James Baldwin's "Previous Condition" covers a lot of ground. Peter, the protagonist, operates as an artist who rejects black culture and influence but is constantly shut out of white opportunities. His resentment of his racial community is interesting for a lot of reasons, as are his interactions with his white "minority" friends.
Peter lives in New York City in the 1940s, a time when black success in the arts was thriving and evolving through jazz. But Peter's a stage actor, a field which often relies more on looking the part than having the talent for it. Peter's existence seems founded in anger, at one point saying "I resented praise and I resented pity," and it seems like there's truly no way for him to feel at ease. It makes sense. As an actor, it would be frustrating to be constantly told that he had the talent but not the skin for success. It would be frustrating to never have a positive black role model, but always be reminded of the negative influences and the "bum" fate he would likely face one day. The institutionalized cycle of poverty, disappointment, and violence would be discouraging and infuriating to grow up in. It's easy to see how Peter's idea of escaping that cycle would mean breaking into the white world, and to succeed in the white world in the 40s, it was necessary to turn his back on the black community. But rejecting blackness doesn't mean becoming white, which he learns through countless evictions and employment rejections. When Peter runs away from his adolescent environment, he has ambitions that aren't necessarily founded in anti-blackness, but by the time readers meet him, the white community has near-thoroughly rejected him, and he has rejected the black community. He has isolated himself into a hateful and sad man.
His friends, Jules, a Jewish man, and Ida, an Irish woman, present another complexity. They fit into the minority category in world and United States history, but can still function comfortably within white environments. At different points in the story Jules and Ida both tell him that they're "all in this together," implying that their experiences in America relate to Peter's experience.
So, not only is Peter isolated from the community he was raised in and the community he wants to be in, but he is also belittled by his white friends who try to convince him that he isn't alone and that they get it somehow. He has no one in his life who can come close to understanding his position, and no one in his life who is genuinely listening to him when he tries to explain it. It's awful, and while we only get a brief snapshot into his life, it probably won't get any better.
Peter lives in New York City in the 1940s, a time when black success in the arts was thriving and evolving through jazz. But Peter's a stage actor, a field which often relies more on looking the part than having the talent for it. Peter's existence seems founded in anger, at one point saying "I resented praise and I resented pity," and it seems like there's truly no way for him to feel at ease. It makes sense. As an actor, it would be frustrating to be constantly told that he had the talent but not the skin for success. It would be frustrating to never have a positive black role model, but always be reminded of the negative influences and the "bum" fate he would likely face one day. The institutionalized cycle of poverty, disappointment, and violence would be discouraging and infuriating to grow up in. It's easy to see how Peter's idea of escaping that cycle would mean breaking into the white world, and to succeed in the white world in the 40s, it was necessary to turn his back on the black community. But rejecting blackness doesn't mean becoming white, which he learns through countless evictions and employment rejections. When Peter runs away from his adolescent environment, he has ambitions that aren't necessarily founded in anti-blackness, but by the time readers meet him, the white community has near-thoroughly rejected him, and he has rejected the black community. He has isolated himself into a hateful and sad man.
His friends, Jules, a Jewish man, and Ida, an Irish woman, present another complexity. They fit into the minority category in world and United States history, but can still function comfortably within white environments. At different points in the story Jules and Ida both tell him that they're "all in this together," implying that their experiences in America relate to Peter's experience.
So, not only is Peter isolated from the community he was raised in and the community he wants to be in, but he is also belittled by his white friends who try to convince him that he isn't alone and that they get it somehow. He has no one in his life who can come close to understanding his position, and no one in his life who is genuinely listening to him when he tries to explain it. It's awful, and while we only get a brief snapshot into his life, it probably won't get any better.
Your comments were really poignant and I also think this story exposes the really difficult role a black person in Peter's situation has to be in. Especially the part about his friends trying to relate but not really getting it, you can see how from the outside it might not seem so bad, but internally he's feeling really disheartened and frustrated. This "brief snapshot" as you put it is not a happy one. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteThis brief snapshot is certainly not a happy one, and it may show that Peter's in a hopeless situation. I think this story was really intriguing based on the extent of Peter's internalized racism, and how he refers to what's supposed to be his own community. Among other things, it shows that a community is more than just a place full of people that look like you - it's a place that you share a connection with. Obviously Peter has none of these things.
ReplyDeleteI really like your analysis of Peter's plight, especially his relationships with his friends. It was really frustrating to see his friends try to make their tough experiences in America equal to Peter's, because it's just not the same, period. And Peter could call them out for it and maybe they would change their ways, but he also might lose the only friends that he's got and be even more lonely than he is right now.
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