Analysis of ‘Blackout’

Summary

The title of the short story has three meanings. Literally, it is a black out (power outage).
Symbolically, it represents the need to end the racist view of society and finally, it is a pun on
the title, meaning the need to get Blacks (Negroes) out of the way.

Through a brief encounter between a poor but confident Black Jamaican man and a confident
white American woman, Mais shows how the man’s simple request for a cigarette to be lit
leads to an awkward conversation that is interpreted by the woman as improper. The
challenge to her biased white American values presents the woman with an internal conflict.

Setting

The setting is in Kingston, Jamaica but it is also set in the time period of the Second World
War (1939-1945) when lynchings and burnings occurred in the USA and violent gangs
existed in Jamaica.

Narrative Techniques

Use of dialogue

This allowed the reader to learn more about the characters, specifically their personality and
Use of Reflections

The reflections of the lady may be observed when she boards the bus and is tempted to take
one last look at the man she had just met but yields to societal pressure. The unnamed man
also reflects on the lady’s view of Black people being inferior.

Use of Figurative Language


 Personification  Pun
 Metaphor  Sarcasm
 Repetition  Irony
 Oxymoron  Contrast
 Symbolism

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Themes


 Racism (Race and Colour)
 War
 Equality/Inequality
 Prejudice
 Wealth and Poverty
 Male and Female Relationships
 Barriers: Classism and Racism
 Pride
 Appearance versus Reality
 Women in Society
 Men in Society

Mood

Judgemental and Tense

Tone

Biased

Point of View

It is written in the third person by an omniscient narrator who is unnamed.

Diction

The short story is riddled with racial insinuations such as, “blacker shadow”, “the fact that he
was black”, “(Do you believe) that all men are created equal”

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Characters/Characterization

Unnamed Male

 He is self-confident.
 He is critical of prejudice.
 He is proud of his society’s tolerance of all races.
 He is tall but stooped.
 He believes in equality.
 He is poor.
 He is a smoker.
 He is polite

Unnamed Female

 She pays attention to details.

 She is very prejudiced.
 She does not believe in racial equality.
 She is a smoker.

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