Blues for Mister Charlie, a term used to refer to “white men”, is a thriller based on Emmett Till’s case, a young African American man who met his death in cold blood in Mississippi in the year 1955. He was killed for an alleged act of whistling at a white woman. Interestingly, the murdered was soon after let free. This play is cyclical in structure. The play begins with and ends in the murder of one character in the name of Richard, while at the same time, occasionally making use of a series of flashback approach to establishing reasons behind Richard’s death. This cyclic approach brings forth focus into such issues as sex, race and Christianity.
Through this play, James Baldwin presents Christianity as a religion used for justifying the enslavement of African Americans. He fronts an argument that Christianity is simply a plague driven by the power of destroying every single human relationship. He despises Christianity for the reason that it is the vehicle used in the passivity while at the same time used to endorse violence.
Baldwin is such a witty author. He presents life to the audience in a manner that is least anticipated. Baldwin challenges the perspective approach of people in general. He applies this challenging approach to making his audience acknowledge the complexities of life and human nature.
Meridian Henry is a minister in a small town charged with the responsibility of coaching young students in the ways of their religious beliefs. Portrayed as a staunch believer in Christian doctrines, he is moved by the death of his son and re-valuates his stance on his conviction. He even questions the fairness of God. He represents hypocritical faces of the Cristian faithful, at least according to the author.
Juanita is depicted as a former girlfriend of Richard’s, civil-rights activists. Juanita seems to have shaped the character of Richards, from a once radical to modest youth. But this was soon to go away in thin air as he gets back to his past life. Parnell James, on the other hand, is a character that easily blends well with both whites and blacks. He is a white friend who is torn between the pursuit of justice and love for a friend. He represents the people who apply double standards in real life.
In conclusion, Baldwin believes that the road to justice is still full of pitfalls as white men are permitted to murder African American and get no punishment for it. He is forever asking the dominant race and one that has more powers than the other.to this end, the play comes into conclusion with a despairing vision and hope for justice.
Works Cited
Mitchell, Koritha. "James Baldwin, Performance Theorist, Sings the Blues for Mister Charlie." American Quarterly 64.1 (2012): 33-60.
Roberts, John W. "James Baldwin." Dictionary of Literary Biography 33: 3-16.
