Just Above My Head By James Baldwin

“Just above my head” is a novel by James Baldwin published in 1979. The novel tells an adventure of a group of friends from Harlem, with the integration of love and fame between characters. Baldwin, a literary luminary renowned for his fearless examination of race, sexuality, and identity, masterfully intertwines these themes, inviting readers to navigate the intricate landscapes of intimate revelations and forbidden passions. With erotic vocabulary and vivid descriptions of characters’ actions, Baldwin challenges prevailing taboos and exposes the transformative power of embracing one's sexuality, candidly expressing desires and engaging in acts of confession. The intertwined themes of eroticism and confession challenge societal taboos and

Throughout the narrative, characters grapple with the fear of societal judgment, struggling to reconcile their authentic selves. In the story, Baldwin uses many metaphors to describe sexual actions between the gay man. “Long flat belly and the belly button and the jungle of hair spinning upward from the long, dark, heavy, swinging sex approached […]” (Baldwin 27) this description of Crunch’s sex organ gives the reader possibility to create imagery, and therefore illustrate the excitement of Crunch and he is ready to have sex. Moreover, the fact that Crunch and Arthur had multiple homosexual sex with different forms of sexual intercourse also indicates the author’s use of repetition to highlight the importance of the erotic theme between the homosexual couple. “Crunch’s sperm shot out against Arthur’s belly, Arthur’s shot against his, […] maybe we should make some more progress. […] right now? Whenever you ready. Oh, come on! Said Crunch.”(Baldwin 27) In the scene, Crunch and Arthur just finished their sexual intercourse by launching sperm shots at each other. However, they are not expressing any fatigue but are willing to go on for “more progress”. This straightforward expression of the desire for sex illustrates the eroticism theme in the story. In the conversation between Arthur and Crunch “I love you. I’d do anything for you,” said Arthur. Crunch watched him. “For true?” “For true.” Crunch held him tighter. (Baldwin 27) we discover that characters focus a lot on psychological feelings instead of only focusing on physical feelings which corresponds with the value of erotic sexual action. Furthermore, “According to The Kingdom of Pan: Eroticism is more about procreation” In the relationship of Arthur and Crunch, we notice that they are a