# Home to Harlem — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Home to Harlem by Claude McKay.

- [Home to Harlem](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/home-to-harlem.md): The chapter opens with Jake Brown returning to Harlem after a long absence, feeling a sense of homecoming. He encounters various characters and reconnects with the vibrant, chaotic life of the neighborhood, setting the s
- [First Part](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/first-part.md): The chapter introduces Jake Brown, a young black man in early 20th-century Harlem, and his circle of acquaintances. It depicts his daily life, his interactions with friends and lovers, and his restless search for stabili
- [I: Going Back Home](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/i-going-back-home.md): Jake Brown, a black American longshoreman who enlisted in World War I, is on a freighter heading back to Harlem after two years abroad. He reflects on his experiences in France and London, including his work as a docker 
- [II: Arrival](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/ii-arrival.md): Jake Brown returns to Harlem after two years away, flush with cash from his pay-off. He revels in the vibrant streets, indulges in food and drink, and meets a brown girl at a cabaret. They spend the night together, and J
- [III: Zeddy](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/iii-zeddy.md): Jake Brown reunites with his old war buddy Zeddy Plummer in Harlem. They catch up over drinks at Uncle Doc's saloon, share memories of their time in Brest, and discuss the difficulties of returning home. Jake is preoccup
- [IV: Congo Rose](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/iv-congo-rose.md): Jake, disappointed after failing to find his honey girl at the Baltimore, goes to the Congo cabaret with Zeddy. There, he is captivated by the entertainer Congo Rose, who sings to him and eventually takes him home. Rose 
- [On the Job Again](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/v-on-the-job-again.md): Jake continues living with Congo Rose but remains haunted by the memory of the brown girl from the Baltimore. He works as a longshoreman, dividing his time between Rose, Uncle Doc's saloon, and Dixie Red's poolroom. Zedd
- [Myrtle Avenue](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/vi-myrtle-avenue.md): Zeddy, envious of Jake's success with women, attends a party at Gin-head Susy's apartment in Brooklyn. The party is filled with drinking, gambling, and tense interactions. Jake is disgusted by the coarseness of the women
- [VII: Zeddy's Rise and Fall](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/vii-zeddy-s-rise-and-fall.md): Zeddy Plummer has become 'kept' by Gin-head Susy on Myrtle Avenue, a situation that initially seems enviable but quickly reveals its constraints. He chafes against Susy's proprietary jealousy and her prohibition on his H
- [VIII: The Raid of the Baltimore](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/viii-the-raid-of-the-baltimore.md): The chapter details the indirect raid and subsequent padlocking of the Baltimore cabaret, a respected Harlem establishment rumored to be protected by Tammany Hall. The raid was orchestrated by undercover Vice Squad offic
- [Jake Makes a Move](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/ix-jake-makes-a-move.md): Jake returns home to find signs of a mysterious visitor, leading to tension with Congo Rose. After a violent altercation, Jake decides to leave Rose and packs his belongings, walking out with his suitcase.
- [Second Part](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/second-part.md): The chapter opens with Jake Brown returning to Harlem after his time away. He reconnects with his old friend Zeddy, who is now being kept by Susy. Jake finds work as a longshoreman and moves in with Congo Rose, a woman h
- [X: The Railroad](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/x-the-railroad.md): Jake Brown, now working as a third cook on a railroad dining car, seeks to escape Harlem's hold. During a quiet moment, he borrows money from a well-read waiter and discovers the man is Haitian. The waiter introduces Jak
- [Snowstorm in Pittsburgh](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xi-snowstorm-in-pittsburgh.md): Jake arrives in Pittsburgh with his railroad crew and is immediately struck by the soot-covered, industrial atmosphere of Wiley Avenue. He quickly meets a woman at a basement eating-joint and later reunites with Ray, the
- [The Treeing of the Chef](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xii-the-treeing-of-the-chef.md): This chapter focuses on the intense conflict between the dining-car's tyrannical chef and the waiters, particularly the pantryman. The chef, a model of efficiency but a hateful and repulsive man, rules through fear and a
- [One Night in Philly](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xiii-one-night-in-philly.md): Jake persuades a reluctant Ray to visit a house in North Philadelphia run by Madame Laura. Ray is initially struck by the warm, comfortable atmosphere, but becomes disgusted when he sees Laura's young son present. The ev
- [Interlude](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xiv-interlude.md): Jake, ill and recovering in Harlem, reflects on his restless life and the comfort of home. He ignores the doctor's advice, drinking beer, and engages in a philosophical debate with Ray about living freely versus heeding 
- [XV: Relapse](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xv-relapse.md): Jake suffers a relapse due to excessive drinking, prompting a visit from a doctor and concern from Ray. The landlady criticizes the younger generation's lack of religion. Ray encourages Jake to move to a better room and 
- [XVI: A Practical Prank](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xvi-a-practical-prank.md): Jake, recovering from illness, plays a prank on Madame Laura by giving her Congo Rose's address. When Madame Laura visits, Rose claims Jake as her man, leading to a confrontation. Meanwhile, Ray introduces his friend Jam
- [He Also Loved](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xvii-he-also-loved.md): In the winter of 1916, Jake Brown, broke and new to New York, finds lodging with Ma Lawton and work at a saloon. He befriends Jerco and Rosalind, a couple living in the same building. When Rosalind falls gravely ill, Jer
- [A Farewell Feed](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xviii-a-farewell-feed.md): Ray and Grant prepare to leave Harlem for a freighter job heading to Australia and Europe. Ray reflects on his dissatisfaction with railroad life and his fear of settling down in Harlem. Jake hosts a farewell dinner at A
- [Third Part](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/third-part.md): The chapter opens with Jake in a hospital bed, recovering from a severe illness. He reflects on his past, including his time with Congo Rose and his work on the railroad. He is visited by Madame Laura, who brings news an
- [Spring in Harlem](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xix-spring-in-harlem.md): In this chapter, Jake Brown wanders through Harlem on a beautiful spring day, reflecting on love, desire, and his past. He witnesses a violent altercation involving Yaller Prince, a known sweetman, and reflects on the pe
- [XX: Felice](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xx-felice.md): Jake and Felice reunite after their first meeting at the Sheba Palace. They walk through Harlem, discussing where Felice has been and her work in Palm Beach. Jake takes her to his room, and they plan to be together. Feli
- [The Gift That Billy Gave](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/xxi-the-gift-that-billy-gave.md): Jake and Felice celebrate Saturday night by dining at the Nile Queen and watching a movie from the 'nigger heaven' of a Broadway theater. They then visit a new, fashionable Jewish-owned cabaret in Harlem, which is drawin
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/home_to_harlem_se/chapters/endnotes.md): The endnotes section provides a brief explanatory note about a character nickname on the railroad, clarifying that the fourth waiter is called 'mule' because he works under the orders of the pantryman.

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