Identity Crisis

I think M. Carl Holman's "Mr. Z" is a rather powerful reflection of most African-Americans' struggle to maintain an identity that they can take pride in, especially those who lived during the Civil Rights Era. It is clear that the man in the poem--presumably, Mr. Z--is African-American: his mother's skin (color) is described as "the sign of error" (1), and he works hard to become completely "Anglo-Saxonized" (8). Mr. Z appears to have been an extremely successful man in life, with "not one false note...struck" (23). Yet along the way, Mr. Z lost an extremely important part of him: his cultural identity. He "disclaimed kinship with jazz and spirituals" (4), two types of music distinctly identified with African-American culture. He "firmly seized/ Whatever ground was Anglo-Saxonized" (7-8), deliberately rejecting any opinion that could be indicative of African-Americans. He even refuses to acknowledge the African-American struggle for equality, instead "choosing the the right addresses...[and] shunn[ing] those places where [he] might be barred" (17-18). Even mingling with those of his race seems to be too much of a social risk for Mr. Z.

In the end, however, the speaker leaves the audience with an ironic closing comment. After Mr. Z dies, his widow is perceived as savagely wrathful toward those who wrote his obituary (as line 24 indicates, she "could have flayed" them). Why? It is because they described Mr. Z as "'One of the most distinguished members of his race'" (26). Now, there are two possible interpretations of the widow's reaction and of its implications that I see. It is possible that the irony lies in the fact that Mr. Z is attributed to the African-American race, when in all actuality, he did everything in his power to avoid connection to that race. More likely, though, the widow's angry reaction simply emphasizes the intent of the last line of the poem. This intent is to state that no matter how hard one attempts to hide an aspect of one's identity, that aspect does not fade. Mr. Z attempted all of his life to avoid being labeled African-American, yet in the end, he is immediately classified as of that race. I think his widow's angry reaction simply stresses the foolishness of such endeavors. Most people would consider being named one of the most distinguished people of one's race as an unimaginably incredible honor. Yet Mr. Z's widow only sees the qualifier "of his race" (26) instead of seeing the honor. Like so many of us, instead of focusing on his talents and embracing his identity, Mr. Z attempted to hide a significant part of him. Yet as is always the case, he could not hide who he was. He simply either could have accepted his identity, embrace it, and use it as a tool to bring about both personal and social success, or he could have futilely tried to kick it under the rug. Obviously, Mr. Z foolishly chose the latter.

Yet could you choose the former and truly and wholeheartedly accept who you are?

I doubt it.