another country by james baldwin summary

What can a reader learn from this novel? What a life lesson can we get? First of all, readers are going to learn about importance of communication. No one puts anyone down and all of them are free and welcomed to be themselves. Black-skinned, white, Latinos and many other people from different parts of the world gather together to enjoy themselves and music. When the author describes that atmosphere of the jazz club, it becomes obvious how much people want to be accepted. Inability to cope with pent up anger and prejudices ruins not only Rufus and Leona’s love but Vivaldo and Ida’s relationships. When Vivaldo says that they are going to put him under the jailhouse, he means that they are going to kill him. Of course, no one tries to justify Rufus’ cruelty, but there are laws which are specially created for cases of physical abuse and he has to punished according to them. If Leona reports him to the police, they would put him “ under the jailhouse”. He says that Rufus “ must to be out of his mind” to do that.

One more event which proves that black-skinned people are treated differently is a scene in which Vivaldo finds beaten Leona. Of course, not all of them are racists, but for Rufus, who has successfully convinced himself otherwise, it would be rather difficult to change his opinion.

Policemen’s glances linger on him longer, their faces don’t show friendliness, for they view him as a potential criminal. However, it is impossible to deny the fact that the man has to deal with a large amount of prejudices. If anything it is Rufus who allows himself to beat Leona. Does he really behave as if he is afraid or harassed by others? No. He has been brought up with an idea that all white people despise him, that he has less right than his white compatriots. Rufus, the protagonist of the first part of the story, proves to be unable to build a happy life with a woman he loves just because she is white. Being an African-American himself, he couldn’t avoid the theme of racism and social injustice. It is not a secret that James Baldwin admired Martin Luther King and supported his ideas. To read this story is to take an excursion into the USA of 1950s. In other words, this is a novel about the life of people in a big city. Written by Julia Wolf and other people who wish to remain anonymousĪnother Country by James Baldwin investigates a theme of loneliness, racism, willing ignorance, fears, physical abuse, social injustice, jealousy, and forgiveness. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

Another country by james baldwin summary