The abstract figure of the white neighbor stands in for white America as a whole. Hurston uses him to illustrate her unique take on American racial history. She almost pities this figure as she describes his slow but certain decline, which coincides with the eventual advancement of black citizens. The white neighbor is burdened by guilt over the centuries-long crime of black slavery.
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The White Neighbor Character Timeline in How it Feels to be Colored Me
The timeline below shows where the character The White Neighbor appears in How it Feels to be Colored Me. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
How It Feels to Be Colored Me
On the other hand, her “ white neighbor ,” and white America as a whole, must bear the historical guilt of slavery. “Brown...
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