In the play A Raisin in the Sun, a character named Beneatha is nicknamed “Alaiyo,” which means “One For Whom Bread—Food—Is Not Enough.” This is consistent with the idea that Douglass is willing to relinquish food for learning, when he interacts with the young white boys who inadvertently teach him how to read. Also, in African American literature, it is a recurring theme for people to be depicted as having a choice between food and figurative things that give life more meaning. For example, in this passage, even though he’s hungry and exhausted when he’s being pursued by Covey, young Frederick decides to endure his hunger instead of submitting to the degradation of a beating.