The Protagonist

The protagonist of this story is a black woman who lives with her husband and two children in an affluent neighborhood, which is mostly populated by white people. She is also the narrator of the story. The protagonist lives three states away from her home and her mother, because her husband got a promotion that forced their family to move. Throughout the story, Wilkinson uses this character and her personal narration of events to demonstrate experiences of racism and highlight the challenges of living far away from home.

The protagonist is not named throughout the entire story, which presents some commentary on the state of society from Wilkinson’s perspective. Throughout the story, Wilkinson presents situations that demonstrate the subjugated position of black people throughout history (more on this point in other parts of the guide), so the fact that the protagonist of the story is not...