If He Hollers Let Him Go Sparknotes

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Race is a concept constructed by society that one cannot change nor conceal about themselves. It influences how individuals are treated by one another, with some experiencing adversity that others do not. As evident in the racist pasts and present of black America: slavery, Jim Crow laws, racial profiling, segregation, and more. Time and time again, individuals have been documenting the life of the black community in America to see the progression over time or lack thereof. If He Hollers Let Him Go, published in 1945 by mid-century novelist Chester Himes, highlights hardships that African-American shipyard workers experienced in Los Angeles during World War I. Mrs. Harrison is a character from the novel, where she is a first-generation black …show more content…

Mrs. Harrison’s beliefs of earning the respect of the whites and associating education for blacks as a factor of such aligns with those of Booker T. Washington. In contrast, she disagrees with W.E.B. DuBois' stance on the desire for white passing and retaliation against whites. Booker T. Washington established his stance on the adversity faced by the black community and how it should be overcome. He believes that demanding more will not earn them respect from the whites and resolve the issues at hand. Rather, Washington “feels that the race can make progress and secure the greatest protection by its efforts in progressive, constructive directions, by constantly presenting to the world tangible, and visible evidence of our worth as a race”. Moreover, he presents one of the attitudes of people during this time. By presenting reasons as to why the black race is worthy, Washington looks for the validation of white people by demonstrating the capability of the black race. Both Chester Himes’ character, Mrs. Harrison and Washington advocate for African Americans’ to prove their societal value and subordinate their demands for …show more content…

He expresses this when he states that he wouldn’t “bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism.He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face”. He disagrees with the idea of an African-American feeling the need to present themselves as white to be respected or recognized for their achievements. DuBois believes that black people have just as much societal contribution as white people and race should therefore not be accounted for. Mrs. Harrison’s perspective on white-passing, which welcomes assimilation, contrasts with DuBois’s stance, which stands for black identity. Her appearance makes the process of white passing much easier as she is depicted to be “a very light-complexioned woman with sharp Caucasian features and glinting grey eyes” (Himes 49). Despite not fully passing as a white woman, Mrs. Harrison holds a strong desire to assimilate into white society because of her lighter skin complexion and frequent company of white

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