The Delusion of the Dream in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer

Abstract

The Lockless estate in Ta-Nehisi Coates' fantasy neo-slave narrative The Water
Dancer mirrors the United States in terms of their treatment of race. Both Coates's
two autobiographical works introduce the concept of family, from his childhood and
from his young fatherhood, which highlights the lack of healthy familial relationships
in The Water Dancer. The Walkers bastardize fatherhood and brotherhood with the
protagonist, Hiram, who constantly vies for their affection despite their unequal
relationship. Looking at the novel through a CRT lens allows us to break down this
relationship. The Dream of hope, of race relations and treatment getting better in every
single way throughout history is often weaponized by the dominant culture in order to
force forgiveness, as well as a gruesome idea of family, and drive out the memory of the
past.