Not Without Laughter

Not Without Laughter portrays African American life in the 1910s, focusing on character development rather than plot. However, The main storyline focuses on Sandy's "awakening to the sad and the beautiful realities of black life in a small Kansas town." The major intent of the novel is to portray Sandy's life as he tries to be the best he can be, aspiring to folks like W. E. B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington.