The Human Stain Response

Efrain Gallegos

April 8, 2008

English 250

Dr. Turner

Wed 1:00 1:50

The Human Stain Response

The Human Stain novel is a controversial, dramatic, and profound novel. The novel is surrounded by these factors all around. Coleman Silk denies and neglects his cultural background of being African American. Coleman Silk goes through a series of dramatic experiences throughout the novel. From having an affair with the school janitor and being accused of racial epithets against African Americans students inside a classroom. Coleman Silk’s affair is with an illiterate woman that works as a janitor in the small prestigious school that he use to teach, but is formally a dean now.

In the novel, Coleman Silk shows actions and comments on how he neglects his culture. One of the comments that took me by aback was when Coleman Silk said, “I don’t carry no “N”. This comment took me by surprise in many ways. By attending an HBCU, being around intellectual African American students this comment offended me. Coleman Silk stated this comment to neglect his African American roots. I think he stated this comment to show that he does not carry no “N”. That he does not show the characteristics of a “N,” the type of African American that the media portrays to this country, and the “N” that we as a society think how African Americans carry themselves.

Coleman Silk is wrongfully accused of slurring a racial epithet in a classroom against African Americans. He states that two certain students never attend his class and says, “That if they are spooks.” This statement is