Imposing Identities
During discussion in class today, Mr. Mitchell asked the question, “What is Gunnar so mad about?” regarding Gunnar’s drastic decision to (eventually) commit suicide by waiting for the atomic bomb to hit Hillside. This question made me reflect on the book as a whole, and it became clear that one of the biggest factors in Gunnar’s decision was the mentally detrimental effects of white people imposing identities on him throughout his whole life. From the beginning of the novel, Gunnar is framed as the “funny cool black guy”. Although he likes being this person, it’s also an identity that the kids (at his primarily white high school) gave him. In high school, Gunnar is framed as the basketball prodigy, and in college, he’s idolized as a genius poet. Most of these identities seem positive— and even things that other people strive for, which makes it difficult to understand why it’s a problem. However, Gunnar seems to have a big issue with it. He continuously fights back against these ...