Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is the summary or main message of Chapter 4, “A Long-Running Play and the Emergence of Caste in America”?
The chapter describes the emergence of the American caste system through a theatrical metaphor, emphasizing that people are born into roles assigned by society based on race. It traces how caste in America began before the U.S. was a nation, developing over time through slavery, legal systems, and social structures—ultimately creating an enduring hierarchy that continues to affect all people today.
How does Wilkerson use the metaphor of a play to explain caste?
She compares caste to a centuries-long production where people are born into fixed roles with prewritten scripts. These roles are assigned based on caste, not individual character, and stepping out of one’s role can lead to punishment or exclusion.
When and how did the American caste system begin?
It began in 1619 with the arrival of African captives in Virginia, before the U.S. existed. Over time, laws and economic interests solidified racial distinctions and established Africans as the lowest caste.
What was the original basis for inequality in colonial America before race?
Initially, religion (Christian vs. non-Christian) was used to determine who could be enslaved. As Africans converted, colonists shifted to race as the more permanent marker for enslavement and caste.
How does Wilkerson describe the role of slavery in building the American caste system?
Slavery wasn’t just a chapter—it was the foundation of the social and economic system. It created a rigid hierarchy with legal and cultural enforcement, where Black people were treated as property and permanently dehumanized.
According to Wilkerson, when did concepts like “white” and “Black” emerge?
These identities were constructed in the New World. Europeans became “white” and Africans became “Black” as part of the need to justify and sustain a caste system based on visible differences.
How did new European immigrants become part of the dominant caste?
By assimilating into whiteness—distancing themselves from Black Americans, adopting dominant norms, and participating in anti-Black actions—they gained access to status and opportunity.
What effect does playing caste-assigned roles over generations have on people?
People internalize these roles, accepting them as natural. Those in the dominant caste come to expect deference; those in the subordinate caste are conditioned to act subservient, even suppressing their grief and humanity.
Why was slavery in America distinct from other forms of slavery?
It was state-sanctioned, multigenerational, and profit-driven. Enslaved people had no legal personhood and could be bought, sold, tortured, and murdered with impunity.
What does Wilkerson say distinguishes American slavery from other forms?
It was legal, systematic, and protected by state institutions. Escaped victims were returned to torture, and the system turned human beings into long-term economic assets.
What happened after slavery legally ended?
Jim Crow laws, eugenics, and violence were used to restore the caste hierarchy, ensuring Black Americans remained at the bottom and reinforcing white supremacy.
What does the Nigerian playwright mean by saying “there are no Black people in Africa”?
In Africa, people identify by ethnicity (Igbo, Yoruba, etc.), not by race. “Blackness” is a caste identity created by Western societies to classify and subordinate people in the New World.
