The Power of Music in the Autobiography of a Former Colored ManTo understand the power of music, this essay analyzes the Role of Music in Johnson's Autobiography of Johnson. a former man of color, in The Autobiography the narrator is able to marry the two halves of his musical identity in a way that he is unable to do with his racial identity. Whether it's the black and white keys of the piano, classical music versus popular music, or high art versus low art, dichotomous musical relationships coexist harmoniously in the novel. This is evidenced by the narrator's successful interpretation of his “ragtime transcription of Mendelssohn's Wedding March” (118). Ragtime music is rooted in African rhythms while Mendelssohn's piece is drawn from European classical traditions, and the narrator's successful combination of black and white music earns him a "generous round of applause" (119). The power of art, and especially music, is demonstrated by the musical talent and success of the narrator. Johnson uses music to create a world that transcends one's race, ethnicity, class, and gender. As readers, we are deeply in tune with the narrator's musical endeavors; this is the kind of outlet he finds for “all the little tragedies of [his] life” (3). As the millionaire friend said: “Music is a universal art; everyone's music belongs to everyone; you can’t limit it to race or country” (144). The idealization of art and music relieves the novel's melodramatic tendencies and the mullatta-like tragic aspects it contains. The music is more than a commentary on the narrator's life; rather, it is the glue that holds the fragments of his shattered identity together. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The narrator's musical identity presents an interesting juxtaposition to his racial identity. During his musical training, he chose not to be “embarrassed” by notes and tried to “reproduce the desired sounds without the slightest recourse to written characters” (9). The ease with which the narrator can manipulate the music to suit his tastes is evidenced by the way he "unintentionally closes Chopin's 13th Nocturne with [a] major triad" (209) and forces the accelerandos and rubatos to form a piece as he sees it. adjust. The former man of color chooses to “break” the rules when it comes to music, but chooses to “follow” the rules when he feels his racial identity is compromised. With music, the narrator never feels like he has to choose between being white or black. He is often "lost in all other thoughts in the delights of music and love" and unconsciously plays with strong fervor and musical feeling (37). These unconscious thoughts are often opposed to the narrator's intense awareness of his physiognomy, whether it is "the ivory whiteness of [his] skin, the beauty of [his] mouth, or even "the size and the liquid darkness of [his] eyes” (17). The simplicity of constructing a musical identity versus the complexity of constructing a racial identity is evident in Johnson's novel, where the author uses music to transcend his identity and further amplify the power of music . The former colored man attempts to cross many lines, both literally and metaphorically. , but it is only thanks to music that he will be able to cross borders. Since the music gives the narrator thepotential to complete his identity, it is important to first examine when he chooses to abandon his roots. The lynching scene is a pivotal moment in the novel; not only does this cause the narrator to deny his black heritage, but it also leads him to completely abandon his musical aspirations. In this scene, Johnson describes the "cruel and ridiculous" (190) actions of Southern whites, but more importantly, he illustrates the dehumanization of blacks, who were "treated worse than animals" (191). This lynching scene constitutes the final turning point of the novel and transforms the narrator from optimist to cynic. Society recognizes and embraces musical hybridity. During this violent episode, the audience quickly draws the line between the narrator's dual identity. The narrator is torn between his love for black music and the comfort of being a white man. The narrator's constant failure can be frustrating to contemporary readers, but it is important to remember that no society embraced both blacks and whites as they do today. In the novel, society forces the narrator to be black or white, something music never does. The novel contains several melodramatic episodes, and the narrator's abandonment of his musical aspirations conveniently makes his life more tragic. At the end of the novel, music becomes “the tangible vestiges of a vanished dream, of a dead ambition and of a sacrificed talent” (211). It becomes nothing more than a distant memory that the narrator can idealize through his memories. But despite the tragic outcome of his life, the musical intuitions of the former man of color never left him. Even at the end of the novel, it still offers the man a promise of hope. This is evidenced by the scene with the white woman, where the narrator manipulates Chopin's 13th Nocturne by ending it on a major triad instead of a minor triad. The narrator rewrites the ending of the play with a happy tune in hopes of erasing the sadness that has occurred in his life. The original ending of Chopin's piece sounded menacing in a minor key, inspiring a darker mood. This proves that for the narrator, music is a means of hope, as he states that “the few years of [his] married life were supremely happy” (209). Music offers the narrator the kind of reality he wants to see. The presence of music attracts him to his wife and is the fuel of happiness in their marriage. By comparing the narrator's life to his music, Johnson shows that it is life that is failing him, not music. For example, he considers the evenings when his mother opens the piano as the “happiest hours of [his] childhood” (9) and wins the adoration of his father when he plays a Chopin waltz. The narrator also used music to express his childhood romantic feelings, remembering, “when I played the piano, it was for her” (30). At a benefit concert in honor of his mother's death, it was his moving performance of Beethoven's Pathétique that allowed him to raise enough money to attend college. Additionally, the narrator achieves economic success teaching a few music students in the evenings and finds greater opportunities playing privately for his millionaire friend while traveling through Europe. The narrator's musical efforts enable him to receive the love and adoration of his parents and to express his passionate love for others. It also provides him with a stable income for most of his life. Unfortunately, it is the circumstances of his life that undo all of the narrator's musical success, from the theft of his education money to the tragedy of his wife's untimely death. In this regard, Johnson leads the reader to sympathize with the bad luck of his.