All American Boys

by

Jason Reynolds

David Butler Character Analysis

David is Rashad and Spoony’s father and Jessica’s husband. He has traditional, conservative ideas about discipline, duty, and success, and tends towards “respectability politics” on racial issues. He served in the military and the police force before taking an office job, and always encourages Rashad to join the military because he thinks this is the best thing a black man can do in America. David has a difficult relationship with Spoony, whose political beliefs and other choices he vocally disapproves of. Toward the end of the novel, David admits to Rashad that while working as a police officer, he shot an unarmed black man, Darnell Shackleford, leaving him paralyzed. For most of his life, David has not been able to reckon with his own wrongdoing. However, toward the end of the novel he embraces the importance of protesting police brutality, and in doing so acknowledges his complicity in this issue.

David Butler Quotes in All American Boys

The All American Boys quotes below are all either spoken by David Butler or refer to David Butler. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism, Stereotyping, and Police Brutality Theme Icon
).
1. Friday: Rashad Quotes

I didn’t need ROTC. But I did it, and I did it good, because my dad was pretty much making me. He's one of those dudes who feels like there's no better

opportunity for a black boy in this country than to join the army. That's literally how he always put it. Word for word.

Related Characters: Rashad Butler (speaker), David Butler
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:
5. Sunday: Rashad Quotes

Honestly, I just wanted to take it easy for the rest of the day. I didn’t want to hear Spoony preach about how hard it is to be black, or my father preach about how young people lack pride and integrity, making us easy targets. I didn't even want to think about the preacher preaching about how God is in control of it all, or my mother, my sweet, sweet mother caught in the middle of it all. The referee who blows the whistle but is way too nice to call foul on anyone. That’s her. She just wants me to be okay. That's it and that’s all. So if football was going to be the thing that took our minds off the mess for at least a few hours, then fine with me.

Related Characters: Rashad Butler (speaker), David Butler, Jessica Butler, Spoony Butler, Pastor Jerome Johnson
Page Number: 101
Explanation and Analysis:
12. Wednesday: Rashad Quotes

My dad, my dad, had paralyzed an unarmed kid, a black kid, and I had had no

idea. My dad shot a kid. I mean, to me, my father was the model of discipline and courage. Sure, he was stern, and sometimes judgmental, but I always felt like he meant well. But to that kid––and now my head was reeling––to that kid, my dad was no different than Officer Galluzzo. Another trigger-happy cop who was quick to assume and even quicker to shoot.

Related Characters: Rashad Butler (speaker), Paul Galluzzo , David Butler, Darnell Shackleford
Page Number: 234
Explanation and Analysis:
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David Butler Quotes in All American Boys

The All American Boys quotes below are all either spoken by David Butler or refer to David Butler. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism, Stereotyping, and Police Brutality Theme Icon
).
1. Friday: Rashad Quotes

I didn’t need ROTC. But I did it, and I did it good, because my dad was pretty much making me. He's one of those dudes who feels like there's no better

opportunity for a black boy in this country than to join the army. That's literally how he always put it. Word for word.

Related Characters: Rashad Butler (speaker), David Butler
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:
5. Sunday: Rashad Quotes

Honestly, I just wanted to take it easy for the rest of the day. I didn’t want to hear Spoony preach about how hard it is to be black, or my father preach about how young people lack pride and integrity, making us easy targets. I didn't even want to think about the preacher preaching about how God is in control of it all, or my mother, my sweet, sweet mother caught in the middle of it all. The referee who blows the whistle but is way too nice to call foul on anyone. That’s her. She just wants me to be okay. That's it and that’s all. So if football was going to be the thing that took our minds off the mess for at least a few hours, then fine with me.

Related Characters: Rashad Butler (speaker), David Butler, Jessica Butler, Spoony Butler, Pastor Jerome Johnson
Page Number: 101
Explanation and Analysis:
12. Wednesday: Rashad Quotes

My dad, my dad, had paralyzed an unarmed kid, a black kid, and I had had no

idea. My dad shot a kid. I mean, to me, my father was the model of discipline and courage. Sure, he was stern, and sometimes judgmental, but I always felt like he meant well. But to that kid––and now my head was reeling––to that kid, my dad was no different than Officer Galluzzo. Another trigger-happy cop who was quick to assume and even quicker to shoot.

Related Characters: Rashad Butler (speaker), Paul Galluzzo , David Butler, Darnell Shackleford
Page Number: 234
Explanation and Analysis: