Section 1 Summary and Analysis

This book consists of two essays, both examining the so called "Negro Problem" in America in the early 1960's ("Negro" was the term then in use for African-American, and is used interchangeably with the term "black" in this book. The use of both terms in this analysis is therefore reflective of their usage in the book, and of the socio-cultural-literary context in which they were written). Themes other than "the Negro Problem" explored include an examination of the shallowness and ineffectiveness of religious faith, and of inter-generational influences and relationships.

"My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation". This first part of the book is, in fact, what the subtitle suggests it is: a letter written by the author to his nephew. The letter begins with descriptions of how the loving and passionate the...