Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Book Analysis

“When people compliment her, it doesn’t always feel good, because sometimes people are gonna be surprised by the fact that she showed up, rather than the fact that she had something to say when she did” (p. 194). In Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Emira Tucker, a 25-year-old, black babysitter for an upscale white family, repeatedly struggled with the preconceived notion centered around black people. Wherever she went, she couldn’t seem to escape the stigma placed on her because of her skin color. Such a Fun Age tackles the concepts of white privilege in America and the everyday domestic biases that seem to go unnoticed in everyday life. 

Everyone has their biases, regardless of how inclusive they might view themselves. Some people show their biases more frequently than others. This proves to be true when a security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping. In all likelihood, this wouldn’t have happened if Emira was white. Like this security guard, people have a tendency to trust and relate more to people who share their ethnicity. They create an internal discrimination toward people who are unlike themselves. 

Like the security guard, Alix Chamberlain, Emira’s boss who she babysits for, also had her preconceived notions about Emira. This can be shown when Alix stated that “she knew Emira had gone to college. She knew Emira had majored in English. But sometimes, after seeing her paused songs with titles like "Y'all Already Know," then hearing her use words like connoisseur, Alix was filled with feelings that went from confused and highly impressed to low and guilty in response to the first reaction. (p. 79). Even Alix, the supposedly progressive, well-meaning white woman, found herself reverting back to the idea that black people couldn’t be as intelligent as her fellow white folk. Even as Alix tried to get to know Emira at a more personal level, it was made clear that Alix’s motives behind it were flawed. Alix Chamberlain is a prime example of white privilege in society. While she might not have noticed it at first, she was merely using Emira to create a sort of image for herself. She saw Emira as a stepping-stone as she climbed her way up on the social ladder. She also proceeded to fret over what Emira thought of her and her progressive thoughts, while Emira was busy trying to figure out her own path in light. This brings to light not only the ignorance that Alix shows regarding racial issues, but also her own selfishness. 

Besides Alix Chamberlain and the security guard, Emira found herself constantly subjected to the scrutiny and judgement that was associated with her race. After a while, she rationalized that “she had the sense that if she wasn’t working for this Mrs. Chamberlain, she’d be working for another one” (p. 187). She realized that she should expect that white people will be unaware of the black experience. Because of this, racially insensitive situations became acceptable. These small, “unnoticeable” acts of racism became so consistent that black people are forced to resort to feeling uncomfortable instead of causing a scene. Emira pointed out that point in another quote saying, “I don't need you to be mad that it happened. I need you to be mad that it just like... happens” (p. 194). Racial problems and discrimination are clearly evident, but what steps have been taken to resolve these problems?

Such a Fun Age offers a unique viewpoint from Emira as she lives under the preconceived notions regarding her ethnicity. These prejudices regarding other races are shown to be rampant in society, and continue to spread when people aren’t willing to make a stand against it. Race and privilege are inseparable from the way people structure their sense of selves and how they view others. There will always be a little part of them that will hold onto their biases. Ultimately, when focusing on preconceived notions, one can miss out on the obvious. Once dropping those assumptions, even the most ordinary can accomplish something astounding. So, people should drop their prejudices and figure out for themselves what kind of person they want to be and what kind of life they want to live.