Draft:We Cast A Shadow
American satirical novel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We Cast a Shadow is a novel by Maurice Carlos Ruffin which features a father raising a biracial son in a dystopian future. The novel deals with themes of racism and parenthood.[1] The novel was a finalist for the 2020 PEN/Falkner Award[2] and shortlisted for a Dublin Literary Award.[3]
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Plot
The book takes place in a near-future American South, where an experimental procedure called "demelanization" allows black individuals to pass for white. The unnamed narrator's preteen son, Nigel, has a black birthmark which is growing larger as he ages. The narrator wants his son to undergo demelanization to protect him from ghettos, racism, and police violence.[3]
To afford this procedure, the narrator needs to earn a bonus at his law firm, where he has been promoted to the chair of the diversity initiative. Getting the bonus means impressing the board, which is all white. He dresses in a Zulu costume and dances at a company party. He joins a local diversity group lead by a white man who wears a dashiki. Even when he is involved in a car accident, and a terrorist attack leads to a police crackdown, he is single-minded in his goal to get his bonus.[1]
Reception
The book's use of racism and the changing of black bodies has been compared to the film Get Out. Reviews noted the narrator's self-hating behavior.[1][4] Reviewers praise the fast-paced writing style and anxious tone.[5] Ian Mond of Locus Magazine said that despite hating the narrator, he kept reading. The narrator was never portrayed as a villain or a caricature.[6] The narrative has been called an allegory for the existential struggles of marginalised people in America.[7]