In this day and age, some people have a hard time believing that such a thing as racism still exists. In fact, depending on who you talk to, some people think that race is a thing of the past. They'll tell you stuff about how we live in a color-blind society where anybody can get ahead no matter what. They think that discrimination, racial oppression, and all of that stuff is a thing of the past. Hey, a lot has changed in three or four hundred years, but all of that change hasn't been easy. It's been a constant, knock-down, drag-out fight. And, in A Gathering of Old Men, Gaines wants us to understand that the fight needs to keep on going on, because race—and racism—still exist. Let's take a closer look at just what Gaines is doing with race in his novel.
Questions About Race
- Why do you think we have to wait so long to find out what decade we're in when this story takes place? How does that relate to race?
- What is the connection between race and violence in A Gathering of Old Men?
- Does Gaines suggest that there's a possibility of a future in which racism doesn't exist? How?
Chew on This
Although usually connected somehow to violence, racism comes in many forms in A Gathering of Old Men.
Racism affects men and women of color differently in Gaines's novel.