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
...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...
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Chapter 10
...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...
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Chapter 13
...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...
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...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...
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