Lit Me With Music

Philip Roth wrote a short story with a proverb sounding title: “You Can’t Tell A Man by The Song He Sings.” The text mentions one song entitled “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” as well as the American Anthem. (As those who have read my first post will note, this is my second encounter with the anthem in a work of fiction.)     Three high school freshmen develop an asymmetrical friendship over the course of the year. While the narrator is an average student, Alberto “Albie” Pelagutti and Duke “The Duke” Scarpa are out of reform school. The narrator first meets Albie who is determined to do well and turn things around in his life. The Duke, however, has a very different approach to secondary education. There are also two authority figures worth naming: Mr. Russo, the Occupations teacher and Mr. Wendell, the principal. Though the backgrounds and attitudes of the three friends differ greatly, they all join forces to bring an orderly chaos to the class of Mr. Russo...

Toni Morrison a écrit un roman dont le titre ne tient qu’en un mot : “Jazz.” En suivant un triangle amoureux à New York en 1926, le roman nous embarque dans un voyage à travers le temps et l’espace tandis que l’auteur s’intéresse aux origines rurales des personnages. La fiction nous permet de nous interroger sur la grande migration vers le Nord. Bien que la musique ait une place importante dans le livre, les références tendent à être plus générales que spécifiques. Le texte mentionne des labels de disques tels que Bluebird (p. 120) et Okeh (p. 6, 197). Très peu de noms apparaissent dans le texte. La chorale gospel “Wings Over Jordan” (p. 94) et le groupe préféré de Dorcas, “Slim Bates and His Ebony Keys”, (p. 5) apparaissent au fil des pensées de Violet.   La musique sert généralement à faciliter notre compréhension des personnages et de leurs comportements. Au cœur du comportement d’Alice se trouve un paradoxe. Religieuse, elle condamne le comportement licenci...

Toni Morrison wrote a novel with a one-word title: “Jazz.” Focusing on a love triangle set in 1926 in New York City, the novel takes us on a journey through time and space as we are asked to consider the rural origins of the characters. This is fictional study of the Northern Migration.  While music has a strong presence in the book, the references tend to be generic rather than specific. The text mentions record labels such as Bluebird (p. 120) and Okeh (p. 6, 197). Very few names appear in the text. The gospel choir “Wings Over Jordan” (p. 94) and Dorcas’ favorite band “Slim Bates and His Ebony Keys” (p.5) pop up in Violet’s trail of thoughts.  The music is generally there as a key to understanding the characters.  There is, for instance, a paradox at the heart of Alice’s behavior. A religious woman, she condemns the looseness with which the women conduct themselves in the city, while, at the same time, cultivates feelings of admiration and env...