When the narrator of The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man states that he traded his "birthright for a mess of pottage," what does he mean?
He ignored the wishes of his mother.
He forgot his father's heritage.
He denied his musical talent.
He traded a life fighting for ethnic equality for something insignificant.

as for symbolic actions, the narrator's tearing down the wallpaper in an attempt to find the "woman" in the wallpaper represents her struggle to retain or regain her sanity.   the wallpaper has been part of her confinement and by her tearing it down, she is freeing herself from that confinement.

i'm not good at running

in the section of speech is not