The Other of Black People in If Beale Street Could Talk

If Beale Street Could Talk, a novel composed by James Baldwin, is mainly concerned with issues of the entrenched racial discrimination in American society. It discloses a poignant and cruel fact that black people are regarded as second-class citizens who do not possess equal rights as whites do in the society dominated by white supremacy. The thesis engages on a close scrutiny of black people’s living conditions to expose the deleterious impact of racism leading to their identity crises. It chiefly lays emphasis on three aspects. That is, black people are regarded as “the other” in the fields of law, education, and economy respectively. Through the careful interpretation, the thesis attempts to reveal the racial injustice giving rise to black people’s inferiority. Due to racism, black people are forced to lead a humble life without basic rights as American citizens equal to white people.