A short reflection based on Michael Bucknor’s essay ‘That Body Always Just a Skin Away’: Brotherly Love and the Intimacies of Men in David Chariandy’s Brother.

In That Body Always Just a Skin Away, Michael A. Bucknor uses David Chariandy‘s Brother as a lens to explore male intimacy within the black community, from the bond between brothers to romantic relationships.

Bucknor argues that the brotherly connection between Michael and Francis is rooted not only in their shared heritage and memories, but also in their mutual experiences of suffering caused by societal constructs and the prejudices associated with their skin color. The intimacy shared between the two brothers—and, by extension, their community—reveals both the beauty and the complexities of love within a Black, lower-class immigrant neighborhood.

Bucknor posits that these forms of intimacy, and the exploration of homosexuality among Black men, act as subversive responses to dominant society: they offer both an escape and a quiet form of rebellion against its expectations.

Furthermore, he highlights how displays of affection between Black men are often met with scrutiny and misunderstanding and frequently seen as threatening. This mirrors the discrimination and violence the characters face because of their identity. Bucknor ultimately argues that any black person defying expected behaviors, specifically concerning male closeness, can result in death. Yet, the pursuit of genuine self-expression is an act so essential that it compels many to embrace life-threatening risks “in order to live their lives”.

Works Cited:
Chariandy, David. Brother. 2017.
Bucknor, Michael A. Brotherly Love and the Intimacies of Men in David Chariandy’s Brother, “That Body Always Just a Skin Away” . Feb. 2019, smallaxe.net/sxsalon/discussions/body-always-just-skin-away.