Research Paper on:
Guy Johnson's Standing at the Scratch Line

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
but also about the struggle of many men as they try to rise above their presumed positions in society. It is a somewhat tragic tale of the seemingly endless events  in the life of one man, Leroi "King" Tremain. In the following paper we examine the various themes presented in the novel and then examine some of the primary characters  of the novel. Themes As mentioned, this is obviously a book about the African American struggle to some extent. This is known to be a primary theme as  it is a story line that helps to develop the novel itself. Leroi, towards the beginning of the novel, has found himself in a position where he and his uncle  are raiding an adversaries settlement of sorts. The uncle is killed and by the time the battle is over we see that Leroi is responsible for having killed two white  policemen, a fact that puts him in harms way even though the cops were not altogether righteous men. This immediately presents us with the theme of race relations as  Leroi is now a man who is wanted, because he is black. We note that he was put in a position of vulnerability because of his color and this sets  the stage for the entire story. Leroi is sent off to the military rather than prison, and we note a sense of understanding that claims such men are disposable and  should be used in the war, where they can at least do battle and save the country some money in prison housing. In essence, let the black man die rather  than remain useless in prison. This race theme is also seen in the character that becomes his wife, Serena. She is a woman who is very concerning with the