This man, Mr. Z, is clearly of a minority race. I think he is African American, because line 4 says "disclaimed kinship with jazz and spirituals"- jazz is usually associated with African Americans. Mr. Z tried to make people look past his race. Lines 7-8 say "faced up to the dilemma, firmly siezed Whatever ground was Anglo-Saxonized"; he tried to go along with what the white majority agreed upon. I think this poem fits into this section about paradoxes and irony mainly because of its ending. The last two lines state that when he died the "obit writers" referred to him as "one of the most distinguished members of his race." Despite how much he tried, Mr. Z could not change people's perceptions; they refused to look past the color of his skin. I think this poem may be a lesson about accepting who you are because no matter how hard you try, you cannot change where you come from.
Until Next Time,
Alysse
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