Black Like Me
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Preface October 28, 1959 October 29, 1959 October 30, 1959 November 1, 1959 November 2, 1959 November 6, 1959 November 7, 1959 November 8, 1959 November 10-12, 1959 November 14-15, 1959 November 16, 1959 November 19, 1959 November 21, 1959 November 24, 1959 November 25, 1959 November 27, 1959 November 28, 1959 November 29, 1959 December 1, 1959 December 2, 1959 December 4-7, 1959 December 9-14, 1959 December 15, 1959 January 2, 1960 February 26 – March 14, 1960 March 17 – 23, 1960 April 1, 1960 April 2, 1960 April 7 – 11, 1960 June 19 – August 14, 1960 August 17, 1960
Themes
All Themes Appearance, Identity, and Bigotry Unity, Division, and Communication Implicit Bias and Systemic Racism Fear and Violence
Quotes
Characters
All Characters John Howard Griffin George Levitan Adelle Jackson P.D. East Cristophe Bill Williams Sterling Williams The Dermatologist Mack Parker Griffin’s Host The Café Owner Billie East The Boy Who Helps Griffin Clean
Symbols
All Symbols The Mirror
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Black Like Me
by John Howard Griffin
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Black Like Me Symbols

The Mirror

Whenever Griffin looks in the mirror while disguised as a black man, he’s forced to consider the ways in which appearance affects identity. As such, the mirror itself comes to stand for the complicated relationship…

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