National Book Award

The National Book Award operates as a symbol of prestige and a fantasy of safety. For both Soot and the narrator, the award seems to promise distance from the dangers that shape their daily lives, as if exceptional recognition might lift them into a category where violence cannot easily reach them. This hope fuels their belief that artistic achievement can function as a shield. The novel shows that while the award offers visibility and opportunity, it cannot deliver the protection or stability they long for.

BLM Protests

In the novel, the Black Lives Matter protests symbolize both the hope real change to systemic injustice and the limits of that hope. Their initial visibility suggests a moment of reckoning, a possibility for societal change that might protect Black lives and affirm belonging. However, as the protests fade from view, the narrative emphasizes the persistence of...