Hurry Home: Analysis of Major Characters
"Hurry Home: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the lives of key figures navigating complex emotional and societal landscapes. Central to the narrative is Cecil Otis Braithwaite, a Black janitor and a law graduate who grapples with disappointment and despair after abandoning his wife, Esther, on their wedding night. Despite his academic achievements, Cecil feels alienated and trapped by the racial barriers of society, compounded by personal tragedies, including the loss of their child. His wife, Esther, embodies unwavering support and sacrifice, believing fiercely in Cecil's destined greatness while enduring her own struggles.
Other significant characters include Aunt Fanny, Esther's dependent elderly aunt, and Uncle Otis, Cecil's steadfast uncle, who represents a connection to their community. The story also introduces Charles Webb, an elderly American writer whose past mistakes haunt him, motivating his search for redemption through Cecil. Another layer is added by Albert, a drifter linked to Webb’s quest, who serves as a foil to Cecil’s journey. This character-driven narrative explores themes of aspiration, sacrifice, and the weight of history, inviting readers to reflect on the intersections of personal and collective identity.
Hurry Home: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John Edgar Wideman
First published: 1970
Genre: Novel
Locale: The United States, Europe, and the ocean off Africa
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: The mid-and late 1960's
Cecil Otis Braithwaite, a black janitor in his thirties. Cecil was only the second black man to receive a law degree from his college. On the night of his graduation, he marries Esther, who supported him through law school. He was a man of dreams, but his hopes have been dashed. After deserting Esther on their wedding night, he spends three years traveling in Europe. He returns to his former life and does not change it but merely sinks further into his depression, caused by the state of his race, his alienation—because of his race—from the type of life he wants to lead, and the miscarriage of his and Esther's child.
Esther Brown Braithwaite, Cecil's wife. Esther has sacrificed her life to Cecil because she believes that he has been chosen by God for greatness. She slaves in the Branbury Arms at Cecil's janitorial job while he is in school, while he is away, and after he returns, hoping to help her husband in some way.
Aunt Fanny, Esther's elderly aunt. She lives with Esther and Cecil and is completely dependent on them. She remembers a time when she was needed by her husband and sons.
Uncle Otis, Cecil's uncle. He is an old man and a fixture in the neighborhood. In Cecil's mind, he literally keeps the lamppost on which he leans from falling over.
Charles Webb, an elderly American writer living in Spain. Webb is the cause of Cecil's travels. Far in Webb's past is an affair with a black woman named Anna, with whom he fathered a son and whom he deserted because of Anna's infidelity. Webb has spent much of his guilty life searching for this son. When he meets Cecil, he wants to believe that his search is over and pays for Cecil's passage to Europe.
Albert, a middle-aged drifter employed by Webb to find Webb and Anna's son. Like Webb, Albert is an expatriate. He briefly becomes Cecil's drinking companion in Spain to dissuade him from continuing his relationship with Webb, thus keeping himself on Webb's payroll.
Anna, a schoolteacher, Webb's former mistress. Before she dies, she writes Webb a letter informing him of the existence of his son, causing Webb to begin his long search.