After you, my dear Alphonse!

Summary: The short story “After You, My Dear Alphonse” by Shirley Jackson
shows two boys, Johnny, and Boyd, using the expression “After you, my dear
Alphonse” playfully. Mrs. Wilson, Johnny’s mother, invites both boys to lunch.
She is surprised to see that Boyd is African American. 

Mrs. Wilson insists that Boyd must eat well and starts asking him about his
family. Boyd reveals that his father works in a factory. Mrs. Wilson, who
assumes that he does physical labor, is surprised to find out that Boyd’s father
is a foreman. When Mrs. Wilson asks Boyd about his mother, he reveals that
she does not work and that she takes care of him and his sister. Johnny also
tells Mrs. Wilson that Boyd’s sister, Jean, is going to become a teacher.

Surprised that Boyd does not have more siblings, Mrs. Wilson insists that Boyd
needs to eat as much as he wants to. She then offers Boyd some of Johnny’s
old clothes, and she also wants to give Boyd’s mother and sister some of her
old dresses. Boyd is confused and says that he has plenty of clothes and that
his family can afford to buy anything they need. 

Mrs. Wilson expresses her disappointment at what she believes to be Boyd’s

ungrateful attitude and proceeds to clear the table while he is eating. The boys
go back outside to play, while discussing Mrs. Wilson’s attitude which they do
not seem to understand.

Setting: The short story “After You, My Dear Alphonse” by Shirley Jackson
takes place somewhere in the United States of America. In the year 1940s-50s,
the period after the World War II. In the story, Shirley Jackson explores
prejudice and racism through Mrs. Wilson’s character. She also briefly
mentions World War II, which suggests that the story presents a realistic
setting. The story takes place in Johnny’s house. They live in the time when
black people were discriminated by white people. Most of the black families
were poor but there were still some families with a good economy situation
that is the case of Boyd’s family, one of the main characters.
Characters: We have 3 persons in this short story. Mrs. Wilson(Antagonist),who
is Johnny’s mother is a white woman about 43 years old that appears to be a
little bit judging, the time she offers Boyd clothing when she hears that his father
works in a factory and his sister works as a teacher. She comes across as a typical
mother, concerned with wellbeing of her son. However, from the moment when
she notices that Boyd, her son’s friend, is African American, Mrs. Wilson begins
to display her racism and prejudiced attitude. Johnny (Static),who is Mrs.
Wilson’s son is White , and Boyd’s friend. The last person in the story is
Boyd(Protagonist), who is African American probably the same age as Johnny,
which means about 12 years old.

Learning (Moral): In the short story “After You, My Dear Alphonse”, Shirley
Jackson explores the theme of prejudice. She does this through Mrs. Wilson,
one of the main characters. Mrs. Wilson’s prejudice and underlying racism
towards her son’s African-American friend, Boyd, are hidden under a mask of
generosity and hospitality. Even though she receives plenty of information that
suggests Boyd’s family is quite well-off, Mrs. Wilson’s prejudice prevents her
from accepting it.

Mrs. Wilson’s prejudice against African Americans makes her imagine that all
black people are poor and have to do physical labor. She also imagines that
Boyd must have lots of siblings and that his parents must find it difficult to
provide for them all. 

The theme of prejudice is connected with the feeling of white superiority,

which Mrs. Wilson displays towards Boyd. The title contrasts Johnny’s mother,
Mrs. Wilson’s prejudice nature to polite and friendly nature of the children. The
children are portrayed as being oblivious to skin colour and are accepting due
to the fact that children don’t know discrimination. Children, who are the
pillars of the society are being affected by the prejudice and racism, which they
actually learn from their parents or relatives.

Comparison: The story “After you, my dear Alphonse” by Shirley Jackson based
on prejudice and racism that exist in the society is compared to the topic we
studied ‘Prejudice and Racism’ that existed in Australia on level F. How
Australians treated the Aborigines in Australia and how they pushed them out
of their house and land. The Australians still discriminate white and black
people in the society, whether it is getting education or finding job.
We can also compare it with, The Black Codes- Jim Crow laws we studied on E
level, which tells about the blacks who lived in the south and north America
were declared to be the citizens of America, and were given freedom from
slavery by the President of the United States. With this change and decision,
the Whites in America do not want to loose their rights and power so in the
south the blacks were treated as slaves and like the property of whites who can
be bought and sold to other land owners. This is clearly visible in the movie “
12 years a Slave” we saw on E level. The blacks were kidnapped and forced to
live a life of a slave and sold to the land owners. They were molested by the
whites and had no freedom of speech.

Opinion: Based on the story “After you, my dear Alphonse” and the topics we
studied on E and F level, which focuses on prejudice and racism that exist in the
society for example. Australia or America or any other countries. There is one
thing common and that is the mindset of the whites towards blacks. Whites
always thinks that blacks are their property, and they are less than them in
education or their living standards or working conditions. They also think that
blacks are poor and must do physical labour. The parents of whites stop their
children to play with the black children because of their different colours and
they are not allowed to come and enter the house of whites. This shows that
they have the stigma of being racist and they want their children to accept and
understand this difference and discriminate between the races.
My opinion about this is that we should understand that everyone is equal and
share their rights equally. All races should be respected and given the equal
status in the societies, and this will start to happen when we as a person
understand and try to make our kids learn and respect all the races of the
society. Children should be given rights to make the friends of their choice and
their choice should not depend on their parents.