Not Without Laughter: Analysis of Major Characters
"Not Without Laughter" is a novel by Langston Hughes that explores the journey of its young protagonist, James "Sandy" Rodgers, as he navigates life in a racially divided small town in Kansas during the early 20th century. Sandy, a reflective and intelligent black boy, evolves from a child into a determined young man while confronting issues of race, family, and identity. Central to Sandy's life is his maternal grandmother, Aunt Hager Williams, a strong, moral figure and respected member of the community, who embodies resilience and wisdom.
The novel also introduces Sandy's father, Jimboy Rodgers, a talented but troubled musician whose struggles with racism and economic hardship complicate his role in the family. In contrast, Sandy's mother, Annjelica (Annjee) Roberts, is portrayed as a hardworking and devoted wife, deeply committed to her family's well-being. The character of Harriet Williams, Sandy's aunt, presents a more rebellious and vibrant perspective, as she grapples with her experiences of discrimination and seeks to assert her independence.
Other characters, such as Tempy Siles, who has distanced herself from her roots, and various friends and neighbors, contribute to the rich tapestry of Sandy's world, reflecting the complexities of black life in America. Through these characters, the novel poignantly addresses themes of resilience, social struggle, and the quest for identity within the context of racial and class divisions.
Not Without Laughter: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Langston Hughes
First published: 1930
Genre: Novel
Locale: Stanton, Kansas, and Chicago, Illinois
Plot: Domestic realism
Time: 1912–1918
James “Sandy” Rodgers, the novel's protagonist, who comes of age in small-town, racially divided Stanton, Kansas, in the years prior to and including World War I. A sensitive, reflective, and intelligent black boy, Sandy is a young child when the novel opens; at the novel's close, he is sixteen years old and determined to continue his education despite the onset of the war and the economic hardships his family suffers. Sandy is the perceptive observer of black life across race, caste, and class barriers in Stanton and Chicago. He is at first the listener while various members of the black community reflect on their life's experiences, particularly their encounters with racism; eventually, as he grows up and begins to move within the larger community, he has his own experiences with maturation, sexuality, and family and race relations on which to reflect.
Aunt Hager Williams, Sandy's maternal grandmother and the principal source of strength, wisdom, and inspiration in his life. As a hardworking washerwoman and an old-fashioned Christian devoid of malice and devoted to Christian values, Hager is the mainstay of her family and an important community resource. Blacks and whites in Stanton respect her and call on her services in times of crisis.
Jimboy Rodgers, Sandy's roving, guitar-playing, loving, and hardworking (when he can find work) father. Young and light-skinned, or “high yellow,” Jimboy is the quintessential, apparently irresponsible, bluesman living the blues he sings about. Both racism and disposition prevent him from being a steady, stay-at-home husband and father. In Hager's eyes, he is a flawed young man and a bad influence on her youngest daughter, Harriet. Jimboy loves his music and his family; he provides for the family as best he can, though racism denies him meaningful employment.
Annjelica (Annjee) Roberts, Sandy's mother and Jimboy's sturdy, dark-skinned, quiet, meek, hardworking, and responsible wife. Both desperately proud of and deeply in love with her husband, Annjee resolves to join him the next time the search for work pulls him away from his family.
Harriet Williams, Hager's proud, rebellious, “frisky,” free-spirited daughter and the vibrant young aunt whom Sandy idolizes. Bitter experiences with discrimination have taught Harriet hatred of white people; she can accept neither the paltry pay nor the insults extended to hardworking black maids and domestic workers by white employers. Neither can she extend to white employers her mother's Christian forgiveness for their meanness. Determined to live her life on her own terms and as she feels fit, Harriet becomes a blueswoman, the female counterpart to Jimboy.
Tempy Siles, the eldest of Hager's daughters; she is snobbish, responsible but insensitive, and successfully married and respectable. Proud of her rise to upper-middle-class status. Tempy has distanced herself from her family, left the Baptist church to join the color-and class-biased Episcopal church, and all but rejected the community where she was reared. Following the death of Aunt Hager, Tempy assumes responsibility for Sandy until his mother returns.
Maudel Smothers, Harriet's best friend, considered a loose girl and bad influence by Aunt Hager.
Mrs. J. J. Rice, the demanding white woman who employs Annjee as a domestic servant.
Sister Johnson, the mother of Willie Mae and a former slave, a friend and neighbor of Aunt Hager. Sister Johnson recounts what life was like for black people in the Reconstruction South.
Sister Whiteside and Brother Logan, elderly neighbors, confidants, and friends of Aunt Hager.
Willie Mae Johnson, Buster, Jimmy Lane, and Pansetta, childhood friends and neighbors of Sandy. Pansetta is Sandy's first, although unconsummated, love.