The publishers’ note claims that The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man will offer brand new insights into the hidden realities of Black life in the United States. What aspects of the novel seem designed to fulfill that purpose?

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man belongs to multiple genres. Identify two or more genres to which it belongs. What impact does this identification have on your reading and expectations of the book? Support your discussion with specific passages from the book.

There are multiple geographic settings for this book. How does the narrator’s identity evolve as he travels to these different settings? What point does Johnson ultimately make about Black identity and geography?