Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man: Motifs 1 key example

Although the narrator describes this woman's name as "very aristocratic sounding" and fitting for her appearance, he declines to offer the actual name. The rich widow is far from the only character who goes unnamed. In fact, virtually every character, including the narrator receives either an epithet or a nickname in lieu of a proper name. The narrator's ostensible reason for this, which he lays out in Chapter 1, is that he does not want to draw attention to anyone who might be endangered or embarrassed by what he has to say. This is a fair reason in and of itself. The rich widow has been murdered by the time the narrator is writing, but her name could be a bread crumb leading to other people involved in the goings-on at the "Club."

It is worth reflecting, though, on the fact that this "autobiography" is actually a work of fiction. Even if Johnson was inspired by some real people and events, the characters are not real people who need to be protected. The anonymity is not out of place in a novel that presents itself as if it were a true autobiography. But it also reflects the narrator's lifelong interest in secrecy, blending in, and passing. By maintaining some level of anonymity for himself, the narrator has been able to tuck himself into many different corners of society. His ability to pass for white and let people believe what they want to believe about him has allowed him not only to get ahead financially, but also to observe a huge cross-section of society. In his "autobiography," he flirts with the idea of unmasking himself once and for all. But even as he reveals his secrets, he keeps his name and the names of his connections to himself. He ultimately maintains this individual secrecy even as he aims to pull back the curtain on the inner lives of Black people at the time.