Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Nickel Boys, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Trauma and Repression
Unity, Support, and Hope
History, Secrecy, and Racism
Civil Rights, Dignity, and Sacrifice
Power, Fear, and Upward Mobility
Summary
Analysis
In the winter there is a boxing match between the white and black students. It has been fifteen years since the last white student won, and Griff is this year’s contender for the black students, facing off against a white boy named Big Chet. The tradition of having boxing championships began when Trevor Nickel became the director of the school in 1942, when the institution was still called the Florida Industrial School for Boys. Nickel had no experience as a school director, but he was a prominent member of the Ku Klux Klan who often talked about morality and work ethic, so he was given the job. In addition to boxing, he was interested in “fitness” and took to watching the boys shower. This practice has continued into Elwood’s time at Nickel: the school psychologist picks his “dates” by watching the white boys shower.
In this section, Whitehead clarifies the racist underpinnings of Nickel Academy, revealing that Trevor Nickel—the school’s namesake—was an active member of the Ku Klux Klan. This information helps explain why the institution has no qualms about segregating its students despite the fact that doing so goes against the law—after all, the man after whom the school is named was clearly an outspoken bigot. In addition, Whitehead also shows readers the school’s history of sexual abuse, noting that Trevor Nickel used to spy on the children as they showered. The fact that this still happens while Elwood is at the school is further proof that harmful practices perpetuate themselves throughout history. In turn, it’s easy to see that the institution’s racist and abusive patterns are especially hard to eradicate, because they are deeply entangled with the very history of Nickel.
Themes
In the lead-up to the boxing match, Elwood’s peers frantically talk about how thoroughly Griff is going to beat Big Chet, who hardly stands a chance. One day, though, Turner is napping in a hidden spot he found in the warehouse when he hears Spencer walk in with Griff. Spencer asks Griff how his boxing training is coming along, and this immediately concerns Turner, who remains hidden. Turner believes that white men only asks black boys about themselves when they want to “fuck [them] over.” This is why Turner isn’t surprised when Spencer makes multiple hints that Griff should lose the boxing match on purpose. However, Griff isn’t intelligent enough to pick up on Spencer’s insinuations, simply agreeing with whatever the superintendent says until finally Spencer tells him to lose in the third round of the fight, threatening to take him “out back” if he doesn’t.
The corruption at Nickel Academy brings itself to bear on Griff when Spencer tells him to intentionally lose the boxing match. This championship is perhaps the only thing that the black students look forward to, since it’s the only time they’re able to feel triumphant. By beating the white students in the boxing match, the black students are able to enjoy a rare moment of victory over a group of people (namely, white people) that dominates and subjugates them in other areas of life. Nevertheless, Spencer revokes the only sense of pride and happiness available to the black cohort at Nickel Academy, not caring what the boxing match means to them.
Themes
Turner tells Elwood that Spencer wants Griff to lose the boxing match on purpose. Elwood isn’t surprised, but he wonders why Spencer would want to manipulate the match, since it only makes sense to rig a fight if people are betting on the outcome. Turner points out that it would be crazy for Griff to disobey Spencer, and when Elwood asks if Spencer would take Griff to the White House to punish him, Turner leads him to a collection of old horse stables behind the laundry building. “This is out back,” Turner says, pointing to two oak trees with iron rings affixed to them. Sometimes, Turner explains, Spencer takes black boys out here and chains them to these iron rings before whipping them senseless.
It’s important to note that Spencer only takes black boys “out back.” Although the staff members of Nickel Academy abuse both white and black students, it becomes evident in this moment that the administration is particularly hard on African American students. This isn’t all that surprising, considering that Trevor Nickel himself was in the Ku Klux Klan. Once again, then, the school’s fraught history works its way into the present, this time shaping the institution’s horrific system of discipline.
Themes
Elwood asks if Spencer ever brings white boys “out back,” but Turner tells him that the space is only for black students. If they kill a black student, they simply claim that the boy ran away. Hearing this, Elwood asks what the boys’ families do in these situations, but Turner reminds him that not everyone has people who care about them in the outside world. This is a point of tension in their friendship, since Turner himself doesn’t have anyone supporting him outside of Nickel. Elwood’s belief that people in society might be able to help him bugs Turner, who thinks his friend is too optimistic. “You can change the law but you can’t change people and how they treat each other,” he believes.
It’s difficult for Elwood to wrap his head around the fact that people like Spencer aren’t held accountable when they kill black students. As someone who believes in the inherent goodness of humanity, it’s hard for him to comprehend that staff members actually get away with such wretched behavior. Turner, on the other hand, believes that the world is full of people who “treat each other” badly. In this way, the two friends stand in opposition to one another, each one representing a different worldview. While Elwood embodies hope and optimism, Turner moves through the world with a cynical kind of suspicion.
Themes
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The reason Turner brings Elwood “out back” is to show him that there are certain kinds of injustice that people refuse to acknowledge. Turner understands that Nickel Academy is an incredibly racist place, considering that the majority of the staff most likely go to Ku Klux Klan meetings on the weekends. Elwood, on the other hand, remains naïve when it comes to the true nature of Nickel Academy, which is why Turner brings him “out back,” wanting to show him the place’s hidden and frightening underbelly.
