The White Boy SHuffle by Paul Beatty

In The White Boy Shuffle by Paul Beatty, the main character, Gunnar Kaufman, constantly changes his dialect, in an attempt to blend in with his surroundings. For instance, while living in the predominately white neighborhood of Santa Monica, Gunnar speaks improper English, with a major emphasis on extending words, in order to be accepted by his friends. Yet, when he moves to the "ghetto" community of Hillside, he uses colloquial speech, in a vain and …

…and white values and behaviors instilled in him. As a result, Gunnar came to the conclusion that no one group of people, whether black or white, were worth forgetting his "other side". It was a waste of time to act like someone you're not. Thus, Gunnar would live a life that enabled him to flaunt his blackness, continue to believe in the values and behaviors taught by his white friends, and be accepted by all.