50 pages 1 hour read

N. K. Jemisin

The City We Became

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Essay Topics

1.

Jemisin wrestles with the theme of institutional racism in various ways. Explore some of the tangible ways racism, both institutional and face-to-face, affects the daily lives of her characters.

2.

Some critics have argued that Jemisin’s handling of White supremacy is unnecessarily heavy-handed. Would the themes of oppression and racism have been too watered down if her White characters had been more nuanced and less one-dimensional?

3.

Jemisin acknowledges the legacy of H. P. Lovecraft on the science-fiction genre while also opposing his well-known racism. In what ways does she both pay homage to Lovecraft and also subvert his White supremacy?