Johnny's Beaded Jewelry

Johnny wears beads from Barbados when he arrives in America, and these beads symbolize his life on Barbados and his attitude toward himself as a black man. He removes the beads in order to fit in during his years at Harvard and the years he tries to hide his ethnicity, but he puts them back on when his secret is out, showing that he is ready to embrace his true identity.

Number 32, Massachusetts Hall, Harvard Campus

This is Johnny's dormitory room and it initially symbolizes his first step toward a Harvard education, which he believes is the first step toward becoming a great man, probably with a future in the American government. It later comes to represent imprisonment as Johnny sees his time at Harvard as largely wasted and wants nothing more than the ability to begin his life.

Common Sense

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