Phillip Roth examines the interdependence between cultural and social rejection within systematic oppression through his utilization of his protagonist, Coleman Silk in his novel “The Human Stain”. To be able to comprehend and analyze the “human stain” that Roth refers to, it’s necessary to recognize and understand the concept of societal indignity. Coleman Silk’s identity is the focal point of the story’s entirety and the many social categorizations that accompany it. The construction of individuality and identity is based upon a multitude of covert societal messages in addition to contextual motives. For Coleman, his life is based upon his own establishment, of his undertaking of falsehood; in this context his identity is literally a construction influenced by his desire to embrace a fraction of his identity.…show more content… Du Bois characterized the twentieth century through the concept of “double consciousness” in “The Souls of Black Folk”, there is a conspicuous the overlap posed in addition to the clash between the two identities of African-American men living within the U.S.; being unable to live as black men and as American men. Silk is exceptionally American in the context of a meritocracy his “tremendous advantages of intellect and appearance would launch him into the topmost ranks of Negro society” (102); theoretically he would be regarded as an American individual given his aptitude. He is even considered “the greatest of the great pioneers of the I” (108) pioneer overtly evoking American patriotism. However the inclusion of “Negro” in this instance is an indication and a reminder of the racial discrimination surrounding him in society that hinders his potential. Though he is the quintessential model of the American dream “the larger picture he didn’t get yet” (88) the larger picture being the limitations institutional racism places onto him. Superficially, his blackness is able to erase his American