In Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama, many aspects of race, gender, class, education, etc. are involved in the life of the current president. This novel introduces and brings out a discussion for a more in-depth analysis of these categories of privilege and discrimination. Although certain categories have caused Barack Obama great adversity, he is still able to overcome his minority group because of the other privileged groups he falls into. In the autobiography, Obama recounts his early life, from early childhood to young adulthood. . The novel begins when he learns from his aunt that his father died in Nairobi. Obama's father left him and his mother when he was just 2 years old. Obama then talks about the family he grew up with, his mother and grandparents, and the racism they faced at a time when few people accepted interracial relationships, let alone marriage. He remembers being teased as a young child when other children made monkey noises when it was discovered his father was from Kenya. He then moved to Indonesia when his mother remarried, then returned to Hawaii at the age of 10 where he spent his early childhood. It was with his grandparents that he developed much of his character and learned how important education was in his family. Obama also talks about his fascination with his father. As he grew further into adolescence, Obama learned more about race relations and read the book Heart of Darkness. This book helps him see how white people look at black people, as a white man wrote the book talking about black people. He also looks at his marijuana use, which he used to help him during this confusing and difficult time in his life. The Obama story then... middle of paper ...... because if a woman acted "like a white man (the dominant group)", then she would always be criticized for not being "feminine" enough » . There are different factors like these that impact overcoming the minority group(s) one finds themselves in. Another example is black women. No black woman has ever come close to winning the presidency or even the primaries. In American culture, black women are stereotyped as nannies and not taken seriously. This is because they suffer from both racial and gender minority groups. Ultimately, the fact that Barack Obama was a man, grew up in a white, middle-class family, and was educated allowed him to overcome his single minority category. Works Cited Johnson, Allan. Privilege, power and difference. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print. Obama, Barack. Dreams of my father. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2004. Print.