The Boondocks

I did a presentation on Identity within the comic strip The Boondocks. I focused on some of the main characters, and how they deal with identity. Huey, the older brother sees himself as a black revolutionary. He sees himself as a real black man, who doesn't want to be controlled by the white man. Then there is Riley, the youngest boy. He sees himself as a real thug. He goes around "acting tough" and reinforcing stereotypes others have of blacks. I feel that Riley is pretending to be something he is not. It seems to me that he is trying to portray a character he thinks everyone wants to see. The next character I focused on was Jasmine. She is a biracial girl, who is confused as to who she is. She says that she isn't black, but she doesn't say she is white. She is very confused as to what her race is and the type of person she is in general. I feel her parents are creating this confusion, because they don't want to let her know that she is of mixed races and explain to her what she is, and how to deal with her image and the image others have of her. The Boondocks is a tale of identity and race plays a major role in the way the characters behave as well as view themselves. To understand The Boondocks, you must read between the lines.