Chapter 3 Summary

The chapter begins with a quotation drawn from James Baldwin’s essay “On Being White… and Other Lies,” published in 1984: “because they are white,” they have brought humanity to the “edge of oblivion.” In Chapter 1, Coates explains his reasons for admiring Prince Jones. In Chapter 2, the author recounts Prince Jones’ shocking murder by a Prince George’s County police officer. Now, Coates turns to the story of his visit to Dr. Mable Jones, Prince’s grieving mother, at her home outside Philadelphia. Although he went to Prince’s memorial service, he visits Dr. Jones to offer additional condolences.

Coates portrays Mable Jones as a formidable, impressive figure. Born in humble circumstances, she made a pact with a second-grade classmate that they both would become medical doctors. She won a full scholarship to Louisiana State University and specialized in radiology in medical school. Despite her wealth and success—and all the care and time poured into raising her children—the racist and violent American system still claimed the life of her son. Seemingly stoic about Prince’s death, she also reveals the endurance of struggle.

Chapter 3 Analysis

Coates uses a quotation from James Baldwin’s essay “On Being White… and Other Lies” to stress that “whiteness” is an artificial construct, created by people in power to justify the denigration and dehumanization of Black people. “Whiteness,” Coates argues throughout, is ultimately a false identity and an instrument of genocide.

Coates’ visit to Dr. Mable Jones is deeply significant to his major themes in the book. On one level, the character’s rise from poverty to affluence and her material success in attaining a better life for her children testify to her persistence and determination. On another level, however, Prince’s death exemplifies Coates’ thesis that the purposeful destruction of Black bodies is deeply ingrained in the American psyche and heritage. Dr. Jones’ dignity and composure serve implicitly as validation for Coates’ idea that the obligation of struggle is the best way for a Black person in America to live a sane and creditable life.