Group 2 post 2/25

An important theme throughout Plum Bun is the constant struggle for identity particularly because of the diverse complexions in the Murray family. Race during this time period was more than just a social construct, it was a law that categorized and told people who could associate with who. It went much further, defining people 's friends, where people could live and especially what rights certain people had. For example it was appalling that Angela could be viewed as a close friend  just because her friends thought she was white, then, as soon as they learned she was black, they changed their entire perspective of her. Despite having built a trusted friendship with her, all ties were severed simply because of a social construct.

This social construct is so deeply ingrained that the Murray family has a very defining moment in the introduction of this book. While Angela and Mattie are out shopping and "passing" for white they have to blatantly ignore their family members in order to maintain their false identity. In the Home section of Plum Bun race and identity are further emphasized. The Murray family appears to be the perfect family, however there is also a very clear divide within the family. Because of this the characters have individual struggles with maintaining their strong familial bond amidst this chaos. It is difficult to define a family during this time because being black in society is actually counterintuitive to having a wholistic functional family. Mattie is ashamed of the fact she cannot claim her family in public while "passing" so that she can enjoy her simple pleasures of life. Junius and Virginia have had no choice but to come to terms with how their family functions because they do not have the option of disguising themselves in public. Angela is still young and grappling with the anger and misunderstanding of the concept of racism. However she denies these issues more than confronting them because she does not fully understand why her family is the way it is, or rather why society functions the way that it does.

This book is a principal example of this ultimately irrational yet very real and legally enforced social construct of race. It speaks to the value of blackness in society during this time period and how much it factored into the categorization of people. This institutional oppression impacts black people from every aspect, including those who can "pass" and especially those who cannot. As the reader we have the ability to view the different perspectives that something as simple as skin tone can actually be so complex and impactful on one's life despite the fact it technically does not exist.