Sex in another country by james baldwin
Everyone's relationships become strained in the course of the novel. Eric returns to the novel's social circle but is calmer and more composed than most of the group. Vivaldo begins a relationship with Rufus's sister Ida, which is strained by racial tension and Ida's bitterness after her brother's death.Įric, an actor and Rufus' first male lover, returns to New York after years living in France, where he met his longtime lover Yves. Rufus's friends cannot understand the suicide, and experience some guilt over his death. The rest of the book explores relationships between Rufus' friends, family, and acquaintances in the wake of his death. Depressed, Rufus returns to Harlem and commits suicide, jumping off the George Washington Bridge. Rufus becomes habitually physically abusive of Leona, and she is admitted to a mental hospital in the South. Initially, the relationship is frivolous, but it turns more serious as they continue to live together. He begins a relationship with Leona, a white woman from the South, and introduces her to his social circle, including his closest friend, struggling novelist Vivaldo, his more successful mentor Richard, and Richard's wife Cass. The first fifth of Another Country tells of the downfall of jazz drummer Rufus Scott. Vivaldo could perhaps, in his guilt over the death of Rufus, want to keep the friends he has left and therefore willingly avoids his jealousy towards Richard.The book uses a third-person narrator who is nevertheless closely aware of the characters' emotions. Although such contrasting feelings are felt between the men, there is still a compliance to ignore their issues and remain to appear as friends. It seems as though Richard himself is envious of Vivaldo's freedom, for he is not tied down to a family. Resentment begins to form between the two, as Richard focuses more on his novels and in his own jealousy accuses his wife of having an affair with Vivaldo. Vivaldo unconsciously experiences envy towards the man he has admired for a numerous amount of years. As he looks upon the face of his friend, the "tough" and "good" face "Vivaldo had loved for a long time", he reveals, "the face lacked something, he could not have said what the something was, and he knew his helpless judgement was unjust" (Baldwin 157). When Richard asks Vivaldo if he truly liked his book, Vivaldo assuredly admits to liking it. Richard's success causes an undertone of jealousy between the two friends. Richard finishes his crime mystery novel and achieves success, while Vivaldo is still struggling to discover his characters and their purpose. Yet both men are writers and are currently writing novels. Richard was, in fact, one of his teachers and they have remained friends ever since.
Two of Vivaldo's oldest friends were a couple, Cass and Richard, who greatly influenced his life as a young adult. This exemplifies his eagerness to see only the positive sides to Ida and their relationship, not admitting that she has become bitter from the death of her brother and may not have the warm heart that Vivaldo sees in her. Ida's reply to this is, "That's supposed to mean that I've got a warm heart," then she reveals, "but what it really means is poor circulation." Not submitting to her bitter tone he then states, "I prefer to believe that you've got a warm heart" (Baldwin 159). While dancing together at a party Vivaldo comments that Ida's hands are cold.
Although they now face racial tension from others, Vivaldo willingly ignores the world's view on their relationship. Her beauty and resemblance of Rufus is essentially what attracts Vivaldo to her. After Rufus' death, Vivaldo falls in love with Ida.