” The dark lady had left by the Friedrichstrasse door, and paused for the taxi which the gold-laced porter had summoned. . . .
“Mille remerciements, Monsieur!” said the lady.
Matthew searched his head for the right French answer and he started to step out, but could not remember: “Oh—oh—don’t mention it,” he stammered.
“Ah—you are English? I thought you were French or Spanish!”
She spoke clear-clipped English with perfect accent, to Matthew’s intense relief. Suppose she had spoken only French! He hastened to explain: “I am an American Negro.” ”
I find this portion of the text to be interesting because in it, Matthew claims himself to be American Negro. He hears “French” and “Spanish” and rather than reciprocate the national title of “American”, he specifies “American Negro”. This shows that he views the separation between what it means to be American and what it means to be Black. When Matthew goes to Europe, he meets other peoples of darker or colored complexions (Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian) who wish to deconstruct European imperialism. I think this exchange is really important in establishing the theme of Black nationalism in the novel. By identifying as American Negro in response to the other nationalities listed, it establishes the idea of a sub-nation within the borders of America. This is important because when Matthew later returns to the United States encourages Black nationhood. He gets involved with a militant Black leader in order to push for unionization within the Black porter community. Later, he enters a political career. But I think that this portion of the text is important in foreshadowing future events and one of the major themes of nationalism in the novel.
