Gentrification as a Metaphor for the Family Crisis in "Halsey Street" by Naima Coste
Gentrification as a Metaphor for the Family Crisis in "Halsey Street" by Naima Coste
Author(s): Małgorzata MartynuskaSubject(s): Gender Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies, American Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Sklodowskiej
Keywords: Brooklyn; gentrification; a crisis of belonging; people of color; Whiteness;
Summary/Abstract: The article explores the relationship between people and the places they live in, depicted in Naima Coster’s "Halsey Street" (2017). The novel chronicles the wave of gentrification in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy and its effect on African and Latinx residents. The new Brooklyn aesthetic undermines the rich African cultural vibe and privileges Whiteness. The changing cityscape causes a crisis of community belonging among the marginalized long-time residents of the neighborhood. Coster’s novel is also a family saga capturing the weight of familial obligationwhen a person with creative interests does not develop as an artist but instead has to focus on the family, evolving under the pressure of gentrification.
Journal: Lublin Studies in Modern Languages and Literature
- Issue Year: 48/2024
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 63-72
- Page Count: 10
- Language: English
