This sketch comes from the short story "The Big Black and White Game" by Ray Bradbury published in 1945. I must say, this author was ahead of his times in observing the social inequities of the day.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Big Black and White Game
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Golden Apples of the Sun
This sketch comes from the short story "The Big Black and White Game" by Ray Bradbury published in 1945. I must say, this author was ahead of his times in observing the social inequities of the day.
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Aside from the obvious portrayal of social inequities, something I assume was rare in a writer in those days, Bradbury makes some very subtle observations about pride. The black team takes to the field with no care for what people
think of them. They, and their fans, revel, but not boast, in their natural gifts, as if paying tribute to the power that gave them that gift. The pudgy white team and their fans are self-conscious and narcissistic. When their facade of superiority melts in the sun, they soon become critical of the black team in every aspect except the sport itself.
Some may say that nothing has changed even 64 years later. But this story does offer hope in the form of the eye to eye connection between the mighty black Big Poe and the young white Douglas not yet marred by pride. Also, this story is written in the first person perspective of Douglas and we can tell by the wonderful words he (Bradbury) uses, that he will not be so easily fooled by the standards of his society.
Bradbury clearly has an agenda in his writing to honor and even glorify the "Negro Race." (I am using a term from Bradbury himself, lest anyone accuse me of bigotry).
Does this come from a sense of outrage at the injustices the young man saw done by his own "race" against the Blacks? Such outrage is understandable, and even healthy and appropriate.
At the risk of being accused of bigotry (again), however, I do wonder of the characters and even the character of the people of Bradbury's youth would be reflective of the character of the people today. Generalizations are fallacy, BUT there is a sense of entitlement and demand for pampering that seems to have softened and corrupted a once proud group of people.
We will likely never know what it's like to walk in the shoes of that kind of oppression, either past or present. I don't know what else to say other than I just glad Bradbury wrote about it and helped generate reflection both back then and now.
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