The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2019, is a heartbreaking and exquisitely written book that addresses two of America’s most sinister realities: the pervasive brutality of reform schools and the lingering effects of racial injustice. The novel, which draws inspiration from the real-life Dozier School for Boys in Florida, reveals how organizations intended for “reform” frequently served to prolong cycles of racial violence, abuse, and corruption.

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The narrative is on Elwood Curtis, a bright and idealistic Black adolescent in Florida in the 1960s whose life is irrevocably changed when he is admitted to the juvenile reformatory Nickel Academy by a little act of trust. Elwood agrees with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that injustice can be defeated by moral justice and tenacity. However, Nickel brutally destroys such ideas. Turner, a more realistic and cynical child who feels that giving up hope is necessary for survival, goes with Elwood. The story’s emotional centre is their friendship, which represents the conflict between idealism and realism in the face of structural oppression.

Whitehead writes in an emotionally compelling yet deceptively straightforward style. He lets the horror speak for itself by presenting the abuse in clear and unambiguous terms rather than sensationalizing it. The novel’s ability to connect the past and present is what gives it such strength. Current discussions concerning mass incarceration, racial violence, and the legacy of Jim Crow are echoed by the discoveries of the concealed graves at Nickel.

A startling turn of events in the book’s closing act reinterprets everything that has happened before it, intensifying its emotional impact and leaving readers uneasy long after the last page.

Strengths of the novel

A brief story with a profound effect.

Characters with rich illustrations, especially Turner and Elwood, whose divergent perspectives emphasise the intricacy of morality.

A harmony between literary creativity and historical authenticity.

Drawbacks of the novel

Because of the novel’s briefness, some readers might wish it included more information about the larger historical background and supporting characters.

It is a challenging yet essential book due to its emotional depth.

The Nickel Boys is an act of recollection as much as a book. Whitehead makes sure that the boys who suffered at the Dozier School are remembered by making the actual atrocities into a fictitious story. Anyone who wants to comprehend the profound wounds of America’s racial past should read it.