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Act 1, Scene 1
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Blues for an Alabama Sky, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Migration
Women’s Autonomy
Gender and Sexuality
Dreams, Enjoyment, and Escapism
Community Support
Summary
Analysis
The next morning, Angel panics as she realizes she has lost her job. Guy returns to his apartment with a few of Angel’s things he was able to retrieve from Nick’s apartment. Guy invites Angel to live with him and comforts her by pointing out that they are more fortunate than many of the other Black residents of Harlem. Delia, who lives down the hall, returns from church and comes to visit Guy and Angel. As Delia begins to set up a typing chart, Guy quietly tells Angel that Delia wants to teach her to be a secretary but assures Angel that “it hasn’t come to that.”
Both Guy and Delia try to support Angel in her time of need. They do this not by treating Angel as an object of charity, but by looking for ways to help her get back on her feet. Guy makes sure she will have a place to live while she looks for a new job, and Delia attempts to teach Angel the skills she would need for what Delia sees as a more stable line of work.
Active
Themes
Angel tries to recall the previous night. She vaguely remembers Leland, whom Guy describes as “a real Southern gentleman.” He also mentions that they saw Sam, a Black doctor at the Harlem Hospital, who will be stopping by the apartment soon. Delia disapproves of Sam, believing that doctors should not go out on the town and dance to jazz music. She tries to encourage Angel to learn to type, but Guy changes to subject to ask about Reverend Powell. Delia excitedly says that Reverend Powell was interested in the family planning clinic that she and Margaret Sanger are working to establish in Harlem.
Guy’s description of Leland as a “Southern gentleman” portrays Leland as an outsider in Harlem. Both Guy and Angel came from the South as part of the Great Migration of Black Americans from the South to the North, but they have adapted to life in New York in a way that Leland has not. Meanwhile, Delia comes across as young, naïve, and inexperienced, but her commitment to making family planning accessible in Harlem demonstrates that aware of the social issues in her community and dedicated to resolving them. Margaret Sanger, a real historical figure, is often considered the founder of the birth control movement.
Active
Themes
Sam arrives, having just delivered twins, and Angel remarks that Harlem doesn’t need two more mouths to feed. The twins’ father gave Sam a bottle of bootleg liquor, and though Delia is wary of drinking it, she joins everyone else in toasting the new babies. The group decides to go out for a Sunday meal, except for Angel, who is still hungover. Delia and Guy step out to get dressed, leaving Angel and Sam alone. Angel notes that Sam looks unwell and that he should find a wife to take care of him, but when she jokingly asks why the two of them never got together, Sam answers earnestly that Angel deserves better.
Active
Themes
Sam asks Angel to sing the blues, and she does. Delia returns, and Angel dances with her. Sam jokes about Delia’s clinic, which upsets her, and Sam apologizes. They all leave, and Angel watches them go. Leland arrives at the apartment, looking to see if Angel is alright. She finds his old-fashioned manners charming, and the two discuss Leland’s home in Alabama. They agree to go on a walk together the next Sunday.
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