Jazz Lesson Plan

How are the City and the country portrayed differently in the novel? How does the City change the characters?

In Jazz, the country is representative of the past. The past is slavery, racism, and back-breaking labor. The City represents the future, offering some freedom from the kind of open racism that existed in the South. While the City lacks nature, in no time at all this is forgotten for what the city does have to offer: money, music, and dancing—alongside many vices. While "there is no air in the city, there is breath." The City is a dangerous place, but also the most exciting place, full of an infinite number of possibilities. Violet, Joe, and Dorcas all travel...