If He Hollers Let Him Go

There are various reoccuring themes that I have noticed in this novel. One is the grouping of coloured men that all of the white people see them as. No matter the situation, if one African is involved they got grouped together for their "stereotypical" behavior. (15,17,37,etc).

Bob and Alice's relationship seems to not be real. He is dating Alice as well as sleeping with Ella Mae on the side and he mentions "I'm just playing around with Alice until you and I figure out how to get rid of Henry" (47). With Alice having lighter skin, she uses it to her advantage and passes as a white woman. She completely dismisses her black side so that she is not put on the same level as African Americans.

Throughout the development of the novel I questioned the growth of Bob because although he changes in the end, his intentions seem to benefit his personal benefits. With Alice being lighter skin and from a wealthy family, he has potential to be better his life. Typically it is the female that portrays the image of a "gold digger" but Bob uses her for support emotionally, physically and in hopes of obtaining some stability. Bob seems to be in a constant battle of figuring out what he wants in life with the pressure of Alice trying to convince him to deal with the things he cannot change, "I want a husband who is important and respected and wealthy enough so that I can avoid a major part of the discriminatory practices which I am sensible enough to know I cannot change. I don't want to be pulled down by a person who can't adjust himself to the limitations of his race-- a person who feels he has to make a fist fight out of every issue-- a person who'd jepardize his entire future because of some slight or, say, because some ignorant white person should call him a nigger--" (Himes 97). It seems like Alice expects Bob to change the way he is but she can't even accept the fact that she is part black because it would jepardize her "identity".

I related this book to "To Kill a Mocking Bird" because the situation of rape is very similiar. It disgusts me that women are capable of convincing a crowd of people or a judge that they are innocent. This power is usual especially at this time because women had so little power. However, within this novel White women possess more power than the Black man. Even if the circummstances were in favor of the white women wanting the black man it could never be possible because there is an ongoing fear that something will happen and get the black man in trouble, "I couldn't tell him I didn't want her because she was a white woman and he was a white man, and something somewhere was back in my mind said that would an insult. And I couldn't tell him that I did want her, because the same thing said that that would be an insult too" (119). It's a lose lose situation because the idea of the White Women is an ongoing fear. There is a very fine line of racism that occurs throughout the novel that boils down to neither side being able to show respect for the other.

 

1) What message do the various covers for this novel portray? Does each cover symbolize a different  message that Hime's is trying to show?

2) Is Bob using Alice as a gateway to having a better life? Is his proposal based on knowing that he could be convicted of rape?