Harlem Rhapsody

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, racism, and gender discrimination.

At the heart of Harlem Rhapsody is an argument over the value and purpose of art. In the novel, Will argues that, given the systemic injustice facing Black people, all Black art should function as “propaganda” for racial justice. Claude McKay occupies the opposite pole in this debate, arguing that art doesn’t need to be anything other than art. Jessie falls in between, seeing valid points on both sides and changing her mind.

This debate comes to a head when Will discusses art made by white people about Black people. He is upset at Eugene O’Neill’s play The Emperor Jones, which features a Black actor in the lead role but is written by a white man. Will says that he is “only interested in the stories written for us by us” (123). Jessie, alongside others in their social circle, disagrees, viewing the play as a sign of progress. Will argues that even though the role of Brutus Jones departs from the racist traditions of minstrelsy, the play is still “blackface” because “the words are still written by men who’ve never lived a moment without privilege” (134).