Everyone has heard someone cry ‘racist’ before, whether they be white, black, or purple… yet prejudice is, or rather it should be widely excepted as an abstract concept for us. So when Boyd and Mrs. Wilson were introduced in “After you my dear Alphonse” by Shirley Jackson, it was hardly expected there would be any kind of racial difference issues. One afternoon Johnny, a young Caucasian boy in the fifties, brings home his African American friend, Boyd. Mrs. Wilson, Johnny’s mother, believes the boy is in poor financial standing because he is black. This story revolves around prejudice and how it can be something learned at a young age and doesn’t necessarily mean a person is bad.

    With the reactions of each character, which are nearly more important than the actual words being said, we can see the irony in the idea of prejudice. Right in the beginning of the story Mrs. Wilson notices that Boyd is carrying a load of wood and tells him, “You shouldn’t let Johnny make you carry all that wood.” Mrs. Wilson clearly thought it would reflect badly on her white son if he made his black friend carry wood. It would not look very appropriate walking down the street.. Soon after they begin eating Mrs. Wilson, speaking on the topic of Boyd’s father, says, “I’ll bet he’s strong though.” Mrs. Wilson automatically assumed Boyd’s father to be strong being a black man. She didn’t stop to think about what she was saying. Mrs. Wilson is a prejudice character; however it’s not her fault.

    Mrs. Wilson is not a bad person; She was raised in an environment where many of these stereotypes were true. Mrs. Wilson tells Boyd he may have all he wants when he sits down for lunch. She’s being very sweet. Although she probably thought he was starving because of his place. Later she offers him clothes, but he refuses them. She just trying to be kind to her son’s friend. She wanted to help those less fortunate than herself. Near the end Mrs. Wilson gets miffed at Boyd for not talking the clothes. She was not embarrassed as most people would think she was annoyed because she assumed he did need the clothes but he was too proud to take charity. Mrs. Wilson had nothing but the best intentions. 

    Boyd doesn’t even notice anything odd at first. Rather than asking what his father does Mrs. Wilson asks if he works. Boyd, in all his innocents, is happy to answer such a question. The question had probably been asked of him before. It is also assumed by Mrs. Wilson that Boyd has many brothers and sisters. Boyd pays no attention to the assumption unaware of the stereotype. He merely brings the conversation back to himself. Boyd is young and innocent and does not yet have the ability to have prejudice and in turn cannot recognize it.

    Boyd is well off for an African American child and had no need or desire for charity. Mrs. Wilson doesn’t understand that. Shirley Jackson makes a huge statement in a very subtle way in “After You My dear Alphonse.” She points out the prejudice in everyday people, in all of us if you will.