62 pages • 2 hours read
Derrick A. BellA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Faces at the Bottom of the Well by Derrick A. Bell is a collection of nine short stories that illustrate the enduring reality of racism and its implications in the United States through fictional narratives and discussions between characters, primarily Geneva Crenshaw and a law professor. The stories explore complex issues such as racial symbols, imagined societies, legal frameworks permitting discrimination, racially motivated violence, advocacy, and futuristic scenarios that challenge traditional civil rights paradigms. The book is a significant text in Critical Race Theory and underscores the idea that racism is a permanent feature of American society. Some stories depict racially motivated violence, systemic discrimination, and oppressive societal structures.
Bell's Faces at the Bottom of the Well incisively critiques enduring racism through allegorical essays and storytelling. Praised for its bold narrative and intellectual depth, it challenges conventional thinking but is occasionally seen as overly pessimistic. Its thought-provoking nature makes it essential for those probing racial justice, despite some criticisms of its unyielding outlook.
A reader who values critical race theory, explores systemic racism, and appreciates nuanced, provocative narratives will enjoy Faces at the Bottom of the Well by Derrick A. Bell. Fans of Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow or Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me will find it compelling.
Lexile Level
1340LRace / Racism
History: U.S.
Sociology
Identity: Race
Values/Ideas: Equality
Society: Nation
Philosophy