Stuck Between Two Worlds

 

In Sag Harbor, Coleson Whitehead explores what it's like to be stuck between two worlds: one that represents comfortability and familiarity, and another that represents the pressure to adjust the way you act in order to fit in. We see this with the narrator and protagonist of the story, Benji, who comes from Manhattan and attends an exclusive, predominantly white private school where he frequently feels like an outsider. “I remember one day in the seventh grade when an old white man stopped us on a corner and asked us if we were the sons of a diplomat. Little princes of an African country. The U.N. being half a mile away. Because–why else would black people dress like that?” (Whitehead 4). Throughout the novel, Whitehead uses Benji’s experiences with Manhattan and Sag Harbor to show how living between two different worlds affects his character and sense of belonging.

During his school year in Manhattan, Benji is constantly aware of how different he is from the people around him. He has trained himself to know how to respond when strangers stop him in the street and ask uncomfortable questions, which he knows wouldn't happen in Sag Harbor. “When strangers stopped us on the street asking questions, we knew what to do. Keep walking brother. What did he look like?... What did we look like? I don't know, but his question wasn't something we'd ever be asked in Sag Harbor. We fit in there” (Whitehead 5). This sense of being out of place is especially clear during bar mitzvah season in New York, where he is often the only black kid in the room, constantly being stared at and talked about. As a result, Benji navigates through Manhattan with constant awareness of how quickly his race is noticed and questioned.

While Manhattan forces Benji to monitor the way he speaks and acts, Sag Harbor offers a clear contrast as a place where he is surrounded by people with similar backgrounds and experiences as him. He feels a strong sense of freedom, belonging, and authenticity, as he and his peers can be themselves without the pressure of societal expectations. “Summer we branched out in our measly fashion. Freed from the dress code…” (Whitehead 5). This moment highlights how Sag Harbor gave Benji an escape from the self-consciousness that consumed his life in New York.

Through Benji’s experiences in Sag Harbor, Coleson Whitehead makes it clear how one’s surroundings can shape their self-perception and the way one interacts with other people. In Manhattan, Benji constantly feels pressure to filter what he says and how he acts in order to fit into a predominantly white environment. In Sag Harbor, on the other hand, he feels more comfortable expressing his true self and connecting naturally with his surrounding social circles. By showing the contrast between these two very different settings, Whitehead shows how the pressure to meet others’ expectations can strongly influence people’s confidence, behavior and identity.