Poem Analysis: The Harlem Dancer By Claude Mckay

In “The Harlem Dancer,” Claude McKay describes a woman who is performing to a crowd of youths through the eyes of an audience member. The narrator seems to be explaining everything that has to do with her body and appearance, rather than what she is actually thinking. He later realizes that she is unhappy while performing, though it is still unknown as to what the dancer is thinking. The use of tone and diction reveals that she is actually distancing herself from her reality due the traumatic experience of her ongoing objectification and victimization of predation.
The poem begins by setting a negative tone by showing how the Harlem dancer is humiliated and degraded. In line 1, the audience consists of “applauding youths laugh[ing] with young prostitutes,” which indicates that they are judging her. This condescending aspect is further enhanced with the phrase “laughed with young prostitutes,” indicating that they are laughing at the Harlem dancer, and not with her. This shows the setting of the poem as well, wherein Harlem, white audiences finally emerge in the city of Harlem as their curiosity for black performers grows. The word “prostitute” has a negative connotation itself, where it is considered more of a dirty and disgraceful occupation, whereas the word “dancer” has a more positive connotation, indicating elegance and talent. Though …show more content…
However, Claude McKay excavates the true meaning for her actions through the use of diction and metaphors. Though the poem started as a description of a beautiful Harlem dancer with talent, by the end of the poem it is apparent that she is actually very unhappy due to traumatic experiences of objectification. Being treated as only an object that is appealing to the eyes of others caused her to be subjective and stuck in her fantasies, which only distanced her further from her own