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Motif
Explanation and Analysis—Jazz:
The motif of jazz music appears throughout Another Country, especially in the parts of the novel that take place in Harlem. Jazz often appears in scenes where characters gather in clubs or bars, so it’s also associated with social connection and community conflict. It's the soundtrack to life in the novel.
Jazz music originated in the early 20th century within Black communities in America. It was considered very culturally subversive at the time, as it was also associated with nightlife and blended elements of blues, ragtime, and gospel to form a completely new sound. Jazz is primarily characterized by its use of improvisation and “riffing,” where pre-existing melodies are improvised on and extended. It’s also known for its stirring, syncopated percussion lines. Jazz as it's known today encompasses a wide range of styles from swing to fusion, is widely played on the radio, and doesn’t seem particularly scandalous. However, at the time of writing, jazz music was considered subversive and revolutionary, and the people who played it and danced to it risked criticism and even arrest for disturbing the peace. It’s a uniquely Black art form, as musicians in Harlem—and other American communities primarily populated by African Americans—produced some of the first and best-known jazz musicians and songs.
The improvisational element of jazz reflects the often unpredictable nature of Baldwin's characters’ lives and relationships. As melodies would in a jazz performance, their commitments and desires shift rapidly between harmony and discord. The repeating refrains or lines of song that recur throughout the novel also mostly come from the jazz tradition; they too reflect the repetitive patterns of behavior Baldwin’s characters cannot escape.
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