What is the theme of Ta Nehisi-Coates”s profile? Is there an overarching narrative? What surprises Coates about Michelle Obama? How does Coates contextualize Michelle in the context of his own background growing up in Baltimore?

The theme of the profile was making the first lady, Michelle Obamas, life so relatable. The writer really focused on giving insight of how and where she grew up. The overarching narrative was focusing on the population and class that surrounded the neighborhood Mrs.Obama grew up in. The way she was able to grow up in a tough city and separate herself from the stereotypes. The writer seemed to be surprised she wasn’t a “mad black woman”, that she was actually nice and calm. In the very first sentence of the article we understand what the surprise is “The first time I saw Michelle Obama in the flesh, I almost took her for white”, she was completely opposite of what the writer expected.