Lovecraft Country

Lovecraft Country explores the racism of the United States in the 1950s through the lens of pulp fiction and literature. The central theme of the book is that the horrors described in the books Atticus loves to read are comparable to the treatment of African Americans at the time. For all of the Lovecraftian monsters and the terrifying magic Atticus and his friends face, their lives are threatened just as much by a routine traffic stop or entering the wrong bar. The seamless way in which African Americans adapt to a world of murderous ghosts and blood magic illustrates how their lives are already a complicated attempt to navigate an impossibly dangerous world. Day-to-day life has provided the characters with practice in how to deal with true horror. The horrors of racism are just as threatening as the magical horrors in the book, though they are much more banal, much more insidious, and much more real.

Part of the horrific nature of racism in Lovecraft Country is the banality of the prejudice. Even minor actions can attract violence. Atticus eats a banana and is openly mocked in public. Later, he tries to eat in the wrong restaurant with his fellow African Americans and they are chased out of town by men with guns. Racism pervades even the most mundane actions, so much so that the characters cannot afford not to think about how they act in a society which does not tolerate their existence as equal and free people. In order to navigate this world, the characters create a spell book of their own. Just as the books written by Titus Braithwhite and Hiram Winthrop help people to understand and navigate the dangers of the magical world, The Safe Negro Travel Guide helps African Americans to navigate a world of white supremacy. The guide helps African Americans eat, travel, and live in a world in which even the simplest action can cost someone their life.

One of the most horrific aspects of racism is the way it is institutionalized. Caleb and Lancaster show how racism perpetuates and endures in the world. Caleb, for example, inherits a vast fortune and access to magic. This wealth allows him to influence politics and shape the world in his image, whether by bribing politicians or by casting spells. He does as he pleases because his access to money and power turns his desires into institutions such as the Order or the local government. Lancaster’s racism is even more institutionalized. As the local police chief, Lancaster is the representation of state authority. The police do his bidding, even when his bidding is illegal. Lancaster has the power to enforce the law how and when he chooses, without recourse. His African American victims have no one to whom they can complain, as Lancaster represents the state itself. He is the instrument of justice and authority which might help them in a fair world, but he embodies the racist views which keep the African American characters subjugated. Lancaster is a symbol of the institution of the state and his role in the novel shows the true horrors of racism: From the foundations up, African Americans have no access to justice or legal authority, as it is always biased against them. The racism in Lovecraft Country is so horrific that it is built into the society and passed down from generation to generation.