If He Hollers Let Him Go
Encyclopedia
If He Hollers Let Him Go is a novel by Chester Himes
, published in 1945, about an African American
shipyard
worker in Los Angeles
during World War II
. A 1968
film adaptation with Raymond St. Jacques
, Barbara McNair
, Kevin McCarthy
, and Arthur O'Connell
bore little resemblance to the book.
The story spans four days in the life of Robert "Bob" Jones, a newcomer to L.A. from Ohio
, who has some college education, and works as a crew leader in a naval shipyard. Jones lives in a time when black workers experience a new-found authority as supervisors and garner decent wages as a result of union efforts. However for Bob Jones this is no escape from the pressures of racism
. It quickly becomes apparent that he was promoted only in order to facilitate the cooperation of black workers in the war-time effort. He is forced to deal with anti-communist paranoia, resentment from whites on the floor at working on the same jobs as "negro boys", and the vicious baiting of the black workers by white females. These manifest as fears which invade his dreams, his aspirations, and his passions. His dream of making something of himself in California is jeopardized as he reacts with emotion to the actions of the white people around him. He fights back the urges to fight, to kill, and to rape as ways to overcome the power that "color" has over himself.
The main characters are the protagonist, Bob Jones, Madge Perkins, and Alice Harrison. Bob is an insecure black man living a white dominated world, and he constantly has violent thoughts against white people but he never acts on them. Madge is a white co-worker of Bob's, and he calls her a slut for making a racial slur towards him. He is later demoted for this unacceptable outburst. Bob later decides to rape her to get back at white America, as he views her as a symbol of "whiteness", but when she expresses sexual attraction towards him and proclaims, "Rape me!" Bob is turned off and does not carry through with the act of rape. Alice is Bob's upper class, light-skinned girlfriend, and she tells Bob that it is no use of getting angry with the inequality that black people face in the current American society and he should just learn to deal with it.
Themes addressed in the novel include black and white racism
, color differentiation among African-Americans, discrimination
on the job, and class divisions among whites and blacks. Communism
is dealt with generously, as the Communist unionists
("agitators") are the only ones who talk about the issue of race in any way with which the protagonist agrees. There is some reference to jazz
.
Chester Himes
Chester Bomar Himes was an American writer. His works include If He Hollers Let Him Go and a series of Harlem Detective novels...
, published in 1945, about an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
worker in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A 1968
1968 in film
The year 1968 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 30 - The film The Lion in Winter, starring Katharine Hepburn, debuts.* November 1 - The MPAA's film rating system is introduced.-Top grossing films :- Awards :...
film adaptation with Raymond St. Jacques
Raymond St. Jacques
Raymond St. Jacques was an American actor.-Career:St. Jacques was born James Arthur Johnson in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Vivienne Johnson, a medical technician...
, Barbara McNair
Barbara McNair
Barbara McNair was an African American singer and actress.Born Barbara Jean McNair in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago...
, Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy (actor)
Kevin McCarthy was an American stage, film, and television actor, who appeared in over two hundred television and film roles. For his role in the 1951 film version of Death of a Salesman, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and won a Golden Globe Award for New Star of...
, and Arthur O'Connell
Arthur O'Connell
Arthur O'Connell was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in films in 1941 and television programs...
bore little resemblance to the book.
The story spans four days in the life of Robert "Bob" Jones, a newcomer to L.A. from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, who has some college education, and works as a crew leader in a naval shipyard. Jones lives in a time when black workers experience a new-found authority as supervisors and garner decent wages as a result of union efforts. However for Bob Jones this is no escape from the pressures of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. It quickly becomes apparent that he was promoted only in order to facilitate the cooperation of black workers in the war-time effort. He is forced to deal with anti-communist paranoia, resentment from whites on the floor at working on the same jobs as "negro boys", and the vicious baiting of the black workers by white females. These manifest as fears which invade his dreams, his aspirations, and his passions. His dream of making something of himself in California is jeopardized as he reacts with emotion to the actions of the white people around him. He fights back the urges to fight, to kill, and to rape as ways to overcome the power that "color" has over himself.
The main characters are the protagonist, Bob Jones, Madge Perkins, and Alice Harrison. Bob is an insecure black man living a white dominated world, and he constantly has violent thoughts against white people but he never acts on them. Madge is a white co-worker of Bob's, and he calls her a slut for making a racial slur towards him. He is later demoted for this unacceptable outburst. Bob later decides to rape her to get back at white America, as he views her as a symbol of "whiteness", but when she expresses sexual attraction towards him and proclaims, "Rape me!" Bob is turned off and does not carry through with the act of rape. Alice is Bob's upper class, light-skinned girlfriend, and she tells Bob that it is no use of getting angry with the inequality that black people face in the current American society and he should just learn to deal with it.
Themes addressed in the novel include black and white racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, color differentiation among African-Americans, discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
on the job, and class divisions among whites and blacks. Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
is dealt with generously, as the Communist unionists
Labor unions in the United States
Labor unions in the United States are legally recognized as representatives of workers in many industries. The most prominent unions are among public sector employees such as teachers and police...
("agitators") are the only ones who talk about the issue of race in any way with which the protagonist agrees. There is some reference to jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.