Jemisin wrestles with the theme of institutional racism in various ways. Explore some of the tangible ways racism, both institutional and face-to-face, affects the daily lives of her characters.

Some critics have argued that Jemisin’s handling of White supremacy is unnecessarily heavy-handed. Would the themes of oppression and racism have been too watered down if her White characters had been more nuanced and less one-dimensional?

Jemisin acknowledges the legacy of H. P. Lovecraft on the science-fiction <a data-internal-link data-link-type="Literary Device" href="https://www.supersummary.com/genre-in-literature-definition-examples/">genre</a> while also opposing his well-known racism. In what ways does she both pay homage to Lovecraft and also subvert his White supremacy?

Literary Area of Study

African American Literature

Fiction

Allegories of Modern Life

Book Events

Black History Month Reads

Values & Ideas

Books on Justice & Injustice

Gender

Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity

Social Issues

Contemporary Books on Social Justice

Fantasy

Sexuality

LGBTQ Literature

Science Fiction & Dystopian Fiction

The Best of "Best Book" Lists

N. K. Jemisin

Adult

Novel

Great Cities

Guide

Study Guide

Book Brief

Explore The City We Became reviews, reading age recommendations, and essential genre and thematic details before you start reading.

About The City We Became

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore The City We Became and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

The City We Became Summary and Study Guide

contentWarning

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 2

The City We Became Prologue-Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 3-6

The City We Became Chapters 3-6 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 7-10

The City We Became Chapters 7-10 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 11-13

The City We Became Chapters 11-13 Summary & Analysis

Chapter 14-Coda

The City We Became Chapter 14-Coda Summary & Analysis

character

Character Analysis

The City We Became Character Analysis

theme

Symbols & Motifs

The City We Became Symbols & Motifs

Themes

The City We Became Themes

quote

citation

Important Quotes

The City We Became Important Quotes with Page Numbers

primaryCharacter

Essay Topics

The City We Became Essay Topics

The City We Became

Essay Topics

Related Titles

Featured Collections