Book Review – Black Girl, White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates (2006)

When Genna Hewett-Meade started her Freshman year at Schuyler College near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she hoped her classmates would not recognize that her family name of Meade matched the name of the founder of Schuyler College, her ancestor Elias Meade. Genna was an excellent student and need not have worried; Freshman girls paid little attention and did not connect her with the founder.

Schuyler College, an all-girls college, was proud of its anti-discrimination reputation and numbered several black girls among its present and past enrollees. Genna was welcoming to Minette Swift, a black girl, who shared her suite in Haven House, the most liberal residence hall on campus. She was disappointed that Minette did not care to return her friendliness and made little effort to make conversation with her.

In fact, Minette had a tendency to make enemies with more than one of her classmates. And even though she loved being in the distinguished Schuyler singing group known as the Bob-O-Links, a disagreement with the choir director caused Minette to voluntarily leave the group. When her textbook “The Norton Anthology of American Literature” went missing, Minette sensed her first inkling of racial prejudice at Schuyler.

Genna had her own set of baggage which caused her uneasiness. Her father was a nationally known lawyer, prominent in defending draft dodgers and other government protestors, which often entailed his being away from home for several weeks at a time. Genna’s mother Veronica reacted to this obligation by exhibiting strange public behaviors which often caused embarrassment to Genna.

Things came to a head in Haven House when Minette retrieved an envelope from her mail box at Haven House bearing her name “Min Swift” inside of which was a paper with three words “Niggr Go Home,” the misspelling seeming deliberate. Minette slowly became ill, gained considerable weight, had difficulty keeping up with her school work, and was allowed to transfer to a single room in the illustrious Stone Cottage, Schuyler’s alumni house.

Genna tried to remain friends with her former roommate and visited her at the Stone Cottage where Minette’s religious tendencies were practiced overtly. Genna was greeted by several candles throughout Minette’s room which seemed a danger to Genna.

Several unexpected events bring this odyssey to a close, leaving the reader with a strange and sad feeling. Joyce Carol Oates has a talent for bizarre writing; this effort of hers lives up to her reputation. If you are a Joyce Carol Oates fan, you will certainly be pleased. If not, you will be introduced to a form of story-telling both weird and gut-wrenching, unlike any other writing you have explored.

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Black Girl, White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates (2006)