Analysis
The short story “The African-American Special” by Jason Reynolds has a chronological structure. The story follows a conversation surrounding the issue of racial discrimination between two men at a bar.
The main character of the story is Frank Fortune, a regular at the bar where the narrator works. Fortune is outspoken about his disapproval of the younger generation of black people, whom he sees as overly dependent on others and unable to solve their own problems.
The physical setting of the short story is a bar in Washington DC. Though the story is set in the present day, there are mentions of multiple historical events that were significant in the fight for racial equality in the United States.
The story is told from the point-of-view of a first-person narrator who is also a character in the story. The narrator’s comments often help to provide context for the story and to reveal the background of other characters, such as Frank Fortune.
The language of the short story is largely informal and conversational. There is a particular focus on dialogue, which features elements of African-American Vernacular English and filler words that help to make the conversation sound authentic and realistic.
You can read a full analysis of the short story on the following pages.
Excerpt from the study guide:
