Baldwin's story "This Morning, This Evening, So Soon" takes place in Paris, where the narrator, an American expatriate, and his family have lived for twelve years. They are on the verge of returning to the US for the narrator's work, and he is understandably nervous about the transition.
For the narrator, Paris is very special to him because has allowed him to "enter [his] own life." He thinks about how his relationship with his wife, a white Swedish expatriate, would not be possible in America. As the narrator describes it, "if Harriet had been born in America, it would have taken her a long time, perhaps forever, to look upon me as a man like other men; if I had met her in America, I would never be able to look on her as a women like all other women...we would never have been able to love each other. And Paul would never have been born." Besides his relationship, which is considered normal in Paris, the narrator seems to imply that Paris has allowed him to become his own individual. In the US, society attempted to define him solely by his race. This pressure is absent for him in Paris, which allows him to define himself (however, he does acknowledge that France has its own racism).
Later in the story, the narrator recounts on his visit to the US for his mother's funeral. During the ship journey, he begins to feel uneasy, noting that the Americans on board were friendly to him, but it was a friendliness that was "not intended to suggest any possibility of friendship." After tipping a waiter on board, the narrator notices a "flicker of wry sympathy" in the waiter's eyes, and another uniformed crew member refers to him as "boy." As he travels to his Alabama hometown, the narrator has a difficult time hiding his dislike for the cops and white people. He mentions that he tries to say "no sir" or "no ma'am" the 'correct' way, but never succeeds. The narrator, after spending time in Paris and gaining a broader view of the world, seems to pose more of a 'threat' to the white people in Alabama, who find that they are unable to define his place in society anymore.
The narrator eventually returns to Paris, excited to escape from American society. But I think it's important to realize that while he has physically left the US, he can never really 'escape' from America. He was born in America and will always carry his experiences with him. This becomes apparent when the narrator discusses the role of Chico he played in one of his movies. The director of the movie, Vidal, recalls how the narrator could only produce a good performance when he drew upon his rage and frustration that he experienced while living in America.
Paris has also helped the narrator to better understand his upbringing in America and where he came from. His life in Paris offers perspective on how his fellow African-Americans are treated in the US and aids him in understanding his own culture. And generally speaking, looking from the outside in can reveal things that someone might never have noticed if they were inside.
I thought this was a great story overall. I really enjoyed the contrast the author draws between Paris and the US, and how it enabled the narrator to understand his origins. Looking at Baldwin's other stories, setting always seems to play an enormous role.
Later in the story, the narrator recounts on his visit to the US for his mother's funeral. During the ship journey, he begins to feel uneasy, noting that the Americans on board were friendly to him, but it was a friendliness that was "not intended to suggest any possibility of friendship." After tipping a waiter on board, the narrator notices a "flicker of wry sympathy" in the waiter's eyes, and another uniformed crew member refers to him as "boy." As he travels to his Alabama hometown, the narrator has a difficult time hiding his dislike for the cops and white people. He mentions that he tries to say "no sir" or "no ma'am" the 'correct' way, but never succeeds. The narrator, after spending time in Paris and gaining a broader view of the world, seems to pose more of a 'threat' to the white people in Alabama, who find that they are unable to define his place in society anymore.
The narrator eventually returns to Paris, excited to escape from American society. But I think it's important to realize that while he has physically left the US, he can never really 'escape' from America. He was born in America and will always carry his experiences with him. This becomes apparent when the narrator discusses the role of Chico he played in one of his movies. The director of the movie, Vidal, recalls how the narrator could only produce a good performance when he drew upon his rage and frustration that he experienced while living in America.
Paris has also helped the narrator to better understand his upbringing in America and where he came from. His life in Paris offers perspective on how his fellow African-Americans are treated in the US and aids him in understanding his own culture. And generally speaking, looking from the outside in can reveal things that someone might never have noticed if they were inside.
I thought this was a great story overall. I really enjoyed the contrast the author draws between Paris and the US, and how it enabled the narrator to understand his origins. Looking at Baldwin's other stories, setting always seems to play an enormous role.
