Spring Break Prompt

Apart as One

In the novel Fortunate Son, by Walter Mosley, the lives of two boys-one extremely privileged and the other greatly deprived- are explored. Eric Nolan, a causasian boy blessed with nearly every advantage in life that one could dream of. Tommy Beerman, who is African American, is plagued with sundry health problems and a life of struggle. The two boys are brought together as children when their parents fall in love, but when Tommy's mother, Branwyn, dies, Tommy is taken away by his mother's family, where he struggles through life in south central L.A. Eric, on the other hand, grows up in Bel-Air and gets everything anyone could wish for with no effort at all. The boys love eachother and have a deep connection that cannot be broken, the the extreme differences between these two "brothers" cannot be denied.; even after years of separation, the two meet and share their experiences. Mosley utilizes the dichotomy of the lives of Tommy Beerman and Eric Nolan to illuminate themes of race and happiness.

The fact that Tommy is black and Eric is white seems to have everything to do with the differences between these brothers. Eric is looked up to and has everything- money, brains, atheleticism. In fact, he is so fortunate that he feels he must be careful around the ones he loves, because it often seems that he benefits from others' misfortunes. Tommy on the other hand, is forced to struggle through the stereotypical South Central L.A. life where he lives on the street for several years. When he does enter the society that Eric lives is, many seem to look down on him because of both his race and his circumstances. For example, in a New York watch shop, the owner looks down on Tommy and makes a face. When Eric makes it known that Tommy is with him, though, the owner smiles and disregards his previous gesture. The dichotomy of Eric and Tommy's lives suggest the major differences in the lives and opportunies of blacks and whites.

In addition, Mosley explores themes of fate and what it really means to be happy. Eric is blessed with a plethora of opportunities and a luck that never fails him, yet he is constantly worries that his luck will come at another's expense, and so he feels he must walk on eggshells. Eric doesn't understand why he has such good fortune, and this effects his ability to be content and happy. In fact the only time Eric is truly happy is when he is with Tommy, who has the capacity to both understand and comfort him. Contrarily, Tommy is happy no matter his circumstances. He can see the beauty in everything around him, and so even when Tommy is living on the streets with no friends or family, he is still content and happy. No matter how different Tommy and Eric's lives are or no matter how happy they are, they still end up in the same places. Tommy is still more likely to be plagued with misfortune and Eric couldn't shake off his luck if he tried. Mosley seems to suggest that even though you may be stuck in the circumstances of your fate, it does affect our ability to find happiness.

Despite Eric and Tommy's extreme differences, all of these differences can be reconciled, since they understand each other and love each other so deeply. Ultimately, Mosley illustrates several ideas about both race and people's fate. First, Mosley demonstrates the advantages that whites have in comparison to blacks, ultimately concluding that these differences can be recognized by understanding and compassion. Secondly, Mosley explores the idea of fate and happiness to show that no matter what the circumstance, peace can be made and happiness can be attained.