How to Fit In

The presence of "Aristotle's building blocks of narrative" in Chester Himes' novel, "If He Hollers Let Him Go," help to bring to light a key theme of the story. One such "building block," the anagnorisis, or the self-realization of some some epic truth by the protagonist, certainly ties in with both the story's setting and protagonist. Set in pre-civil rights America, the novel's protagonist, Bob Jones, has a hard time falling into place. Now, I say "falling into place" because Bob is a black male, living in a segregated, racially tense society, and, that is precisely what his oppressors would think it ideal of him to do. Bob, however, is neither intent, nor content with this notion, as shown at the very beginning of the novel, where he states: "Race was a handicap, sure, I'd reasoned. But hell, I didn't have to marry it" (Himes 3). Unfortunately for Bob, though, it is later made apparent that he indeed did "have to marry it" (Himes 3), as his fate takes a turn for the worse resultant of his initial refusal to do so. Nonetheless, without said refusal, and reluctance, the anagnorisis would have not been activated, as per definition, the protagonist's "self-knowledge" comes too late, and after  a "twist" in the plot (known formally as the peripeteia).

After attempts at fighting against "the segregated pattern" (Himes 168) in which he lived, demonstrated by Bob's fantasizing about killing a white co-worker of his, who literally beat him down, and attempting to engage in forced sex with a female, white co-worker, Bob finally decides to give into said "pattern," resultant of his failure to follow through with said attempts. Bob "gives in" to his girlfriend, Alice's notion of "self-preservation" (for blacks), defined by her as "finding a goal that you [(i.e. blacks, Bob)] can attain within the segregated pattern in which [they] live" (Himes 168). It is this "light at the end of the tunnel," or, promising outlook for Bob's future, which calls to stage Aristotle's building blocks. It is at this near "happy ending" that everything falls apart for Bob. Suddenly, Bob's past catches up with him, as the white co-worker that he tried to engage in sexual relations with, but was jolted out of doing by her insisting on him "raping" her, to, surprisingly, no consequence, tries to finish what Bob did not. After being caught in a locked room with him, however, she completely reverses the situation, crying out, "Help! Help! My God, help me! Some white man, help me! I’m being raped!" (Himes 180). It is after this point that the anagnorisis is truly unlocked. Being falsely accused of rape, and beaten down both physically, and mentally, Bob realizes that he never stood a chance. This knowledge comes in his realization that "[the] whole structure of American thought was against [him]; American tradition had convicted [him] a hundred years before...knowing that [he] was innocent and that [he] didn't stand a chance" (Himes 187). This realization, of course, comes too late as Bob has already been convicted, and already tried to "stand a chance," despite being "convicted...a hundred years before" (Himes 187). It is the theme of blacks being "convicted...a hundred years before," as a result of "American tradition" (Himes 187) that connects Himes' novel with Aristotle's building blocks. Trying to "stand a chance" (Himes 187) was futile, as proved through Bob, with the only way out being fitting in, in to your individual "place," "[self-preserving] within [a] segregated pattern" (Himes 168).