Do you agree with Chaym’s assertion that “all narratives are lies”? What does he mean when he says this? That we (individually or as a group) revise history to fit our needs, conveniently “forgetting” events that do not suit our agenda? Does the ability to revise the past make it easier to live with?
When Chaym is slated to make his first public appearance as Dr. King, Matthew closely watches the pulpit, unsure if the man at the podium is Chaym or Dr. King. Who did you think was making the speech as you read the novel? Is Chaym capable of giving such a speech? Discuss ways in which Chayms fate might have changed had he, as planned, stood in for Dr. King that fateful day?
As Chaym dejectedly watches Dr. King accept congratulations for his rousing speech at the A.M.E. church, Matthew describes him as “undergoing a living death in the great mans presence.” Doesn’t this statement actually describe what Matthew himself goes through every day?
Chaym’s emotional growth is charted by his drawings. His earlier artwork, completed before he joined the Movement, seems to focus on his own personal misery. Later, he looks outward and depicts the beauty he finds in his surroundings. What other events signal Chaym’s growth?
Part of Matthew’s job is to keep a detailed record of the Movement. Is Matthew an accurate keeper of the flame? Does his role as history’s scribe make him more powerful than Smith, maybe even more powerful than Dr. King?
Matthew describes himself as “the insecure, callow prop in the background of someone else’s story.” Do you agree with his assessment? Is Matthew an observer or a participant in the making of history? Is he underestimating his importance to the Civil Rights Movement because he believes that his contributions are dwarfed by those of “great men” like Dr. King?
In the end, does Dr. King experience a change of heart when he questions the validity of his peaceful methods? Is this Chaym’s influence shining through? Is King giving up or giving in to pressure?
What do you think about Chaym’s ultimate decision to leave? Is he saving himself, or is he making a sacrifice for the good of Dr. King and the Movement? Was his leaving really the only possible outcome to his situation? What do you think ultimately became of Chaym?
What resemblances are there in the story of King and Chaym to the biblical tale of Cain and Abel? Consider the following:
There is a moment when each man discovers God. For King, it is a transforming experience that shows him the way to confront the world’s evil, while Chaym’s faith is short-lived, and he becomes disillusioned by the evils of the world. How does each mans relationship to God affect what happens to him?
What are Chaym’s motivations in helping King? Is his offer to be a decoy a true gesture of self-sacrifice? Or does he covet King’s position as a great and beloved leader?
Chaym eventually succumbs to the FBI’s threats and cooperates with them out of fear, but we never learn exactly what happens to him. Do you think he betrays King? Might he be responsible for his death in some way?
Chaym is able to imitate King in all aspects except his faith in God. Does Chaym represent what King might have been without God?
Many famous figures who came to symbolize peace during their lives (King, Ghandi, Rabin, and even John Lennon) have been struck down by assassins’ bullets. Discuss the irony of such voices of reason being silenced by the violence they loathed. Do you think Dr. King would be America’s martyred symbol for Civil Rights had he not been murdered in his prime? Does his murder allow us to conduct our own kind of historical revision by letting us forget his limits as a man and leader, and focus solely on his tremendous achievements?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHARLES JOHNSON was the first black American male since Ralph Ellison to win the National Book Award for fiction, which he received for Middle Passage. His fiction has been much anthologized, and he was named in a survey conducted by the University of Southern California as one of the ten best short-story writers in America. A widely published literary critic, philosopher, cartoonist, essayist, screenwriter, and lecturer, he is one of twelve African American authors honored in an international stamp series celebrating great writers of the twentieth century. Johnson’s alma mater, Southern Illinois University, administers the Charles Johnson Award for Fiction and Poetry, a nationwide competition inaugurated in 1994 for college students. He was also awarded the MacArthur Fellowship in 1998. He is currently the S. Wilson and Grace M. Pollock Endowed Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Washington and lives in Seattle with his wife, Joan, and their two children.