Thoughts on the Ending of Angry Black White Boy

When I read the ending to Angry Black White Boy, I was shocked. I really didn’t expect for Macon to die at the end, let alone be murdered in Alabama. Although that entire last book didn’t make me happy reading it, I felt like at the end things were starting to shape up at least a little bit. Leo and Macon are getting saved from the crazy racist Alabama men that look like they are going to beat and kill Macon and Leo. I sort of felt betrayed by Nique and Donner when I found out that the Alabama guys are just actors hired by them to be a part in their sick joke to get Macon to do what they wanted. It seems too intense of a joke for me. Especially hurting Leo. Nique seemed rightly outraged by it saying things like, “This how you treat the brothers, Con? What type of acting you call that?” (333). However, Donner cares more about his business than the situation at hand which makes Donner seem like a mad scientist villain in my mind. The entire test they put Macon through just seems unnecessary but it was an interesting turn of the already unconventional hero narrative.  

Although Donner and Nique were sort of the antiheros/villians in this scenario for orchestrating such a terrible nightmarish test for Macon, they also felt like the heros for making the torture of Leo and Macon stop. After Nique and Donner swooped in from the helicopter, though, Mansbach doesn’t give them the stereotypical “hero saving everyone and making everything peaceful” ending. Instead he makes the fate of Macon out of our perceived hero’s control. But, I’m not too surprised about that since Macon’s heroic journey is weird from the beginning. For the longest time Macon is convinced he is on a heroic journey while everyone else (including us readers) are very skeptical. Things like robbing white people with a gun when they’re talking bad about black people is up for debate about being heroic or not. It seems like Mansbach is making us question our definition of a hero throughout this book. Are they a hero if they’re doing illegal things? (Macon robbing people). Are they a hero if they have ulterior motives? (Macon doing everything to get the guilt of Cap Anson off of his shoulders). Are they a hero if they’re going through a time in their life when they don’t feel up to the challenge? (Macon deserting everyone to go to Alabama). Do you guys even think Macon is a hero at any point in this book?

The Ending of Room

When I was reading Room, I was a little skeptical about how the book would end. I really wanted the ending to be satisfying. But, I wanted it to be realistic as well. I was afraid that the book would end with Jack and Ma being perfectly normal and used to the outside world. When I got the the ending, though, I thought Donoghue did very well.

           Going back to Room is a great way to end the story. In the structure of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, there is usually a return to the familiar world after the quest is over. Of course, at the beginning of the book, Room is the normal world for Ma and Jack is Room. However, at this point in the book, it’s also transformed into the unknown. “... and Shelf but nothing on her, and our chairs folded up but they’re all different. Nothing says anything to me. ‘I don’t think this is it,’ I whisper to Ma” (319). The way that the known and unknown switch with each other is really interesting. I suppose that the switching is part of Jack’s and Ma’s journey though. For the rest of their lives, they’ll continue to make the unknown parts of the outside world the known parts of their world.    

Going along with the hero’s journey, traveling back to Room is it’s little heroic journey on its own for Jack, and especially for Ma. Ma is being brave throughout the entire seen. She pukes, yet she continues to stay with Jack to see Room. Ma even offers to battle one of her monsters, having the door closer. “Ma does a tiny smile. ‘Do you--?’ She clears her throat. ‘Would you like the door closed for a minute?’” (320). This is just another example of how throughout the entire book, Ma is extremely brave during her journey.

             I think that Donoghue’s choice of not depicting Ma and Jack as having solved their problems makes the story even more rich. More realistic and real, which was a theme throughout this book.