Awareness and Good Sense of Humor
Lula seems to have studied a lot of characteristics of African American people as she manages to make Clay believe that she knows him by mentioning
details of his life that applied in reality to many African American men of that era. Her statements of African American characteristics that she stereotypes towards
Clay are the evidence of racial stereotyping that appears in the conversation between them. The evidence of racial stereotype that Lula says about Clay is
LULA. You look like you been trying to grow a beard. That’s exactly what
you look like. You look like you live in New Jersey with your parents and are trying to grow a beard. That’s what. You look like you’ve been
reading Chinese poetry and drinking lukewarm sugarless tea. [
Laughs, uncrossing and recrossing her legs.
] You look like death eating soda
crackers. Baraka, p. 2 From the excerpt abpve, Clay seems embarrassed about what Lula states about his
life, based on her knowledge about African American men’s life at his age. Lula finds a space to crawl deeper in revealing Clay’s real identity.
Further statements from Lula make Clay astonished that he could not believe she knows what had happened in his personal experience, although Lula
states that she lies. LULA.
But it’s true, most of it, right? Jersey? Your bumpy neck? CLAY.
How’d you know all that? Huh? Really. I mean about Jersey ... and even the beard. I met you before? You know Warren Enright?
LULA. You tried to make it with your sister when you were ten. Baraka, p. 2
From that conversation, Lula stereotypes about Clay makes him amused. Clay does not believe that Lula seems “know” about his childhood memories with his
sister and about his friend. It goes more and more stereotypes stated that
“magically” makes Clay believes that she knows him very well. Indeed, he still could not be more amused that he states
CLAY. What’re you talking about? Warren tell you that? You’re a friend
of Georgia’s? LULA.
I told you I lie. I don’t know your sister. I don’t know your sister. I don’t know Warren Enright.
CLAY. You mean you’re just picking these things out of the air?
LULA. Is Warren Enright a tall skinny black black boy with a phony English accent?
CLAY. I figured you knew him. LULA.
But I don’t. I just figured you would know somebody like that. [
Laugh
]
.
Baraka, p. 3 Clay still does not believe what Lula is saying about his friend named Warren
Enright; she knows Clay is on the way to Warren’s house. Yet he puts such humor
replies in responding Lula’s statement. Lula claims that she knows Clay because he is a merely a well-known type, the black man who repudiates his racial identity
to adopt a white culture Diyaiy, 14: 2009. However, Lula’s racial stereotypes over Clay do not stop at that
conversation and the writer finds that Lula is enjoying playing her “game” with
Clay’s depiction as a naive man, and his “well-known” life.