World War II had a profound impact on American culture. Virtually everyone in the country was affected in some way, but the impact of the war on African Americans was unique. Even though African Americans were indeed Americans, they were often treated as enemies on the home front. Racism was endemic in American society, even troops overseas were segregated. In some cases, people were able to move beyond this racism and see war as a way to unite people to think about the common good. Others saw the war as nothing more than an example of racism. The novel If He Hollers Let Him Go by Chester Himes demonstrates this concept. In the story, a black man sees war as an extension of racism, but a white man pushes him to use war as a tool to forget hostility in favor of unity. The racial condition of blacks and whites directly affected how they interpreted the war. Because of his racial condition, the black man is unable to see the war from the white man's point of view. Contemporary critical analysis of If He Hollers Let Him Go has also made the connection between the character's racial condition and his perspective on the war. The individual characters in the novel are representative of larger groups. Notable writers in African American literature, such as Henry Louis Gates, commented on the racism endured by many black people during World War II. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay At the very beginning of If He Hollers Let Him Go, Himes introduces the protagonist, Bob Jones, as he wakes up. Almost immediately, Jones begins to feel intense fear overcome him. Jones says he "began to feel afraid... With it came a realization" (2). He explains that he wakes up like this every day and notices that this fear "came first in my head, somewhere deep in my closed eyes, slowly moves under my skull to the base of my brain, cold and hollow...I felt torn inside, shriveled, paralyzed, as if after a while I would have to get up and die.” (2). Jones' explanation of fear helps emphasize how strong she is. It's not just an emotion. His fear actually affects him physically, making him feel "cold and hollow". Additionally, by using the words “shrivelled” and “paralyzed,” Jones clearly shows how debilitating his fear is. The cause of his fear is explained later in the passage. Jones later reveals that the events of World War II contribute to his fears. Jones says, “I woke up like this every day, ever since the war started” (3). This suggests to the reader that it was the start of World War II that triggered these feelings. Although the stress of living in a country at war could be a factor in his fear, Jones says a bigger factor is the racism that resulted from the outbreak of war. Jones reflects, “I may have been afraid all my life, but I didn't know it until after Pearl Harbor” (3). When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and waged war against America, they unleashed incredible hostility toward the Japanese in America. The reason this bothers Jones so much is because he compares prejudice against Japanese people to racism against black people in America. Being black, Jones experiences this racism directly. He explains how he was refused service in restaurants based on his race and, when applying for jobs, he "kept getting turned down while white boys were hired in the restaurant."file behind [him]” (3). Jones' character is representative of a broader group of African Americans. Jones' feelings in this scene are not his own. Many black people at that time felt the same way. In an article on military inequality, Henry Louis Gates explains how African Americans viewed World War II. He writes that "it was difficult for African Americans not to see the hypocrisy between the conditions of their country and the noble war's goals" (pbs.org). Gates makes the same connection between race and the war effort as Jones does in the novel. Due to the extent of racism on the home front, many African Americans viewed the war as a continuation of that racism. Later in the article, Gates builds on this idea, commenting on how "because of the gap between the promise and performance of American freedom in matters of race relations, many blacks frankly felt excluded from the “war effort” (pbs.org). Later in the passage, Jones states that he became even more aware of his fear when he saw that Japanese were being sent to internment camps: "Maybe it wasn't until I saw sending away the Japanese that I started doing it. noticed [the fear]” (3). He considers how unfair this punishment is: “It was taking a man by the roots and locking him up without a chance. Without trial. No charge. Without even giving him the opportunity to say a single word” (3). Jones draws a parallel here between the Japanese and African-Americans. In America, black people were denied services or jobs “without a chance”; without any hesitation, and the Japanese in America were sent from their homes "without a chance." In both cases, groups of people are punished solely because of their race. Racism toward the Japanese made Jones fear that America might as well order African