Mr. Z

"Won scholarships, attended the best schools," (Line 3)

          Scholarships! Success! A wife! Climbing the social ladder! Flourishing! This man is exceptionally driven, but I fear for his mental stability more than his credit score. The poor guy has obviously been motivated his entire life, and he has attained great success. But did he ever enjoy life? I found it interesting that his life was so clean-cut: no indiscretions, no screw ups. However, I was appalled for him by the last line, "One of the most distinguished members of his race." This incredible human being works hard for his entire life only to be defined as a successful man of a particular race. This poem is a prime example of the caps that racism and stereotyping puts on society. Even after all of his success, the community as a whole only sees him for the color of his skin, and that disgusts me.