Throughout the novel, Jake compares and contrasts life abroad and life at home in Harlem. What similarities and differences emerge from these comparisons, and how does Jake’s perspective on home and abroad change over the course of the novel?

Sex and love, and the relationships between men and women consume many characters in the novel. How does McKay portray these relationships, and what impact do these relationships have on the lives of the characters?

Discuss how McKay uses music, especially jazz and the blues, as a part of the cultural setting of the novel.