Blues for Mister Charlie: A Play [Paperback]

James Baldwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 1995

In a small Southern town, a white man murders a black man, then throws his body in the weeds. With this act of violence--which is loosely based on the notorious 1955 killing of Emmett Till--James Baldwin launches an unsparing and at times agonizing probe of the wounds of race. For where once a white storekeeper could have shot a "boy" like Richard Henry with impunity, times have changed. And centuries of brutality and fear, patronage and contempt, are about to erupt in a moment of truth as devastating as a shotgun blast.

In his award-winning play, Baldwin turns a murder and its aftermath into an inquest in which even the most well-intentioned whites are implicated--and in which even a killer receives his share of compassion.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Tragedy in three acts by James Baldwin, produced and published in 1964. A denunciation of racial bigotry and hatred, the play was based on a murder trial that took place in Mississippi in 1955. "Mister Charlie" is a slang term for a white man. The story concerns Richard Henry, a black man who returns to the Southern town of his birth to begin a new life and recover from drug addiction. Lyle Britten, a white bigot who kills him for "not knowing his place," is acquitted by an all-white jury. Racism scars both black and white members of the community who attempt to intervene. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

"A play with fires of fury in its belly, tears of anguish in its eyes, a roar of protest in its throat." --The New York Times

"Explosive, eloquent, honest.... To read it is devastating." --San Francisco Chronicle

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (April 25, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679761780
• ISBN-13: 978-0679761785
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars this play provides insight into subconscience racism, April 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Blues for Mister Charlie: A Play (Paperback)

this play is wonderful. not only does the reader come away with a deeper insight into the racist psyche that plagues our country, but also a clearer view of how racism is perpetuated systematicly in a subsconscience manner. it becomes very appearant that many of the racist characters in the play are truly unaware of the devestating effects their racist attitude is having on their growth as individuals. in fact, we find that we find that such characters are so misguided in their views, they often mistake them as being wholesome,that is, for the betterment of all people, and scripturally based. baldwin's depiction of this cancerous mentality is brilliant. the reader sees clearly how misguided premises can corrupt one's entire mentality.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blues for Ms. Tiffany!, June 12, 2001

By 

Tiffany (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blues for Mister Charlie: A Play (Paperback)

I have just finished this book, and I am sorry it has taken me so long to pick it up. You start reading and you almost forget it is a play! There is a lesson to be taught in this book, and one to be learned when finished. It shows more than one reality of living in the south back in this time. There was racism, there was tolerance,there was love and there was always turmoil! A battle to do the right thing and even the wrong!. We are all a product of our surroundings but we can also try to change that, and sometimes the cost of not "wanting things to be the way they have always been" is too much for any one person. It made me sad, (hence my blues!) but I came away with a little extra something. Please read this book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How racism obstructs justice, March 10, 2006

By 

Rizzo (Nowhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blues for Mister Charlie: A Play (Paperback)

James Baldwin's best known play, known as a protest drama, Blues for Mister Charlie, is included in the Best American Plays 6th Series (1963-67 Baldwin said it is based distantly on the true story of a Mississippii youth, Emmett Till in 1955, who was murdered for whistling at a white woman.

The three act play has two sets, the Negro church and the courthouse and in the church setting is a division of characters in Whitetown and Blacktown. Mister Charlie is pseudo for all white men. The lengthy play does go into flashback, so it is important to spot when the flashbacks occur. And one important flashback is the real account of the murder that took place.

The opening begins as The black Reverend Meridian discusses whether anybody will be arrested for his son Richard's murder. Lyle, a racist bigot, is accused of the murder. Parnell, also white, is a longtime friend of Lyle. Parnell is also a good friend of all the black folk. This relationship plays a large role.

The play then shifts to Whitetown where we learn who storekeeper Lyle and his wife Jo are. Here, Lyle tries to get Parnell to believe him that he didn't kill anyone Lyle is adamant that he will never be convicted. We learn that Lyle has killed a black man before. It is said that Lyle was having an affair with an old black man's young wife.

Then, the captivating courtroom dialogue, written with interspersed commentary from the Whitetown and Blacktown and some flashbacks.

If you are familiar with the works of Baldwin, you will recognize the preacher in him. His father was a preacher. Baldwin through Rev Meridian has a powerful memorable monologue at the pulpit. In this play, one gets a true understanding of racism against blacks and whites and how justice is obstructed through racism.
........Rizzo.