Blues for Mister Charlie is James Baldwin's only published play. He wrote it after the death of his friend and well-respected public figure, Medgar Evers, was murdered. The play is dedicated to Evers, his family, and those who died during the Birmingham Riot the previous year. The deeply personal intention with which Baldwin imbues this play is evidence of his devotion to the cause of the Civil Rights Movement. The play has two main audiences and thus two separate goals. One is to interpret the violence and discouragement of recent times for his fellow African Americans, particularly the young ones who may not understand clearly. The other is to white Americans, a confrontation.
Unwilling to allow the murder of Evers to pass without comment, Baldwin wrote Blues for Mister Charlie to explain to future generations why certain people had to die. He does not want the tragedies of the movement to be misinterpreted as reasons why it should not be continued. Evers and the brave people who stood alongside him fully understood that they may die for their cause, and they accepted that. In the play, Baldwin gives readers a martyr -- Richard -- and an aggressor -- Lyle, -- but he also includes a chorus of townspeople whom the story is actually about. Those on the sidelines, caught up in the drama, unsure about the truth, are the ones Baldwin seems to have been trying to reach with his writing. His message is simple: don't stop. No matter how deep and tragic the persecution becomes, Baldwin understands that future generations must be reminded that casualty is not defeat but motivation.
The phrase "Mister Charlie" is an old African-American slang term for a white man. With this in mind, one can interpret the events of the play as centered around Lyle, not Richard. Although Richard is the saint, he is not the one with whom the audience is supposed to identify. Lyle is the main focus of the story, the pivotal character. An argument can be made that Parnell is the most important character because he represents the moderate, reasonable white person who wants to help the movement but doesn't know how he or she can. For the sake of succinctness, however, Lyle is the key player. Writing to a mostly white audience, Baldwin depicts Lyle's fall from grace as his questionable actions come out one by one. He is not convicted for Richard's murder, however, which is the climax of the play. Baldwin allows Lyle to go free to make a point about conviction. Both Lyle and Parnell walk away from the trial feeling horrible, probably never the same, because they know that they were the wrong ones. Perhaps readers will understand Baldwin's message and commit not to place themselves in similar positions.
