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Introduction
The ‘Nickel Boys’ Book, written by Colson Whitehead, narrates the atrocities of a juvenile reformatory school, Nickel Academy, located in Eleanor, Florida. The main character of ‘Nickel Boys,’ a smart, intelligent, and hardworking African American boy, Elwood Curtis, finds himself at Nickel Academy after being wrongly accused of stealing a car. According to Whitehead, Curtis is not only smart but has a sense of ideological justice. The author periodically uses two different eras to portray acts of violence and racism practiced by both the students and the administration, leading to student killings and secret graveyards. The book is characterized by racism and violent practices that lead to traumatic experiences and unexplained deaths of Nickel Boys’ students.
According to Whitehead, school administrators of Nickel Academy beat-up black students to death before burying their bodies in a secret graveyard within the school. They bury these bodies in secret graveyards to avoid accountability and punishment by the state (Whitehead, 60). These monstrous acts by instructors of Nickel academy are a vivid indication of racial discrimination practiced against students of color. In addition, these teachers are fully aware that what they are doing is wrong and unlawful. Still, it doesn’t stop them from carrying out inhuman acts against black students. In fact, it compels them to harm students of color because they know that nobody will hold them accountable, and chances are, the missing students will not be looked for by their peers because they are from a marginalized group hence their invisibility.
The administration of Nickel Academy sees it fit to separate black students from their white peers. African American boys are put in the Cleveland dormitory that is poorly conditioned while their white peers enjoy comfortable and furnished rooms with all the right equipment to facilitate their private studies in their dormitory situated on another side of the campus (Whitehead, 60). The administration feels the need to deprive black students of a comfortable stay at school despite the government channeling adequate resources towards developing modern and nicely conditioned amenities for all students (Vivian, 5). The idea that black students are inferior and voiceless encourages the administration to continue their evil acts of discrimination (Martín-Salván, 10). This cruelty does not stop there. Black students are subjected to severe punishments when they commit a minor offense, which is unfair. It seems as though the administration of Nickel Academy is trying to get rid of black boys from their institution. The harsh treatment towards them is unbearable.
Curtis is attacked and thoroughly beaten by sexual assaulters as he tries to save a boy, Corey, from being sexually assaulted. They were dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night to the Whitehouse by Spencer and Earl and beaten thoroughly (Whitehead, 55). The rate of crime in Nickel Academy was high, and it became a norm in the school. Students were victims of sexual harassment and physical violence, yet they could not report to the administration. They were aware that no action would be taken against the offenders (Taheri, 15). No action was taken against the individuals who beat down Curtis despite attempting to present the issue to the relevant department. Victims also fear for their safety in the school since reporting such cases would only draw offenders’ attention to their side. Curtis suffered his second attack after he tried to alert the authorities about the corruption taking place in the learning institution. The school administration subjected him to corporal punishment at the Whitehouse. It was clear that no hope or rescue was coming for the school, not even the government. The school administration was discrete with its operations thus could not be found out or subjected to punishment according to the law.
A fast-forward-grown Curtis’s friend Turner, who now goes by the name Elwood admits that the cruel practices in Nickel Academy bruised and traumatized the boys. Following the discovery of dead bodies in a piece of land, Nickel Academy captures the media’s attention. It is where Elwood learns of the get-together organized by the former students of Nickel Academy to celebrate its closure (Whitehead, 100). He is hesitant at first because of the traumatic experiences he witnessed in school. The experiences the boys went through in Nickel Academy left them with permanent scars that they could not get themselves out of (Taheri, 10). The institution’s ruthless disciplinary punishments and the deaths of missing students, terms as “rouge students who ran away,” did a number on those boys. Despite having a job and a stable life, Elwood couldn’t help but feel lonely and traumatized. He remembered the cruel death of his friend Curtis, and it triggered his emotions negatively.
Trauma destabilizes individuals’ minds and bars them from having clear thoughts and being happy and appreciative of their surroundings. Elwood refuses to open up about the death of his friend Curtis even after getting married. He is unable to deal with the traumatic ordeal that cost the life of his friend. He has constant nightmares that wake his wife, yet he claims he is okay and has forgotten them. Traumatized individuals are in a constant state of fear and an emotional rollercoaster (Martín-Salván, 7). Such individuals require a functional support system and professional intervention. On the other hand, Chickee Pete checked into a rehabilitation center to get professional help after the cruelty at Nickel Academy. The first step to overcoming trauma is admitting that one is damaged and needs help. From there, seeking help will come automatically.
Conclusion
Reading the Nickel Boys book allowed me to look at life from a different perspective. The boys’ experiences, especially black boys, made me appreciate my school and the management more for doing their best to maintain equality and put the needs of the students first. I found the book very interesting and educative as well. It enlightened me on some of the challenges that black students go through in their various learning institutions. The book also shows the importance of seeking professional help after a traumatic experience. It is not a sign of weakness, as society often puts it.
References
Martín-Salván, Paula. “A Jail within a Jail”: Concealment and Unveiling as Narrative Structure in Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys.” Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction (2021): 1-16.
Taheri, Z. Bare Life, Violence, and Derealization in The Nickel Boys. Language and Translation Studies (JLTS). (2021): 9-16
Vivian, Tim. “The Nickel Boys.” NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 124.33 (2019): 5-5.
Whitehead, Colson. The Nickel Boys. 1st ed., Doubleday, 2019, pp. 54-100.
