Question
Read "Incident" by Countee Cullen. What might lead an 8-year-old boy to insult another child as
described here? In what way might a child's prejudice be even more disturbing than an adult's?
Answer
A child's prejudice may be more disturbing than an adult's because it is often learned from adults and can be more deeply ingrained. In the poem, the 8-year-old boy may have been influenced by his parents or other adults in his life to insult the other child based on their race or ethnicity.