The odd ones out
Throughout the novel, we see Benji and Reggie constantly trying to find their identity. Living entirely different lives during and outside the school year, it's hard for the brothers to find where they fit in within society. Sag Harbor is an escape for the Cooper brothers, freeing them from the confinement of the bustling city life in New York.
Benji and Reggie seem at home in Sag Harbor, but some differences arise when they spend time with their friends. These differences come from the changing times in the 80s and the brothers' search for their true identity.
Reggie spends his time trying to keep his shoes from getting dirty, and Benji can't find where he fits in. The brothers have a slightly complicated situation caused by their socioeconomic status and ethnic background. "Black boys with beach houses," as Benji puts it, is how he sees himself in society. He doesn't fit into either group of people with whom he spends most of his time.
Going to a predominantly wealthy white school, Benji and Reggie don't quite fit in with their classmates. In Sag Harbor, they are surrounded by black teenagers who are very in touch with the black culture of the time. Reggie takes steps toward assimilation with his much cooler comrades, but Benji is slightly behind. Some of the slang and handshakes elude him and confuse him. Reggie likes to keep his crispy white shoes clean and listens to all the latest hip-hop music.
The new black culture focuses more on music, fashion, and appearance but also goes hand-in-hand with defining one's masculinity. Benji and Reggie's friends utilize words like "pussy" to persuade their friends into doing something they might be hesitant to do at first.
Benji is less in tune with his and his brother's knowledge disparities, but Reggie reminds him that they do not fit in. In fact, some might say that Reggie is doing better at fitting in with his Sag Harbor pals.
Benji's self-described paradox of "Black boys with beach houses" definitely factors into their identity very strongly, as it means that they don't fit in with both their wealthy white school and the rising hip-hop culture. However, Sag Harbor is unique for them since it is filled with other people who also live life in the same "paradox," which means that Benji and Reggie are able to find a community of people who are like them. However, as we get to the end of the novel we see Benji beginning to find his place within hip-hop culture and growing more confident in his identity.
ReplyDeleteThe struggle for identity is no doubt a key aspect of the coming of age novel. I like the way you specifically broke down in what ways Benji's identity problems occur. I definitely agree that Sag Harbor as a whole presents a very different identity challenge for Benji, and that finding his identity throughout the summer is a big part of what makes the plot of this book significant to the character. Reading this blog post with the end of the novel in mind, its interesting to think about how much Benji's identity has actually changed. In the end he does seem to have the same hopes and aspirations about changing himself and having a 'breakout' year.
ReplyDeleteThe divergence between the identity of the siblings are one of the defining characteristics of this book... Certainly, I think that the coming of age theme is very much embodied through this: starting as 'twins', their identities start to emerge as they grow older. Moreover, I think that Benji's own acknowledgement of their unique socioeconomic status is a salient reminder that the social order that characterized the late 20th century was that white people had more money and black people had less... I think that Benji's realization of this is another sign of his coming of age.
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