What role does racism play in the novel Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld? Or How is racism represented in the novel Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld?

In the novel, Prep, Lee, the main character, often claims that there is no racism at Ault. She believes that there are all different races and nationalities at her school means that there isn't racism. What she doesn't realize is that she is blind to the racism and is often bias herself. Lee makes racial assumptions about Conchita because she is Mexican. Ms. Moray’s English class flirts with the idea of racism by giving an inappropriate portrayal from the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Note, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, is an important text with a lot of lessons to be learned, but the context must be presented in the proper way.

Darden, a black boy who is in Lee’s class, also has experiences in which he comes face to face with racism at Ault. The reporter from the “New York Times” planned to portray him as an angry black man to promote her own agenda. Darden, however, saw what she was doing and ended the He was able to recognize her intent and shut it.

When Lee speaks with the reporter, she says, “It’s just sort of known that people from certain minorities are almost always on scholarship”, and once again, she is making assumptions based on race. She goes even further when she notes that there aren't more white students at the school because it would interfere with the school's diversity: “We don’t add diversity to the school. And there are plenty of white kids whose parents can pay”. In making this statement, Lee indicates the officials at Ault not only are concerned about diversity and allow some minorities to attend so they can keep up appearances but also that the bottom line in student recruitment is money.