Characters
The main protagonist of the novel, a young, idealistic Black boy sent to the Nickel Academy.
Elwood Curtis
The place where boys are brutally beaten with a leather strap.
The White House
The real-life reform school in Florida upon which the fictional Nickel Academy is based.
The Dozier School for Boys
The circumstance under which Elwood is wrongly sent to the Nickel Academy
Being in a stolen car
The type of document that Elwood values and collects, representing truth and historical justice.
Historical records
Elwood's friend and fellow student at the academy, who is cynical and pragmatic about survival.
Turner
The isolation room, a small pitch-black shack used for solitary confinement.
The Iron Closet
The system of racial segregation and discrimination in the American South during the 1960s, a major backdrop of the novel
Jim Crow laws
The event where white and black students interact, highlighting the racial divide and leading to consequences for the Black boys.
The boxing match
The discovery that exposes the full extent of the abuse and murder that occurred at the academy.
Unmarked graves
A woman in the present day who runs a business and helps uncover the truth about the secret graveyard at Nickel.
Harriet
The informal name for the part of the campus designated for Black students
The Crip
The Supreme Court decision that ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, which technically should have applied to Nickel.
Brown v. Board of Education
The event that finally convinces Elwood that the school is truly evil and he cannot simply "endure" it.
His first brutal flogging
The central philosophical struggle for Elwood, deciding whether to follow Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s non-violent approach or turn to cynicism and self-preservation.
the "accept" or "fight" dilemma or flight or fight
The cruel, sadistic superintendent of the Nickel Academy who uses violence and corruption to maintain control.
Mr. Griff
The activity that Black boys are forced to do instead of receiving a proper education, contributing to the academy's profits.
Forced labor
The real-life figure mentioned in Elwood's historical record collection, whose story highlights historical exploitation of Black people.
Ota Benga
The action Elwood and Turner plan
The escape plan
The literary device used to tell the story across two timelines, the 1960s and the 2010s.
a dual narrative
The student who helps Elwood and Turner with their escape plan but ultimately betrays them.
Blakey
The contrasting area of the school, with a nice gym and better facilities, where white students are housed and educated.
The "white" campus?
The main activity in the novel's present-day timeline where a university uncovers unmarked graves at the former school site.
The university investigation
The ultimate outcome for Elwood at the end of the 1960s storyline.
His death
Racism