Erasure Themes

At the core of Erasure is Thelonious “Monk” Ellison’s struggle to reconcile his own sense of self with the identity that society projects onto him. Monk opens Erasure, which takes the form of his personal diary, with the provocative declaration that he does not “believe in race.” While he recognizes that his dark complexion, his curly hair, and the fact that some of his ancestors were enslaved makes him Black in a strictly…

Erasure begins with Monk’s return to his hometown in Washington, D.C. for a literature conference. At first, he intends only to drop by and say hello to his family, whom he hasn’t seen in a while and with whom he isn’t terribly close. But after his sister Lisa unexpectedly dies and Mother’s early signs of Alzheimer’s become too acute and frightening to ignore, Monk decides to put his life in California on hold…

Erasure is predominantly a searing satire on the American publishing industry and the veneer of so-called “political correctness.” In a broader sense, though, the novel asks important questions about what it means to live an authentic life. In writing and publishing My Pafology (a parody of the genre of so-called “Black” literature that over-relies on exaggerated slang and tired stereotypes) and eventually playing the part of the book’s imaginary author (Stagg R. Leigh…