they different ? Difference old age / youth …
No play on tenses, all in past : passage rooted in the past.
But lively past : vivid direct speech (dialogue with Ernie)
Account within the account, double memory (memory within a reminiscence).
3 dimensions in the narrative, each of them corresponding to a different Coleman.
1. Old Coleman, back to Athena, having an affair with a woman half his age, ex-dean of the faculty, ex-Classics teacher, accused for being racist and who’s just got in trouble with his lawyer who he called “lily-white”. This Coleman, walking up to Athena, remembers the 17-year-old Coleman
2. Young Coleman, 17, walking with his sister Ernestine, being brilliant, gifted. Narrative : direct speech, conversation with Ernie
3. Student Coleman who’s referred to in Ern’s story. The Coleman who’s asked to be less brilliant. Narrative : reported speech, account. Pupil aspect.
=> “mess” of identities : a complex character, and corresponding to it, a complex narration. The accounts are mingled, intertwining, we get lost.
Importance of time indications ; as steps we have to follow not to get lost. 3 levels (corresponding to each narration level)
1st level : “for over fifty years” : we’re going 50 years back.
“as though he were back”
“for the 1st time since hos resignation” (past & present are mingling)
2nd level : “the evening before”
“when he heard”
“he was only 17”
“now” (top of page 86).
Impression that the narrator tries to mislead us. Flashback briefly announced : lost in a really long sentence : as if the narrator didn’t want us to notice it. (moreover, present “since his resignation” mingling with past).
=> a tricky narrator ?

We may think the narrator isn’t present, but there are many clues … Watching the scene, commenting it.
Impression that he tries to make us lost. (if we read too much quickly, we can miss the flashback trigger).
Good reported speech, we could hear the Dr talk.
Funny look on things (p. 87, “It was as though … the most hilarious joke”).
End of passage : narrator disappears, we can hear Coleman’s thoughts (“… the incomparable Silky Silk !”)
Last time the narr steps in : last sentence “the larger picture he didn’t get yet”. => lucid on Coleman’s reactions.
p. 86, l. 40-41 : “”That’s what he called a waiter, Coleman, a ‘steward’””. Inverted commas : what does this mean ? 2 possibilities : Nathan’s talking ; or Ernie who steps in her own narration.
=> at least 3 narrators : the writer ; Nathan ; Ernie.
=> Complexity.

III. Coleman’s family
1/ Ernestine
Sister. They get on well. Realistic girl : she sees what’s happening (≠ Coleman). Loves her brother, wants to protect him. Complicity. Reliable character.
2/ Coleman’s parents
Referred to with “mum” and “dad”. Until there it wasn’t really clear wether Coleman was black or not. => his parents are black.
The father : great precision in language. Authoritarian man.
The mother : loves her son.
Parents don’t get fooled in the bargain. Cf. speech p. 88.
They are black : struggled for a social position are proud of it.
p. 86 “he knew the kind of obstacles …”
They suffered a lot, both from global economic situation, and from racial discrimination.
Honest people. Refuse F’s bargain. 1st view of Coleman’s parents.
Linked to the segregation theme.

IV. F’s bargain ; the bitter taste of segregation
2 types of segregation are opposing here : against Black & against Jews.
Deal : Dr F’s son, Bertram, is salutatorian, Coleman’s the best. In order to enable Bert enter a medical school, F wants Coleman to get bad marks on purpose ; thus Bert would be valedictorian, and ‘ll be able to enter a prestigious medical school. In exchange, F’ll help Mrs Silk to be upgraded, and ‘ll give 3 000 $ to the Silks. In other words, he asks them to sacrifice Coleman’s success to Bert’s. Blackmailin, bribing.
In a way, F opposes discrimination against Jews and against Blacks ; in a way, he says well, let Bert be the best so as to be a doctor ; if Coleman isn’t the best, it’s OK since he’s ONLY going to Howard University : no need to be brilliant for that.
Hypocrisy. Repetition “he knew” (5 times). He knows the Silks live harshly, but they have to accept anyway.
F’s words are biased : “tiny Jews quotas”. Tries to chow Mr Silk & him are equal but they’re not : F, in spite of quotas, is a surgeon, whereas Mr Silk is a waiter.
Flattering. Not an honest man.
We can see it in the narration : too polite, too generous, too flattering, too nice : too “too” to be honest. About Mrs Silk : too much adjectives to be true. It can’t be honest.
NEGRO : shocking : maybe it wasn’t that bad in 1944, but not a nice word …
“Alabama” : evokes racial discrimination for a modern reader. State of Rosa Parks, MLK, intense segregation. Roth, Nathan & old Coleman know it, can’t ignore it.
Gap between our Alabama and the one of Fensterman.

CONCLUSION
Through his youth & family, we’ll be able to understand Coleman and know him better. This is only the beginning of the flashback.
Story within a story : presents us a complex Coleman, whose complexity is enforced by the narration.
Theme of discrimination appears and is going to grow. Helps us to understand “lily-white” and “spooks”.

merci marine!!!
tiens, vu que moffett te l'a pas dit, et ben c moi qui le fait à sa place:that was exactly what you'll have to do!!
si je n'ai pas mis mon explication sur le forum c que je n'ai pas tjs facilement accès au pc chez moi ms pr ceux qui veulent, demandez moi si vs n'avez pas pu prendre tt en notes( ms ca date maintenant dc ca m'étonnerait, ms n'hésitez pas!!)

Y m'aime pas Moffett ... m'enfin est-ce que ça me dérange vraiment ?