If He Hollers Let Him Go

Living in a racist society complicates Bob Jones’ material reality, or the conditions of his everyday life—like where he lives, what kind of job he is able to have, how much money he makes, and where he is allowed to be served as a patron. But living in these conditions also influences Bob’s psychological well-being. How is Bob’s psychological condition—his incessant fear, for example—shaped or created by the material conditions of his life?

Examine the role of class in shaping Bob Jones’s experiences with and perceptions of racist discrimination and inequality. How are Bob’s experiences throughout the book different from upper-class people, and how does this affect his feelings about his own race?

As the action of the novel continues, Bob fully learns that the America he lives in will not protect him—not even the justice system. Pick three examples of the failings of America’s federal system—civil servants, the legal and judicial system, unions, or laws, to name a few—and explain how they shape the trajectory of Bob’s story and experiences. In your conclusion, explain whether you believe race affects these systems today.

Bob and Alice argue for very different approaches to solving what Bob calls “the race problem.” Alice believes that Black folks should conform to the system of segregation and do the best they can to succeed within it, while Bob believes that the only way for the race problem to end is for Black folks to stage a revolution. Which view do you find most compelling? Use examples from the text to explain your answer.

The female characters in If He Hollers Let Him Go appear to have a very different experience with race than the men do. Analyze these differences and explore the relationship between femininity, sexuality, and racial identity in the novel.

Bob feels that white people use their whiteness as a weapon or tool to oppress and marginalize Black people. Pick three examples of how white people use their whiteness as a weapon in If He Hollers Let Him Go and analyze the social or psychological effects of these uses of whiteness.

One of Bob’s defining characteristics is his constant rage. Is his anger justified? Use examples from the text to explain your reasoning.

Bob’s masculinity—his “manhood,” as he calls it—plays a central role in his feelings about his racial identity and his place in the world. Analyze Bob’s relationship to his masculinity and the role it plays in his despair about fairness and equality in America.