Blackass Overview
A. Igoni Barrett's satirical comedy, Blackass, describes the events following a freak transformation in Furo Wariboko's life. Furo was a Nigerian man struggling to get by in Lagos, until he woke up on the day of a job interview to find that he had transformed into a white man. The only things that did not change were his voice and his buttocks. The novel follows Furo as he adjusts to the changes he has undergone, and his newfound whiteness eventually opens up a world of possibilities; Furo meets a woman, gets a lucrative job offer, and gains respect from almost everyone around him because of the transformation. However, Furo's transformation also causes him some issues. Furo becomes insecure about his black buttocks, tries to deal with identity issues, and he struggles to mediate the use of power attained through his high-end job. Blackass chronicles these events through an omniscient narrator for the most part, but the perspective occasionally shifts to a fictional version of the author, who is only known as Igoni, and later as Morpheus. Blackass highlights themes of racial injustice, independence, identity, wealth, and loyalty.
Study Pack
The Blackass Study Pack contains:
