Through the Lens of Two Characters from Chester Himess If He Hollers Let Him Go - Book Report/Review Example

Through the Lens of two characters from Chester Himes’s If He Hollers Let Him Go Introduction Chester Himes’s novel If He Hollers Let Him Go is set in the early 1940s and narrates the experiences of a fictional black skinned character Robert Jones. The author used the character as the narrator to provide first hand experience of the blacks which became even scarier than before after the Pearl Harbor bombing by the Japanese. After that event race became a major issue for every Americans, and the negative impacts were felt by the blacks and other minority groups. The book depicts the true image of America especially what it is for the black migrants. The country has its real image, as Alice sees it, which is that it is a land of opportunities, freedom and equality. However, in the eyes of Robert it is a land of hypocritical racial discriminations. Robert cynically believes that this land of riches actually hinders him from achieving what he is capable of and also has the right to achieve. This paper looks at racism through the lens of Robert Jones and his upper class black girlfriend Alice Harrison. Robert Jones The central character of the novel, Robert Jones faced the pathos of being black in a country dominated by the white skinned people. Initially, when he arrived in California, racism was not a major issue for him. Like everyone else, he also thought America as a land of opportunities. Situation became worse and race discrimination came to the forefront only after the Pearl Harbor bombing by the Japanese, “It was the crazy, wild-eyed, unleashed hatred that the first Jap bomb on Pearl Harbour let loose in a flood. All the tight, crazy feeling of race as thick in the street as gas fumes. Every time I stepped outside I saw a challenge I had to accept or ignore” (Himes, 4). The impact was felt not only by the Japanese-Americans but all minority groups. Since Robert is black skinned, and works in a superior position in Atlas shipyard, he was constantly under the scanner. The white men who worked under his leadership refused to respect his authority while his superiors looks for the smallest mistakes made by him as excuses to remove him from the post. Robert lived in a society that was replete with racism. He faced humiliation everywhere from the bars to the job site and even in every personal relationship. The novel begins with his narration of a dream about a dog with “a piece of heavy still wire twisted around its neck” (1). The dream was a reflection of his increasing fear of near death. Living in a white dominated world he faced pain and insult everyday both from his subordinates and his superiors, leading him to get violent thoughts against white people although he never encouraged those thoughts. The urge to kill or rape overwhelmed him to overcome the handicapped feeling of being black. However, on one occasion he could not stop from reacting as a white woman named Madge refused to work for him saying “I ain’t gonna work with no nigger”. Frustrated with anger for insult for no reason, he blurted out before he could stop himself, “Screw you, then, you cracker bitch” (33). This incident not only resulted in losing his position as crew leader but also he almost got fired from the job. In spite of all the hardships he had faced because of his skin color, he had been able to maintain a good relation with his black skinned girlfriend from upper class named Alice Harrison. Towards the end of the novel, he was forced to join the army as he was faced with two options namely going to jail for alleged rape on Madge or enlist his name in the America army. Alice Harrison Alice Harrison was an upper class girlfriend of Robert who proved to be a good companion in spite of the class difference. She had been both physical and emotional companion of Robert. Since she was from the upper class she was not subjected to the abject racism that her friend experienced everyday. However, once she began to socialize with Robert she realized the vagaries of being black skinned in a white dominated world. Alice went through both internal and external conflicts on the night when Robert treated her to a romantic dinner. She, for the first time, faced racism in blatant form as they were refused service because of the color of their skin. Later on they encountered with the police who randomly stopped them while driving in Santa Monica. These incidents made her realize that although she belongs to the upper class she still carries the stigma of being black skinned. Her lifelong illusion that she is part of the world of the whites got shattered that evening, and faced the reality that she will be treated like any other black is treated in America. Alice represents those migrants who have been economically successful in America, and hence she had turned a blind eye to the unethical aspects of the society and the racist framework, like she said to Robert “We are Negroes and we can’t change that. But as Negroes, we can accomplish many things, achieve success, live our own lives, own our own homes, and have happiness. There is no reason a Negro cannot control his destiny within this (segregated) pattern. It is simply a form of self-preservation” (168). Comparisons between the characters The character Robert Jones comes from lower class who works in a naval shipyard. Being a black, he has daily faced the harsh treatments bestowed on him by the whites even if they are his subordinates. The constant humiliation often invokes violence which he controls. He has a cynical view of the American society. It is a society that promises of fulfilled dreams but within the framework of intense racism. On the other hand, Alice who is also black skinned has remained removed from such pattern of segregation all her life since she belongs to the upper class. She never felt herself separate from the white people with whom she daily socializes. In order to maintain a superior position in comparison with the other African Americans, she uses her social status to curb Robert’s cynicism regarding racism and encourages him to accept his position in the society and focus on achieving success and happiness in life. Therein lies the difference of perspectives between Robert and Alice. Although they are very good companions to each other, their internal conflicts speak a different language. Roberts belongs to an ambiguous class state since he works in a leadership position in the industrial sectors and at the same time is black skinned. Alice, on the other hand wants to see him as the leader of the middle class. For Robert, this is a basic contradiction. Alison and her family depend on the African American class since they are part of this class, but also they exploit this very class which is a privilege of belonging to upper class. The fear and guilt lead the Harrisons to separate themselves from the material conditions of other African Americans. Robert cannot overlook the class discrimination that blatantly exists in the society, nor can he forget the physical and emotional pain and humiliations that he has experienced in his daily life. On the other hand, Alice accepts the fact that African Americans shall always be treated as Negroes in the society and hence she cannot formulate the language to soothe Robert’s racial pain and oppression. Conclusion The story spans four days of Robert’s life who works as a crew leader in a naval shipyard. Through the character the readers can get the picture of how the blacks were treated in America in a specific period, i.e. the early years of US involvement in the World War II. Although Robert was not directly participating in the war, nevertheless his personal struggle against racism is a miniature reflection of war experiences. Reference Himes, Chester. If He Hollers Let Him Go, London: Profile Books, 2010 Read More