James Baldwin's Fifth Avenue, Uptown

James Baldwin's "Fifth Avenue, Uptown" (rpt. In Santi V. Buscemi and Charlotte Smith, 75 Readings Plus 10th ed. [New York: McGraw Hill, 2013] 50-52) provides readers with a graphic perspective of a city that existed in the 1940s; the time period prior to the Harlem we now know. The diction Baldwin uses to describe the various aspects of his childhood Harlem leads the reader to infer that in these times there is immense poverty and disunion in society. In other famous pieces of literature, the city of Harlem is portrayed as this area booming with African American Culture and its beloved Jazz Music, however Baldwin shows us the other side of the coin through his memories of the city in which he lived.
Baldwin begins his tale by focusing on …show more content…
A class of people who work nonstop and persevere over the injustices of their surroundings in order to succeed, this is what the people of Harlem city are like in my mind. And to some extent, this is what Baldwin showcases towards the end of his story.
Furthermore, the supposedly glorious Harlem is said to instill paranoia into the strong and admirable men and women whose only crime is color (52). Despite the streets being filled with youngsters running around playing handball and going to church one could not ignore the inevitable truth of the city and its ruins. Baldwin brings attention to the dark side of Harlem, which is surprising, since few authors speak on this.
In conclusion Baldwin creates an image of the real Harlem that is quite diverse from the prior image I had of this city. He sheds light on the segregation and he differentiates the various groups of youth that make the city what it is. I believed this city to be full of men and women who left landmarks, and full life and freedom for the African American community, but the truth is that it faced its struggles just like any other part of America in this time