Jean Toomer, in his novel Cane, compiles the issues plaguing the black community in the United States through the lens of characters grappling with conflicts arising from racism in both countries. North and South. These issues include struggling with masculinity, femininity and gender roles, being biracial and not fitting into a strong community, and having dreams out of reach due to the oppressive structure of white power in America. One story in particular in Cane that exposes the deeply painful effects that racial oppression and violence has on Black Americans is Toomer's "Kabnis." Through Kabnis, an educated black male character who feels like he cannot achieve his dreams or achieve his full potential because of racial violence in the South, Jean Toomer shines a light on the constantly oppressive white power system in the United States. -United States which does not allow blacks to access equality, even if they become academics and artists. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Kabnis' dilemma provides an example of what could – in the words of Langston Hughes – happen "a dream deferred", as Kabnis begins to lose his sanity due to his inability to explore the beauty of world, which is his true desire. As an educated black man from the North, Kabnis goes through a difficult time in the South to find the beauty he desires in the world. Amid lynchings and racial oppression in the South, Kabnis is tormented by his desire for beauty and knowledge. He says: “There is a radiant beauty in the night that touches and…. . . tortures me. . . Anyway, what is beauty but ugliness if it hurts you? (Toomer, 114). Additionally, Kabnis is biracial, meaning he experiences prejudice from both whites and blacks in the South. Kabnis's inability to fully identify with any racial group makes him an outsider and causes him to feel both loneliness and extreme paranoia. As Kabnis discusses racial violence in his county with two other highly educated black men, someone throws a rock at the window with a note that says, "You, the North." . . it's time to leave. Go now” (124). Kabnis assumes the note is from white people and fears for his life. When he later discovers that black people threw the stone, he is surprised and confused. Because slavery, segregation, and racial oppression at the hands of white America created such a divide between whites and blacks, Kabnis, as a biracial man, is not sought after by whites in the South nor by blacks. This dilemma caused Kabnis to feel deeply alone and afraid. Kabnis turns to drink to calm his nerves due to the constant fear he lives in and the lack of beauty in the world that he desires and cannot attain. Because Kabnis drinks during the day, which is taboo in the South, Kabnis is fired from his teaching job by a black man named Hansby, who believes that the black community must uphold the highest moral standards in order to achieve legality. Hansby represents a black individual with internalized racism, as he is a character who believes that black people must exhibit exquisite behavior if they are to be considered equal to white people. In “Kabnis,” however, Jean Toomer introduces a very old black man, blind, deaf, former slave, and reveals a truth about sin in the United States. When the old former slave mutters the word “sin,” Kabnis shouts at him, “Shut up. What do you know about sin, you old black bastard", implying that he is tired of being confronted with sins like daytime drinking.