Dreams from My Father

Chapter 4

Introspection and Reflection

In Chapters One, Two and Three, Obama discusses stories, articles and books that he reads as a child and as a young man which help him to learn about himself and the world. In Chapter One, these are creation myths; in Chapter Two, it’s the article about the black man who tried to make his skin white; in Chapter Three, Obama describes how he retreated to his room at night to read classic novels and texts about race in America. All of these books and articles affected Obama’s thinking. What books and articles that you read as a child or teenager affected you? Was your experience similar to Obama's?

In Chapter Four, Obama matures and changes in many ways. Think about the ways in which you changed from the time you were 10 until you were 18. What happened to you? How did your relationships with your friends and family members change? What choices did you make then that still affect you today? What did you learn about yourself during those years? What do you have in common with Obama?

Suggestions for Essays, Presentations, and Research Projects

As Obama matures, so does his understanding of himself as a black person with experiences that are quite different from those of his white mother and grandparents. He encounters some racist attitudes and reacts to them. In an essay, or presentation, please choose one or two of these episodes, explain what happened, and discuss what Obama learns and how the experience affects his understanding of himself, his family, and the larger world of race relations.

On page 82, Obama writes, “We weren’t living in the Jim Crow South, I would remind him. We weren’t consigned to some heatless housing project in Harlem or the Bronx. We were in goddamned Hawaii. We said what we pleased, ate where we pleased; we sat at the front of the proverbial bus.” In an essay or presentation, please explain what Obama means by these statements. To what is he referring when he writes of Jim Crow, places to eat and the bus? Why is Hawaii so different from the mainland U.S. You will need to do some research in order to write this paper. You may also want to refer back to pages 24 and 25 to re-read Obama’s references to Hawaii as “the one true melting pot.”

Use the links below to learn a bit about each of the African-American authors Obama mentions on page 86 (Ralph Ellison, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois and Malcolm X). Choose one of the authors and read one of his books. Write a review of the book. What happens? What did you learn from reading the book? How did reading the book you chose help you to understand racial identity formation in general, and Obama in particular?

Useful Links for Further Research

Hawaii and Race Relations

James Baldwin

Ralph Ellison

Langston Hughes

Richard Wright

W.E.B. DuBois

Malcolm X