Shame and Ignorance

This theme is centered around the feelings Irving experienced as she gained knowledge and understanding throughout her learning journey. She realized she had been operating from a place of ignorance about racism her entire life and felt shame for not having seen racial injustice for what it was sooner. However, her ultimate message to the reader is that ignorance can be overcome and that, while acknowledging one's mistakes is vital, shame is not a productive emotion.

Irving provides many examples of instances in which she felt ashamed of her ignorance, particularly when it came to her white privilege and all it had afforded her in life. She describes feeling shocked and sickened upon learning that her family's wealth was a product of the GI Bill, for instance, benefits that were quite often denied to black veterans.

After she began learning about systemic racism in her class...