Americans into internment camps, or subject them to similar treatment. He states that "it was thinking about the possibility that they had ever done this to me, Robert Jones, Mrs. Jones's black son, that I began to be afraid" (3). With these words, Jones clearly states that he feels threatened by the events of World War II. Jones uses the term "Mrs. Jones' Black Son" to describe himself, making it clear that he believes his racial condition is an important factor in his identity. Every morning he wakes up with the fear that the extremely racist treatment towards the Japanese could be inflicted on him too. In fact, Jones believes he is even likely to receive this treatment because he has a similar skin color to the Japanese, as Jones is a lighter-skinned African American. He said: “I had the same color as the Japanese and I couldn't tell the difference. “A Jap with a screaming belly” could have meant me too. I could always feel running problems, serious problems, never more than two feet away” (4). By saying that he was "the same color as the Japanese", Jones explicitly acknowledges his similarity to the Japanese. Not only are they the same color, but he believes they are also subject to the same treatment in America. This connection is what scares Jones. The racism that Jones encounters daily influences him to view racism toward the Japanese during the war as affecting him indirectly. In an article that analyzes If He Hollers Let Him Go, the author, Lynn M. Itagaki also drew this same conclusion. She explains how, in the novel, Jones felt that he could potentially be a victim of racist acts against the Japanese. Itagaki writes: “By formally calling himself “Robet Jones,” Bob immediately resists racismand becomes submissive to it, considering himself a potential victim. By noting his “yellow skin,” Bob recognizes the literal similarities in skin color and race that could possibly ally him with the Japanese” (68). It is clear that Jones' racial condition affects the way he views the events of World War II. The opening passage of If He Hollers Let Him Go demonstrates how the racial issues African Americans faced on the home front affected the way they interpreted the war. . Because of the war, Japanese Americans were mistreated on the basis of race, which frightened African Americans into believing that the racism they experienced on the home front could escalate into racism against the Japanese. Other parts of the novel also show how the characters' racial condition affects their perspective of the war. In chapter 13, Jones speaks with a union shop steward named Herbie, and protesting what he sees as racist treatment he is experiencing at work. Jones asks the steward to reprimand a white woman with whom he had an altercation while he was working. She called him a racial slur, and when he made one, he was demoted. Jones tells Herbie, “I want you to tell her she has to work with black people here or lose her job” (113). The conversation becomes heated as Jones continues to express his frustration with the racism he says is so prevalent in his work. Herbie retorts by saying, "That's the trouble with you colored people... You forget we're at war." Now is not the time to complain in private. We are fighting against fascism – we are not fighting against corporations and we are not fighting against each other – we are all fighting against fascism together and to defeat fascism we must be united” (114). In this case, Herbie urges Jones to recognize the war as a symbol of patriotic solidarity. He repeatedly uses the term "we" to refer to America, suggesting that he feels unified by World War II. By saying “we all fight fascism together,” Herbie underscores his belief that Americans are all invested in the battle against fascism, a common enemy. He asks Jones to forget his "private complaints" and look at the bigger picture. From his perspective as a white man, Herbie is able to see the war as an example of unification. This view differs from that of Jones who, as mentioned previously, viewed the war as an example of racism in America. However, by calling Jones' problem "a problem with you colored people," Herbie suggests that Jones' racial complaint hinders the ability of other Americans (the "we") to be unified. This suggests that Herbie may not feel unified with African Americans, even when he tries to inspire unity. Jones responds to Herbie's comment angrily, shouting, "What do I care about unity, or war either, for that matter, as long as I'm getting bullied by all the white people who pass? Let the white people get some damn unity” (115). With this statement, Jones says the racism he faces is what keeps him from caring about unity. The phrase “gets pushed around by every white person who shows up” highlights the extent of the racism Jones encountered. He feels that in every interaction he has with a white person, he is "hit" or racially abused in some way. For this reason, Jones does not have the motivation to "care about unity, or about war either." This example shows how Jones' racial condition affects his view of the war. He34>.