If He Hollers Let Him Go: Analysis of Major Characters
"If He Hollers Let Him Go: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the complexities of race, identity, and personal relationships against the backdrop of World War II. The central character, Robert (Bob) Jones, is an intelligent black foreman at the Atlas Shipyard in Los Angeles, grappling with the harsh realities of racial discrimination despite his qualifications. His experiences highlight his internal struggle with societal expectations and the despair that stems from being a target of resentment among his white colleagues. Bob’s fiancée, Alice Harrison, represents a contrasting perspective; she is a social worker who believes in gradual societal integration and has a more privileged position due to her ability to pass as white. This difference in experiences creates tension between them, particularly as Alice’s acceptance of societal norms clashes with Bob's anger and frustration. Madge Perkins, another character in the narrative, embodies overt racism while simultaneously attempting to manipulate Bob's vulnerabilities, revealing the often contradictory nature of prejudice. The interactions among these characters reflect broader themes of ambition, respectability, and the personal impacts of systemic racism, making it a rich exploration of character dynamics amid societal turmoil.
If He Hollers Let Him Go: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Chester Himes
First published: 1945
Genre: Novel
Locale: Los Angeles, California
Plot: Social realism
Time: The 1940's, during World War II
Robert (Bob) Jones, an intelligent and articulate black man. He works as a foreman at the Atlas Shipyard in Los Angeles during World War II. Because the work is defense-related, he has a deferment from the military draft. He recognizes all too pointedly that, despite his obvious ability to perform his job and despite his credentials, including two years of college, he is resented by many, if not most, of the whites at the shipyard. He becomes desperate to have the color of his skin ignored, yet he is too perceptive to have any faith in his becoming anything more than a token black employee. His desperation becomes evident in his angry, reckless driving to and from his job at the shipyard; in his nightmares, which feature chained dogs, crippled blacks, and derisively laughing whites; and in his increasingly strained relations with his fiancée, Alice Harrison.
Alice Harrison, Bob's fiancée. Alice is a social worker and lives at home with her very respectable parents. She admires her father, who is a doctor, and she accepts without question her parents' belief that for black people to succeed, they must adapt themselves to the slow progress toward integration and full equality with whites. She and her social-worker friends have a complacent faith in the value of college education for African Americans. Because she can pass as white, she does not appreciate the immediate bigotry that Bob often experiences because he is clearly black. She seems attracted to Bob because of his intelligence and because his anger represents a challenge to shape his views to her own. When he telephones her after escaping arrest, she is willing to believe that he has raped a white woman. In effect, his arrest is in itself too much of a loss of respectability for her to accept.
Madge Perkins, Bob's colleague. Clearly bigoted in her refusal to work under Bob, she is also perversely bigoted in her attempt to seduce him. She recognizes his latent fear of being found in any sort of compromising position with a white woman. Her accusation of rape is a transparent attempt to keep what little dignity she has in her dreary life.