If He Hollers, By Chester Himes

Racial injustice and prejudice has been a hot American topic since the juvenile stages of the United States of America. 20th Century African American author Chester Himes uses his novel If He Hollers to convey to the American public the daily struggles and limitations a person of color faced in the 1940’s. The time period was not only in the midst of the raging second World War, but also a time period where immigration numbers were high from the East and Southern parts of the country to the West Coast. While the novel covers a shipyard worker named Robert Jones, another key advocate for social change and drive is his girlfriend, Alice. Her refusal to allow race to confine all aspects of her life lines up with the ideas proposed in Booker T. …show more content…
“There is much that the brave, intelligent, patriotic White men of America can do for us; there is much that we can do for ourselves,” (Washington, 2) supports this claim. He exclaims that despite others' well-being, the emphasis should be on themselves and how they can achieve their dreams by putting their head down and working for it. It is this disposition that sets Washington and Alice apart from the majority of the colored community at the time; “I've talked to you time and time again about your attitude toward white people,” said Alice to Bob on page 95. Her denial that there is no other way than her family is insistent and proud; she constantly pressures Bob to get a college education and eventually a law degree. In disagreement with Bob’s outlook, Alice always believes that there is hope and equality in the couple's future as long as he follows her ideas. Because of her family's success, she sees absolutely no other possible way for colored people to get along with white people as she is stubbornly defending her

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