Harlem Dancer Commentary

In the Harlem dancer Claude McKay presents a dancer in a night club. The dancer is ravished but not fully understood by her audience, this discusses how sexual objectification can lead to and oversimplification of ones identity.

The first line introduces feelings of happiness and innocence but also as dark side. “Applauding youths” has a sense of innocence and happiness, the applause also shows that the performance is successful. But this image of innocence changes “laughed with young prostitutes.” the prostitutes undermine the innocence of the scene, suggesting that this event of fun is superficial. However there is a sense of unity evoked from the “laughed with,” the audience while it might not be entirely innocent, is coming together and having fun, this performance is successful and powerful.

The dancer is characterized as adult and sensual. “Her perfect half clothed body” clearly shows that she has the ideal form, and she is dressing provocatively. She is holding the gaze of her audience she is a successful performer. The scene and the dancer are portrayed as improper and sexually charged, but the seemingly blissful atmosphere seems to idealize this. “Her voice sounded like blended flutes, blown by black players on a picnic day” depicts the girl as complex and innocent. The flutes have a very high innocent feminine sound, but because they are blended would sound very complex. This implies that she herself is beautiful and complex, and “the picnic day” gives a sense that she is out of place in this night club.

McKay doesn’t necessarily look down upon the dancer the audience or the scene. There is a sense of happiness, and innocence in sexuality. The girl is not immoral for dancing, as McKay portrays her as a “strong palm tree” this has positive connotations, it suggests she has more character than people in the audience perceive, dancing isn’t degrading, it just is an incomplete perception of her. The audience is not immoral for liking it; they are comprised of “applauding youths.” They look at the dancer with “passion” they are admiring the sex appeal of the dancer, they believe they are honestly seeing the dancer for who she is, a sex object, but they misunderstand her.

Sexuality is not the tragedy of this situation; in fact her dancing and sexual appeal unites the crowd and makes her a successful performer. It is in her “false-smile” which shows her dislike of her current role, which is tragic. Misunderstanding is also tragic. When the audience showers her with money and attention, she feels little excitement. The sense of unity and excitement in the crowd alienates the dancer even though ironically she is the cause of the excitement.

McKay does not victimize or demonize the audience or the audience; he simply shows the difficulties for the dancer in the situation. Sexuality is not depicted as immoral in this poem; the audience is not bad for admiring the dancer. The dancer is not immoral for herself exploitation of her sexuality. The sadness comes from the misunderstanding of the situation, for which neither dancer nor audience are blamed.