3. At the end of the story, John’s son asks him what Berry meant about “the black ball”. John can’t explain the complexities of what Berry meant so he tells his son that Berry was talking about his ball that broke the window. His son thinks it’s funny that Berry couldn’t see that his ball was actually white and asks, “Will I play with the black ball, Daddy?” (Ellison 352). In response, John thinks, “He [my son] has already played with the ball; that he would discover later. He was learning the rules of the game already, but he didn’t know it. Yes, he would play with the ball. Indeed, poor little rascal, he would play until he grew sick of playing. My, yes, the old ball game. But I’d begin telling him the rules later” (352).

A. John is thinking of the ball and the game as a metaphor* for the racist system that they live in. Why does he call his son a “poor rascal” for having to play “the game” so much?

B. What might be some “rules” of the game John will have to teach his son later? I think he is saying that his son