At the conclusion of “How it Feels to be Colored Me,” Zora Neale Hurston leaves readers with a striking analogy. She imagines herself as a brown paper bag with various objects inside that represent aspects of her identity. Curiously, Hurston calls the objects both “priceless and worthless.” On the one hand, they bear some meaning to her because they represent different periods from her unique life experience: a key presumably from a house she once lived in, shoes representing the hope for a journey she never embarked on, and so on. On the other hand, they are worthless because they are mundane items. Although they have sentimental value, they have no monetary value.

According to Hurston, these objects are also somewhat unimportant because they bear much resemblance to the common objects that we all collect, regardless of our skin colors. She sees those around her to be like differently colored paper bags representing their different skin colors. Through claiming that the contents of each bag, if emptied, would be more similar than different, Hurston asserts that we are more alike than different on the inside. In her text, she uses objects to represent commonalities. Perhaps Hurston is trying to put forth a positive vision for the future. In a way, the objects we collect represent what we value in the world. If we all took time to explore the things we value, perhaps we would be able to more easily bridge our perceived differences.

In contrast, Fanon views objects as vectors of hatred in “The Fact of Blackness.” He describes himself as being “sealed into that crushing objecthood (257).” By this, Fanon means that the white people around him have reduced him to just “a Negro,” a caricature and a vessel for their stereotypes rather than a dynamic and complete person. Instead of seeing that he is well-read and shivers in the cold like any human being, others assume he is angry and cannibalistic. Fanon claims that “the Negro is a toy in the white man’s hands (265),” as he is shaped into what the white man wants him to be at a particular moment and only seems to exist for the white man’s amusement.

Fanon’s despair and frustration are evident throughout this work, and the ending of the passage is no different. Although he asserts his inner strength and refusal to have his personhood reduced, he is overwhelmed by his struggles. Like Hurston regarding the worth of objects, Fanon also mentions a dichotomy: that between “Nothingness and Infinity (265).” He is aware that his potential and the potential for greater empowerment of blacks is infinite, but aggressors still work to reduce him to nothingness. Hurston sees value in examining our most treasured objects, whereas Fanon wishes that we would avoid framing ourselves and others as simplistic objects. Each vision lends valuable insight into the current black experience and sets forth compelling hopes for the future.