Deacon King Kong by James McBride is a historical novel set in Causeway Projects, Brooklyn, in the 1960s. The narrator tells the story from a third-person perspective using a thoughtful tone and an anxious mood. The story’s protagonist is Cuffy “Sportcoat”, a former deacon at the Five Ends Church. The main conflict in the novel is between Sportcoat and Bunch Moon, the leader of a drug cartel that is causing havoc in the Causeway Projects. McBride's main themes in the novel include racism, substance abuse, and religion. The primary symbolism in the novel is escapism.
The first main topic in the novel is racism. In particular, the author explores the effects of structural racism in the modern world. To illustrate the effects of structural racism, the author focuses on the difficulties the black people in Brooklyn go through when they want to construct the Five Ends Church. The white landowners are reluctant to give land for the church's construction because by doing so, they will encourage more black people in their locality. The other example of structural racism in the novel is when the New York Housing Authority willingly ignores the complaints of black people regarding unfair evictions and poor living conditions. The systematic racism practiced by the white society in Brooklyn is intended to cripple the black community from exploiting their potential.
Substance abuse is another major theme in the novel Deacon King Kong by James McBride. Sportcoat, a former deacon in the church, is an alcoholic. When Sportcoat is drunk, he engages in violent actions. For instance, Sportcoat shoots Deems when drunk, but when interrogated by the police later, he says he does not remember using his gun. The shooting of Deems brings another important issue of heroin addiction. Deems is a notorious drug dealer operating under the leadership of Bunch Moon. Substance abuse in the Causeway Projects has led to the rise of criminal activities and unnecessary killings of innocent people.
The residents of Causeway Projects are religious because they jointly participate in the activities of the Five Ends Church. For instance, Sister Gee encourages people to safeguard the Christian fund to support community projects. More importantly, the church teaches the locals to live morally and support each other.
The primary symbolism in the novel is escapism. Baseball is a central symbol of this desire to escape throughout the novel. Every time black children want to run away from racist remarks and bullying, they go to play baseball. In addition, when drug addicts want to divert their attention from substance abuse, they play baseball to keep themselves busy. Therefore, baseball is an important object that symbolizes escapism throughout the novel.
