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Chapter Four
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Nickel Boys, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Trauma and Repression
Unity, Support, and Hope
History, Secrecy, and Racism
Civil Rights, Dignity, and Sacrifice
Power, Fear, and Upward Mobility
Summary
Analysis
The next morning, Elwood tries to look unsurprised by the communal showers, but finds it difficult to suppress his alarm when the ice-cold water hits his skin with a sickly, sulfuric smell. At breakfast, he has trouble finding a place to sit, and when he finally does find one, he focuses on his food, wolfing it down so that he doesn’t have to look at the boy across the table, worrying that the boy will tell him to change seats. This boy’s name is Turner, and he’s astonished to see Elwood eating so quickly. He tells Elwood that he’s never seen somebody eat this food so unhesitatingly, since the food itself is quite disgusting—old oatmeal with heaps of cinnamon to mask its stale flavor.
Elwood is very much on his own at Nickel, though he has Desmond to explain the school’s various routines. In spite of this, he still has to find a place to sit at breakfast, completely unaware of the preexisting dynamics at play in the student body. Needless to say, this feeling of isolation must make it that much harder for him to acclimate to an environment that is already menacing and intimidating.
Themes
Turner has a strange divot in one of his ears, but Elwood doesn’t stare. When Turner asks, Elwood tells him that he’s from Frenchtown, and a boy at the end of the table mocks the way he says this. The boy’s name is Griff, and he’s intimidatingly large. Next to him sit Lonnie and Black Mike, both of whom are just as menacing as their friend. All of the seats around them are empty because the other students know better than to sit next to this fearsome trio. After telling Griff that he should be careful because the staff members have an eye on him, Turner returns to his conversation with Elwood, explaining that he’s from Houston. When Elwood thanks him for telling Griff off, he claims not to have done anything.
Turner’s willingness to stand up for Elwood—even in this small way—is worth noting, especially because of the way he himself conceives of his own kindness. Indeed, when Elwood thanks him for what he says to Griff, Turner denies the fact that he did anything to help. In turn, readers see that Turner sees himself as an individual first and foremost, believing that his bravery in the face of Griff’s comments has nothing to do with Elwood and everything to do with the mere fact that he likes standing up to bullies, something he does for its own sake. This is worth keeping in mind as the novel progresses, since Turner likes to present himself as a staunch individualist even when he can’t keep himself from helping others.
Themes
Elwood parts ways with Turner after breakfast, meeting up with Desmond on the way to class. Desmond tells him that class at Nickel is a good time to get some sleep, and when Elwood says that he was under the impression that Nickel was strict, Desmond tells him that grades have nothing to do with a student’s ability to graduate. For this reason, students focus on earning merits, which—again—have nothing to do with education. If a boy gets enough merits, he can earn an early release from Nickel. To do this, people like Desmond concentrate on staying out of trouble and being good physical laborers—both of which contribute to whether or not a person can become an Ace.
It makes sense that Elwood would be disappointed to learn that academic performance is a joke at Nickel Academy. After all, he was supposed to take college courses, which is the only reason he found his way into a stolen car in the first place. At the same time, though, he can focus on getting enough merits to secure an early release. This, at least, accords with his belief that hard work leads to progress, though the kind of work required is different from what he’d imagined.
Themes
In class that day, Elwood is astounded to see that the textbooks Mr. Goodall hands out are ones he used in the first grade. Throughout the class period, the other boys goof off and sleep while Mr. Goodall does nothing to stop them. At the end of class, he asks Mr. Goodall for more challenging work, and the man promises to take up the matter with Director Hardee.
During this period, Elwood still has reason to hope that his time at Nickel Academy won’t be so bad. Although it’s clear that he won’t receive a terribly good education, Mr. Goodall’s promise to speak to the director about giving him more challenging work keeps up the illusion that the institution is attentive to student needs. As a result, Elwood has yet to understand the extent of his powerlessness at Nickel Academy.
Themes
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That afternoon, Elwood works on the lawn with other Grubs. The leader of this work crew is a Mexican American boy named Jaimie. Because Jaimie has light skin that darkens when he’s in the sun, he frequently gets moved between the black and white campuses. Whenever Spencer sees him amongst the white students, he reassigns him to the black dorms, but when Director Hardee sees him there, he moves him back. Despite this, Jaimie focuses on showing Elwood the grounds. When they reach Boot Hill, the school’s cemetery, they avoid getting too close. At one point, Elwood notices a small white building and asks why nobody has cut the grass surrounding it. In response, two other boys tell him that nobody nears this building unless they’re forced to by a staff member.
The fact that Jaimie goes between the black and white dorms demonstrates the extent to which Nickel still clings to its segregationist policies, which have been banned by the Supreme Court. Despite the law, the school continues to separate its students by race, making it clear that the institution is uninterested in following any rules but its own. Jaimie’s case also reveals that this kind of segregation is inherently nonsensical; he genuinely doesn’t fit into either racial category, but the school is so set on distinctions between black and white that they continue the absurd practice of moving him back and forth. On another note, the secrecy surrounding the white building adds to the ominous nature of Nickel, inviting Elwood—and, in turn, readers—to guess what, exactly, goes on at this school.
Themes
That evening, Elwood decides to think of his time at Nickel as a good test of character, deciding that he will graduate two times faster than anyone would expect. However, his plan to speed through the ranks goes awry later that evening when he sees Lonnie and Black Mike beating up a younger kid named Corey in the bathroom. “Hey,” Elwood says, stepping toward them. Without hesitation, Black Mike whirls around and punches him in the face, sending him hurtling against the sink. Just then, a younger boy opens the door, sees what’s happening, and yells, “Oh, shit.” Just then, a supervisor appears, calls the boys the n-word, and informs them that Spencer will be hearing about this incident.
Elwood’s sense of right and wrong brings itself to bear in this moment, as his attempt to defend Corey ends up getting him—and everyone else involved—in trouble. Although he’s only trying to do a good deed, it quickly becomes clear that it’s dangerous to take a moral stand at Nickel Academy, where racist staff members are quick and eager to punish anyone who does anything out of the ordinary—even if that thing is morally commendable. The staff member’s use of a racist slur again highlights how prejudiced the school is against African American students.
Themes
