Dreams from My Father

by

Barack Obama

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Kyle Character Analysis

Kyle is Ruby’s teenage son. He reminds Barack of himself, so Barack takes a special interest in him and tries to encourage him to believe that he can have a bright future. Kyle, however, is disaffected and angry—he insists that he’ll never be able to do anything as a Black man.
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Kyle Character Timeline in Dreams from My Father

The timeline below shows where the character Kyle appears in Dreams from My Father. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
Family and Community Theme Icon
Race and Identity Theme Icon
...with a woman named Ruby, Barack starts to get it. Ruby talks about her son, Kyle, and his brushes with gang activity and she introduces Barack to other parents concerned about... (full context)
Chapter 10
Fathers, Sons, and Manhood Theme Icon
...into organizing after the botched police meeting, and Barack takes an interest in her son Kyle, who’s alternately enthusiastic and sullen. Once, near Christmas, Barack invites Ruby to his office to... (full context)
Chapter 13
Family and Community Theme Icon
Fathers, Sons, and Manhood Theme Icon
Storytelling and Truth Theme Icon
...that seems to imply that kids can dictate their own futures. He also thinks about Kyle, who’s 16 and whose antics frighten Ruby. One day, Barack takes Kyle to play basketball... (full context)
Race and Identity Theme Icon
...the parents are worse. All of this makes Barack angry. He and Johnnie start with Kyle’s high school. They meet the principal, Dr. King, who introduces them to a counselor named... (full context)