Home to Harlem
"Home to Harlem" is the story of two young black men, Jake and Ray,who attempt to make a living while enjoying all the joys of Harlem duringthe height of the Harlem Renaissance. McKay's novel clearly shows that theRenaissance was more than just an intellectual and artistic movement thatgrew up in Harlem during the 1910s and 1920s. With his two diversecharacters, McKay shows there were many different elements creating theHarlem Renaissance, from the less-educated immigrant such as Jake, wholives mainly for pleasure and self-gratification, to the intellectual Ray,who dreams of being a writer. He is not as hedonistic as Jake, and he istorn between the white man's world, where he does not fit in, and theHarlem world, where he does not quite fit in either. Ray epitomizes manyblacks of the time, who were trying to better themselves and rise up abovetheir circumstances, while Jake epitomizes many other blacks, who simplylived for the moment, and enjoyed sex, jazz, and food and drink. Normally,the impression today is that most people living in Harlem during theRenaissance were like Ray, and attempting to learn, grow, and make theirlives better. McKay wanted to show the other side
However, as McKay clearly illustrates, Harlem as a reality was much moresobering, and far less revolutionary. These peoplelived in some of the worst conditions in America, and did some of theworst, most demeaning jobs. McKay is not afraid to portray the dark side of Harlem to hisreaders, and because of this, his book was controversial when it waswritten, but today it stands as a testament to what was really happening inHarlem as blacks struggled to redefine themselves and their culture in asociety that was still quite inflexible and biased. Mostly, living in Harlem was justabout trying to survive and make it from day to day, so the hedonisticpleasures of the night were the only thing the people had to look forwardto in their dreary lives. He says, "And I mighta helped mahli'l sister to get edjucated, too (she must be a li'l woman, now), and shewould be nice-speaking like you, sweet brown, good enough foh you to hitchup with. When the whites move out, we move in and take possession of the old deadstuff," and civilization is just as bad. The nightclubs,the music, and the available sex were all they wanted for the moment, andthis was also a type of Renaissance, for it transformed black society intoone who did not look toward the future, it made the present so enjoyablethe future was not necessary or even required. Clearly, the Harlem Renaissancewas the brink of discovery for many, but for many others, it was simplyanother chapter in their difficult and demanding lives, and when it ended,they started over again somewhere else. The Harlem Renaissance was certainly anattempt to move out of the squalor and poverty toward something better, butMcKay clearly indicates in his novel that many blacks were not looking tomove up, they were simply there to enjoy the moment, and what came afterwas simply part of their "trials" and their load to bear. He understands his limitations, but in his own wayhe accepts them, and this is something Ray is unable to do, and it makeshim angry and bitter. For all his lack of education, Jake may see life more realisticallythan Ray ever will. The characters livethrough real-life situations, and do try to make their lives better, but inthe end, they are still held captive in a white world. of Harlem - the peoplewho were not interested in the intellectual rebirth of their neighborhood. It was not pleasant, andit was not all poetry readings and intellectual discussions. As Ray is about to leave, he speaks about theirdifferences, and his lack of education.
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Acceptance Essays
