Playing in the dark (1992) Parents Guide: Is the book OK for kids?
Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison brings the genius of a master writer to this personal inquiry into the significance of African-Americans in the American literary imagination. Her goal, she states at the outset, is to "put forth an argument for extending the study of American literature ... draw a map, so to speak, of a critical geography and use that map to open as much space for discovery, intellectual adventure, and close exploration as did the original charting of the New World--without the mandate for conquest."… Sign up for the full guide
Adult • 1992 • 91 pages • Lexile 1400L (high school or more advanced reading difficulty)
This is a short book of academic literary criticism written for adult scholars, not a novel, and the difficulty is the reading level rather than the content: Morrison argues that American literature was shaped by an unspoken 'Africanist presence' created by slavery. Parents should know it quotes racial slurs directly from the older novels it analyzes and discusses the sexual coercion of enslaved women as a literary subject, all in a… Sign up for the full guide
Is Playing in the dark appropriate for kids?
This is a short book of academic literary criticism written for adult scholars, not a novel, and the difficulty is the reading level rather than the content: Morrison argues that American literature was shaped by an unspoken 'Africanist presence' created by slavery. Parents… Read more — free account
Content severity in Playing in the dark
What happens in Playing in the dark, moment by moment
- p. 3 🔥 Mature Themes 2/10
- p. 7 🔥 Mature Themes 3/10
- p. 13 🔥 Mature Themes 2/10
Sex and nudity in Playing in the dark
No sexual scenes are depicted, but Morrison analyzes sexual content in the novels she reads. Her discussion of Willa Cather's 'Sapphira and the Slave Girl' turns on a plot in which a slaveholding wife arranges for her nephew to rape the enslaved girl Nancy, and Morrison examines what that arrangement reveals about the author's assumptions. Her reading of Hemingway also touches on racialized sexual availability and eroticized skin color in his fiction. The treatment is scholarly and abstract throughout, focusing on…
Read more — free accountViolence and gore in Playing in the dark
There is no depicted violence. Morrison discusses the historical brutality of American slavery and the violence embedded in the fiction she analyzes, including the racialized terror at the close of Poe's 'Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.' References are analytical and brief rather than described in detail. She explores the psychological violence of silencing a population to serve as a backdrop for another group's narrative. The mention of physical harm, such as the death of a Black servant in Poe's work, is used to…
Read more — free accountLanguage in Playing in the dark
No casual profanity, but the book reproduces racial slurs, including the n-word, as direct quotations from the primary texts it analyzes, most pointedly in the Hemingway chapter where Morrison examines exactly how and where he deploys the word. The slurs are quoted for critical examination, not used by Morrison in her own voice. Vocabulary is otherwise dense academic prose, featuring terms like 'ontological,' 'hegemony,' and 'signification.' Readers should be prepared for the discomfort of seeing slurs used in an…
Read more — free accountDrugs, alcohol, and smoking in Playing in the dark
There is no substance use in this book. Morrison’s text is a series of three lectures delivered at Harvard University, and the focus remains strictly on literary criticism and the socio-historical context of American writing. No characters are depicted consuming alcohol or drugs within the framework of the analysis, nor does the author describe such acts. The tone is sober and professional, suited for academic study. The lack of substance content reflects the book's purpose as a theoretical exploration of race in…
Read more — free accountMature themes in Playing in the dark
The whole book is a sustained argument about race, whiteness as an invented literary category, slavery, and the American canon. Morrison opens with the French writer Marie Cardinal's account of the panic attack that began her mental breakdown, then works through Poe, Cather, Twain and Hemingway to show how Black characters function as devices for white self-definition. It is intellectually demanding and assumes the reader already knows the novels under discussion. Key concepts include the 'Africanist presence' and…
Read more — free accountFrequently Asked Questions
Is Playing in the dark appropriate for kids?
Bontent's parent guide suggests Playing in the dark is best for ages 18+. This is a short book of academic literary criticism written for adult scholars, not a novel, and the difficulty is the reading level rather than the content: Morrison argues that American literature was shaped by an…
What age rating does Playing in the dark have?
Books don't carry official age ratings. Playing in the dark is published for a Adult audience, and Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 18+.
What reading level is Playing in the dark?
Playing in the dark is 91 pages and its reading level is Lexile 1400L (high school or more advanced reading difficulty). Bontent recommends it for ages 18+.
What is Playing in the dark about?
This is a short book of academic literary criticism written for adult scholars, not a novel, and the difficulty is the reading level rather than the content: Morrison argues that American literature was shaped by an unspoken 'Africanist presence' created by slavery. Parents should know it quotes racial slurs directly…
Is there sex or nudity in Playing in the dark?
No sexual scenes are depicted, but Morrison analyzes sexual content in the novels she reads. Her discussion of Willa Cather's 'Sapphira and the Slave Girl' turns on a plot in which a slaveholding wife arranges for her nephew to rape the enslaved girl Nancy…
How violent is Playing in the dark?
There is no depicted violence. Morrison discusses the historical brutality of American slavery and the violence embedded in the fiction she analyzes, including the racialized terror at the close of Poe's 'Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym.' References are…
Is the language in Playing in the dark appropriate for kids?
No casual profanity, but the book reproduces racial slurs, including the n-word, as direct quotations from the primary texts it analyzes, most pointedly in the Hemingway chapter where Morrison examines exactly how and where he deploys the word. The slurs are…
Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking depicted in Playing in the dark?
There is no substance use in this book. Morrison’s text is a series of three lectures delivered at Harvard University, and the focus remains strictly on literary criticism and the socio-historical context of American writing. No characters are depicted…
What mature themes appear in Playing in the dark?
The whole book is a sustained argument about race, whiteness as an invented literary category, slavery, and the American canon. Morrison opens with the French writer Marie Cardinal's account of the panic attack that began her mental breakdown, then works…
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