Question

What does the Dick-and-Jane primer symbolize in the novel?

• A. Childlike innocence
• B. A simple family life
• C. The oppressive ideal of white middle-class life
• D. Racial unity in schools

Answer 1

Answer:

C. The oppressive ideal of white middle-class life

The Dick-and-Jane story, with its perfect white family, symbolizes the unattainable American ideal. Its repetition and disintegration in the novel’s opening reflect Pecola’s descent and societal breakdown.