Book details
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
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Stored record
Metadata
- Gutenberg ID
- —
- Title
- The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
- Language
- en
- Book source
- Global Grey
- Description max 80 words
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James Weldon Johnson's fictional autobiography offers a dispassionate yet sympathetic glimpse into the complex racial dynamics of late 19th-century America. Through the eyes of a mixed-race narrator, the narrative explores the pressures of prejudice that force fair-complexioned individuals to pass as white, revealing the hidden tragedies and sacrifices behind the scenes of the race drama.
- Summary up to 500 words
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In James Weldon Johnson's *The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man*, the unnamed narrator recounts his life as a mixed-race man born in Georgia after the Civil War and raised in Connecticut by a loving mother. Possessing natural talent for music and literature, he is educated privately before entering public school, where he confronts the harsh realities of segregation. Despite his light complexion and aristocratic upbringing, he lives in constant fear of his heritage being discovered. His life takes a dramatic turn when he falls in love with a wealthy, fair-skinned woman who is unaware of his background. After confessing his identity, she rejects him, forcing him to flee to New York to avoid social ruin. In the city, he navigates the underground world of Black Bohemians, famous entertainers, and the "Club," a hub for prize fighters and minstrels. He struggles with gambling and the temptation to pass, eventually marrying the woman he loves and moving to Europe. The story concludes with the tragic death of his wife and children, leaving the narrator to reflect on his life as a "white man" who sacrificed his talent and ambition to protect his family from the stigma of race, ultimately feeling he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.
- LLM editorial rating
- 4.2/5
- Download URL
- https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/ebooks/james-weldon-johnson_autobiography-of-an-ex-colored-man.epub
- Local file path
-
data/epubs/url-225f59f6f1c82dbd.epub - Downloaded at
- 2026-06-30 02:07 UTC
People
Authors
- James Weldon Johnson
Classification
Categories
- Fiction
- American Literature