Piano

The narrator plays the piano from a very early age throughout his life. His ability to play earns him income and admiration and is the means through which he discovers his ambition in life.

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is first Southern city the narrator spends any significant time in in his adult years. While the numbers of poor Blacks he sees in town disgust him, he is equally impressed by the Black student population in Atlanta University. In Atlanta, the narrator is robbed and loses his college tuition.

Jacksonville, Florida

The narrator moves to Jacksonville to make money after his is stolen in Atlanta. There he finds friends among his Cuban co-workers at the cigar factory.

The “Club”

The “Club” is a popular entertainment venue for both well-to-do Blacks and Whites. This is where the narrator first hears ragtime music, a life-changing moment for him. He begins to...