Reverse-Racism

In the story Mrs. Wilson is acting overly nice to her son’s friend Boyd. This is a reverse-racism situation. She has assumed that since he is black he has no money, home, or food to eat. As you read throughout the story you find that Boyd has father who possibly makes more money than Mrs. Wilson’s family does and that others in his family are finding success. When it states that “Mrs. Wilson felt defeated” it means that she felt awkwardly that she was wrong about Boyd. She then tries to overwhelm Boyd with a very large offer of clothes they don’t wear for free as if she were almost forcing him to say he was poor and needed them. When Boyd rejects the offer and mentions he has plenty of clothes Mrs. Wilson starts getting angry. She thinks that just because she saw someone who is black living on the streets that all of them must be poor.