James Baldwin provides several constructions of black masculinity through his two texts Everybody's Protest Novel and Sonny's Blues. Since this essay compares works by the same author, it is essential to examine what these constructions are and also their coherence within his work. In order to view black masculinity as a construct, Everybody's Protest Novel serves as the basis for which this construct is seen in the two main characters of Sonny's Blues. Through this analysis, Baldwin will be held to the standard of his own work, a standard he created for himself. How Baldwin constructs the characters in Sonny's Blues depends on his discussion of the "protest novel" and also on how he constructs the differences between true images of the Negro and the falsely constructed images in texts such as Uncle Tom's Cabin. Sonny and the narrator are representations of the ideal and faltering constructions of black masculinity in Baldwin's Sonny's Blues. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Everybody's Protest Novel is a criticism of the representation of the Negro in literature. Baldwin uses the behavior of the black characters in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin as an example of the ways in which black masculinity is represented. Tom is the character that Baldwin criticizes the most, stating that Tom is a product of white America. He is happy with the image of darkness that America has created for him. Tom is comfortable in his complacency and thus is seen as siding with his white oppressor. With this "Uncle Tom" character, Baldwin pairs the narrator of his story, Sonny's Blues. The first impression of a black male given in Sonny's Blues is that of the narrator. At first glance, he appears to be living the American dream. He is a quiet high school teacher who has followed the "straight" path in life. He helped his mother with her responsibilities and acted as a father figure to Sonny, joined the army, educated himself, got married and had children. In this latter sense, these descriptions resemble the archetypal image of the (white) American dream. The narrator is disconnected from black culture and is described as feeding into the system in an attempt to live a "cookie cutter" life. The narrator even admits his disconnect in a conversation he and Sonny have about a jazz musician: "Well, look Sonny, I'm sorry, don't get mad... Name someone - you know, a jazz musician you admire." 'Bird.' 'Who?' 'Bird! Charlie Parker! Don't they teach you anything in the damn army?' I lit a cigarette. I was surprised and then a little amused to find that I was shaking. 'I have been out of the world....'" (Baldwin 1738) Baldwin uses this revelation as a turning point for the narrator to move towards becoming 'in touch' and more representative of a Negro in American culture than the American outside of the Negro culture that has been previously. Second point to note is that the narrator does not have a name. It is likely that Baldwin uses this as a ploy to further his idea of ​​this flawed construction of masculinity character. identity as Baldwin does? The awareness that the narrator is forced into is constructed through Sonny carries the message that the American dream is unattainable for the black man and is essential to our understanding of Baldwin's construction of black masculinity here that the character of Sonny becomes instrumental in shaping the role of black masculinity and how it should be constructed to achieve truth and righteousness as a black man..