The thing I found most interesting about this portion of the book is the narrator's descriptions of "the club" that he discovers in Harlem. Although the book was published in 1912, the descriptions of the club make it seem that this is an important and early indication of Harlem's renaissance. The people inside are happy and excited, many of them are well-off, and all black culture is generally reflected in a very positive light at this club.
The narrator makes a point of speaking highly of ragtime music, which is popular at the club. He describes it as exclusively a product of African-American culture, unlike many other forms of music. The narrator's enthusiasm for ragtime comes across as significant and sincere because so much of his life is expressed through music. Ragtime is so good, the music gains popularity in America and around the world. Its also an interesting comment on race relation that this music gained a wider audience in part after its co-opted by white people. The popularity of ragtime seems to fit well with the wider themes of the Harlem Renaissance: it illustrates the flourishing of African-American culture and the influence of that culture on the outside world.
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3 comments:
I thought the description of the club was very percise and descriptive, which I also agree showed the importance of the Harlem Renaissance. I think the Harlem Renaissance was a time for African Americans to shin, which I think we get a glimps at with the narrators popularity among his crowd and the benefactor. I also believe ragtime was a way for African Americans to speak out, which is how the narrator seemed to find himself and what truely makes him happy.
I like your description of ragtime and how it relates to the larger picture, the Harlem Renaissance. Even the club scene (practice rooms for dance teams, musicians, etc) illustrates the African-American pride that begins to show in New York.
I liked the description of the clubs. My favorite part was how the nararator described how people would put the wine bottles at the end of the table. It shows the pride in African - American culture that how many bottles they would have would equal the amount of money that they would spend. The Rag Time music was also a favorite of mine. I think it depicts how music has an effect on ones culture.
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