Establishing Manhood and Reshaping the Idea of Black Masculinity

This is the central theme of the novel. The journey of the old men is one of discovering purpose through action and ultimately results in an awakening of self. Having been the victims of circumstances and their own unwillingness to face up to the challenges which confronted them, the old men seek to reclaim the evasive feeling of what it truly means to be men worthy of respect. Although Mathu is upheld throughout the story as the epitome of the masculine ideal, the old men, through their courage, dedication, and willingness to fight for Mathu’s cause, become the architects of their own fates and by the end assert their worth as men and human beings.

Racial Interdependence

Though subtle in many respects, the notion of separate races being dependent on one another arises frequently throughout the novel. The most...