Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The New Jim Crow, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Justice vs. the Law
The Illusion of Progress
Racial Castes, Stereotypes, and Hierarchies
Violence, Surveillance, and Social Control
Myth, Dishonesty, and Conspiracy
Summary
Analysis
Alexander claims that The New Jim Crow was not “written for everyone,” but rather specifically addresses those who care about ending racial inequality but don’t fully understand mass incarceration and how it disproportionately affects people of color. It is also written for those who have been trying to persuade others about the problems of mass incarceration, but need evidence to help make their case. Alexander concludes that the book is also written for those who are incarcerated, assuring them that they “are not forgotten.”
It may seem strange that Alexander limits the intended audience of her book to three somewhat narrow groups. However, this specification actually has an important persuasive function. By addressing the book to people who care about racial justice, she implies that people who object to the book’s premise and claims perhaps do not care about racial justice (even if they assume otherwise).
Themes
