Story In Harlem Slang
Reading “Story In Harlem Slang,” couldn’t help but make me chuckle. Although I cannot personally relate to the main character, Jelly, who pimps himself out in order to make money to eat, I certainly could understand the banter that he and Sweet Back were engaging in. Jelly, who is from Alabama, embellishes his ability to pick up women. He apparently changed his name from Marvel to Jelly after a month of living on Lenox Ave. because when he pleased a woman they knew that, “It must be Jelly, ’cause Jam don’t shake.” I thought this was particularly amusing, because even in current times I could imagine a braggadocios man making a similar comment to his friends, and imagined how amusing it must have been when he said it himself. I could even envision this conversation being carried out in a high school gym class, which made it even funnier in my eyes.
One response so far
I agree with you, and really like the word “braggadocios”. Regardless of how critics felt about her work and it’s true intended audience, there is still relate-able content, various interpretations, and humor/entertainment that can be seen through a general lens. I enjoyed this story and it’s use of vernacular that helped to paint the picture and express to readers a more casual and genuine setting. I’m sure these types of conversations are common, and I can think of a few situations where i have seen similar banter taking place.