Previous
Summary
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in James, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance
Identity, Narrative, and Agency
Racism, Dehumanization, and Hypocrisy
Innocence vs. Disillusionment
Family, Alliance, and Loyalty
Summary
Analysis
The novel opens with a selection of songs from the notebook of Daniel Decatur Emmett, a composer who founded the first troupe of blackface minstrel performers in the 1840s. These songs are written in what Emmett perceived as Black or slave dialect, utilizing poor grammar and simplistic themes. The lyrics romanticize the existence of enslaved people in the American south, making their lives seem simple and idyllic, disregarding the violent reality.
The inclusion of Emmett’s lyrics foregrounds ideas about Black language and white perceptions of Black stereotypes. While Emmett’s role in the plot has not yet been revealed, his performance of Black life implied by these songs demonstrates how enslaved Black people have no control over their own narratives. At best, these songs portray white ignorance of the plight of enslaved Black people, and at worst, they mock their suffering.
Themes
