Previous
Part 2, Chapter 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in James, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance
Identity, Narrative, and Agency
Racism, Dehumanization, and Hypocrisy
Innocence vs. Disillusionment
Family, Alliance, and Loyalty
Summary
Analysis
Jim rushes back to where he left Sammy and tackles the man with her. It is Norman. He has bought food for them to share. Jim explains that he stole Sammy to save her from Henderson’s terrible deeds, and Norman understands. Sammy does not seem to believe Norman is a Black man. They run south, keeping away from the river, pursued by dogs. Jim’s wounds slow him down, and eventually he can go no farther. Sammy goes to gather bee balm for Jim’s back while Norman asks him what he did to get beaten. Frustrated, Jim tells him there was no reason. Sammy returns, and Jim passes out after tending to his wounds.
Again, the fact that both Norman and Jim assume that Sammy has been assaulted implies that such violence is commonplace under slavery. Sammy is nervous around Norman because his light skin casts doubt on his identity as a Black man, and he looks more like one of her oppressors than an ally. Jim implies that Norman’s search for a reason behind his beating is ridiculous, since—according to the logic of enslavers—an enslaved person’s existence is enough of a reason to dehumanize them.
Themes
