Manchild in the Promised Land

novel by Brown

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Article History

Manchild in the Promised Land, autobiographical novel by Claude Brown, published in 1965. The work was noted for its realistic depiction of desperate poverty in Harlem.

Brown’s tale of heroin addicts, pimps, and small-time criminals in New York slums shocked readers who were unfamiliar with ghetto life. The autobiographical hero, Sonny, narrates the story of his escape from the addiction and violence that defined his childhood. Sent to the Wiltwyck School for Boys at age nine, Sonny is encouraged to pursue an education. Back home, however, he steals and sells drugs. After more time in reform school, Sonny escapes the neighbourhood and immerses himself in African and African American culture. Brown’s most vivid passages detail Sonny’s return visit to Harlem, where he discovers his younger brother mired in a life of crime and both an old friend and a former sweetheart destroyed by heroin addiction.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.