The Sport of the Gods

<p><strong><em>The Sport of the Gods</em></strong> (1902) by <strong>Paul Laurence Dunbar</strong> is a powerful novel about the struggles of an African American family facing racism injustice and societal hypocrisy in post-Reconstruction America.</p><p>The story follows <strong>Berry Hamilton</strong> a former slave who works as a butler for a wealthy white family in the South. When Berry is falsely accused and imprisoned for theft his family - wife Fannie and children Joe and Kitty - are left destitute. They move to New York City hoping for a fresh start. However life in the North proves harsh: Joe gets caught up in a life of vice and downfall while Kitty becomes entangled in the world of entertainment.</p><p>Ultimately the family's dreams are shattered by urban corruption and systemic racism. Berry is eventually proven innocent and released but the damage to his family is already done.</p><p>The novel critiques the illusion of progress for Black Americans and explores themes of racial injustice family disintegration and moral decay in both North and South.</p><p></p><p></p>