Once again, Turner’s pessimism comes to the forefront of the novel, as he tries to show Elwood the harsh reality of the environment in which they exist. Rather than investing himself in the idea of overcoming this hardship, he simply acknowledges the horror all around him and does what he can to avoid punishment. In this regard, his fear makes him submissive and obedient, which is the exact outcome people like Spencer want.
Themes
Two days later, Harper tells Turner and Elwood that Spencer and the board members of Nickel are, in fact, placing bets on the outcome of the boxing match. He explains that this practice used to be casual back when Trevor Nickel was in charge. These days the betting is a much more serious affair, though Harper notes that everyone bets on the black contenders. Hearing this, Elwood remarks that boxing matches are always rigged, but Harper denies that the administration would fix the match, insisting that the tradition is “a beautiful thing.”
During this exchange, Whitehead reminds readers that Harper grew up around Nickel Academy. Consequently, he has a certain amount of faith in the institution, believing that people like Director Hardee and Maynard Spencer wouldn’t rig the boxing championship. In reality, this is exactly something they would do, but Harper still thinks of Nickel as a positive environment. His character demonstrates how difficult it can be for people immersed in a corrupt society to see its deep flaws. Harper’s opinion is also important to remember as the novel progresses, since Harper’s allegiance to Nickel Academy eventually clashes with the friendly relationship he has with Elwood and Turner.
Themes
The boxing championships are spread out over two nights. During the first night, the white and black dorms determine who will fight in the final match, though everyone knows it will be Big Chet against Griff. Near the ring, Director Hardee sits with various board members and with his wife, whom the students try hard not to stare at, since she’s strikingly beautiful—anyone caught looking her for too long is immediately given a beating, so they make sure to avert their eyes. Sure enough, Big Chet and Griff win their rounds and are chosen to fight the following night. That evening, the black students speak excitedly about how badly Griff is going to beat Big Chet, and Griff walks around with immense pride, taking so much enjoyment in this attention that Elwood wonders if he’s forgotten that Spencer instructed him to lose.
The excitement surrounding Griff’s upcoming fight against Big Chet emphasizes just how much this event means to Elwood’s fellow students. The idea of Griff pounding a white boy to the ground is the only form of resistance and triumph that these students are allowed to experience. This, in turn, is why it’s so disheartening that Spencer has decided to rig the fight, ordering Griff to lose and thereby depriving the black students of their only source of hope and pride. What’s more, Griff’s apparent refusal to throw the fight adds a sense of ominous suspense to the event, since Elwood and Turner know that Griff could be killed if he disobeys Spencer.
Themes
When the fight begins, Griff and Big Chet seem well matched. In the first rounds, Griff shows no signs of going easy. Elwood visibly disapproves of the entire charade, since it reminds him of the unfair dishwashing races he had as a child at the Richmond Hotel. As the fight continues, Turner sees a number of perfect opportunities for Griff to go down, moments that wouldn’t make it totally obvious that he’s been told to lose. However, it soon becomes clear that Griff won’t hold back, regardless of what happens to him afterward. Finally, the bell sounds to signal the end of the last round, and the referee breaks the two boys apart. Because Griff won two out of three rounds, the referee declares him the winner.
Griff’s victory is astonishing, considering that Spencer ordered him to lose. By refusing to lose, though, Griff bravely commits a brazen act of defiance, something that very few students at Nickel would do. In this moment, then, he becomes a symbol of righteous disobedience, ultimately maintaining a “sense of dignity” despite what might happen to him as a result.
Themes
Griff darts across the ring, rushing to where Spencer sits. Over the sound of the wild crowd, Turner hears him yelling at Spencer and telling him that he thought it was only the second round. He continues to scream this as the black students sweep him away, cheering heartily as they go. Thinking about it, Turner acknowledges that Griff may have been confused because he got hit in the head too many times, though Turner would never have thought this could make him forget which round it was. That night, Spencer and Earl come for Griff. He is never seen again. In the aftermath of it all, the students say that he refused to purposefully lose, and some of the boys even believe that he escaped, a thought that makes them feel better about the situation.
In a way, Griff’s confusion can be blamed on Nickel Academy. After all, the school places no importance on education, making it all the more likely that a student might find addition as challenging as Griff does when he miscalculates how many rounds he’s fought. It’s also possible that having been beaten and made to fight in the past really has affected Griff’s brain, as Turner speculates. And though his victory buoys the spirits of his peers, he comes to a bad end when Spencer and Earl take him “out back” and kill him, once again demonstrating that there is nobody to hold them accountable for their violent actions.
Themes
Fifty years later, the state of Florida digs Griff up and discovers that his wrists were broken before his death, indicating that he was shackled and physically restrained. To this day, the iron rings remain embedded in the oak trees, where Griff was beaten to death. And though few people know about the horrors that took place in this location, the rings themselves are ready to “testify[] to anyone who cares to listen.”
Clarifying that Spencer and Earl did indeed kill Griff, Whitehead invites readers to consider the legacy of Nickel Academy’s violent past. Although these horrific stories have only just reached the ears of the general public, these tales have been around for decades, just waiting for somebody to actually care enough to listen.
Themes
