A Loaf Of Bread Sparknotes

In a “ A Loaf of Bread” by James Alan McPherson, morality is the main topic discussed throughout the story. The actions of the main character Harold Green have caused a sudden outburst in the community and now they want justice. Nelson Reed, a local African American deacon and factory worker, brings Greens ethics into question. Green however is not an evil man and by no means does he feel that he has done wrong by the community. Though Green’s personality seems to be contradictory at times, he is in fact very prideful and has the potential for great change as you will see at the end of the story.
Harold green is a local grocery store owner, he has 3 stores in different neighborhoods throughout the town. One of the stores is in a very poor

neighborhood where he claims to make no money and only uses it for write off purposes. The second is on the wealthier side of town where he wants to be recognized as a reputable grocery store. And the last is in another low-income area, however, he invests more money into this one and therefore has to increase the prices in order to make a certain profit. After years of shopping at Green’s store, Nelson Reed found out that just two miles down to road he can buy the same exact food in his other store for much less. Outraged, he rallied all those who lived in his neighborhood and soon enough they were in the front of the store protesting what they believed to be unfair prices.
There are various occasions in the story where Green claims to be a fair man and that race has nothing to do with his actions; however, he will then follow it up with something that implies quite the opposite.

In the midst of an argument with his wife about what he should do about the protestors Green says, “ I did not make the world...If not me, there would be a Greek, a Chinaman, maybe an Arab or a smart one of their own kind.” Implying that it’s not his fault things like that happen, if it was not him charging them more money then it would be someone else; the end would be inevitable. Towards the end of the quote he always says “...a smart one of their own kind.” Which is a very subtle and racist way of saying that he doesn’t think there are very many intelligent African Americans. Green also makes it sound like money isn’t of his highest priority, he does after all claim to not make much profit at all even with his increased prices. Oddly enough, for a brief moment during a conversation with his wife green asks her what the color of the picketers were, and she responds black. He then asks her what their kids’ last name were and she replied Green. He follows up by saying “There is your answer… Green is the only color I am interested in.” Another way of saying that all he really cares about is money, and not those who are being affected by his way of doing business. This is the same man who claims to be doing no wrong to his community, and who told his kids that he wasn’t a dishonest

man.
Green’s wife used their kids as a way of making Green fix his wrongs with all the picketers and protesters. She gave him an ultimatum, everything in his store must be free for eight hours one day that week, if not then she will take the kids and leave him for good. From the beginning Green didn’t agree to such an absurd idea, “I will not knuckle under...I will not give!” he would shout. Even with his family and possibly his whole life at stake Green just had too much pride to do anything that resembled an apology to the community. Even if he believed that he had done wrong he wouldn’t give in. Thomas, his brother in law, suggested that he explain to Reed in great detail all of his costs, expenses, and just show him how much profit he truly makes from such a store. “ That I would never do... It would be admission of a certain guilt.” Again Green refusing to give the people any form of an apology.
Saturday was the last day Green had to do as his wife asked him, if he did not give out everything for free that day then his wife and kids would certainly leave him. When Green went to open the store that Saturday morning he had no intentions of giving anything out for free. In his mind it was going to be just another day at work. Nelson Reed’s wife was the first to walk through the door, she got a loaf of bread and was just about to pay for it. Before Green could do anything else he said “Free,” and then he said it again. He then did that for the next customer, and the next, and every single one until the store was in complete chaos. By noon the store was completely empty, all the shelves were bone dry. Harold Green now had absolutely nothing. Nelson Reed walks in and he is someone who knows what it’s like to have nothing at all. He has no savings, not even a single penny in the bank. “All I is is a poor man that works too hard to see his pay slip through his fingers like rainwater.” Meaning that with everything he has to pay for the little money that he makes doesn't last him at all. Green implores as Reed steps in the store “Now do you understand?... Now will you put yourself in my shoes? I have nothing here.” Now that Green understands what it feels like to have nothing left just like Reed. He is urging Reed to imagine what it would be like owning his own store, and feel the financial struggles that he feels as well. Green took this huge financial loss for his family, himself but most importantly to put himself in Nelson Reed’s shoes. So that he too can understand that struggles he must suffer.
Harold Green isn’t necessarily a bad man, nor is he someone with ideal ethics either. He has his faults and is constantly contradicting himself throughout the story. Saying one thing and then moments later making a remark that implies the opposite. His pride also gets the best of him as he was almost willing to lose his wife and kids just so that he didn’t have to show any weakness towards the picketers and protesters. That being said, and the end of the story Green did give out everything in his store for free, as requested by his wife. From the first customer that walked in that Saturday, he said the word “Free,” almost instinctively without hesitation. This shows that Green is not so much inflexible, but rather has the potential for great change.