Not Without Laughter · Chapter
Work explained
Sandy is torn between his desire to go fishing with his father Jimboy and his duty to help his mother Annjee with her work at Mrs.
What happens
Sandy is torn between his desire to go fishing with his father Jimboy and his duty to help his mother Annjee with her work at Mrs. Rice's house. After a morning of fishing, Sandy joins Annjee at her job, where he witnesses her being reprimanded by the white mistress, which fills him with anger and shame. The chapter highlights the harsh realities of labor, racial subordination, and the small moments of family connection and resilience.
Themes in this chapter
Racial Identity and Oppression
Sandy's angry tears upon hearing his mother scolded by Mrs. Rice highlight the painful awareness of racial hierarchy and the indignities faced by Black workers serving white families.
Poverty and Survival
The family's reliance on Annjee's domestic work, Jimboy's unstable employment, and the salvaging of leftover food from the white family's table underscore the economic precariousness of their lives.
Family and Generational Conflict
Aunt Hager's criticism of Jimboy's work ethic contrasts with Jimboy's easygoing attitude, reflecting generational tensions about responsibility and survival.
Characters to notice
- Sandy
Sandy goes fishing with Jimboy in the morning, then helps his mother Annjee at Mrs. Rice's house in the evening, where he feels angry and ashamed when she is scolded by the white mistress.
- Annjee
Annjee works as a domestic servant for Mrs. Rice, hurrying to finish her duties so she can attend a lodge rehearsal. She is reprimanded by Mrs. Rice for the onion in the steak sauce and for not having cold water ready.
- Jimboy
Jimboy takes Sandy fishing after being laid off from his bricklaying job because white workers refused to work with a Black man. He offers Sandy lighthearted advice about handling women.
- Aunt Hager Williams
Aunt Hager is doing laundry under the apple tree and scolds Jimboy for not working, but he and Sandy ignore her and go fishing.
- Mrs. J. J. Rice
Mrs. Rice is Annjee's employer, who criticizes Annjee's cooking and service, prompting Sandy's angry tears.
Key passages
“Evening’s the only time we niggers have to ourselves! ... Thank God for night … ’cause all day you gives to white folks.”
Annjee tells Sandy that nighttime is the only time Black people have freedom, because the entire day is spent serving white people.
This line expresses the oppressive reality of racial labor exploitation and the small respite of evening.
“Donahoe laid me off yesterday on account o’ the white bricklayers said they couldn’t lay bricks with a nigger.”
Jimboy explains that he lost his job because white bricklayers refused to work alongside a Black man.
This illustrates the systemic racial exclusion in skilled trades during the era.
“Don’t never let no one woman worry you. Treat ’em like chickens, son. Throw ’em a little corn and they’ll run after you, but don’t give ’em too much. If you do, they’ll stop layin’ and expect you to wait on ’em.”
Jimboy advises Sandy to manage women by giving them just enough attention to keep them interested, but not so much that they become demanding.
This reflects Jimboy's casual, patriarchal attitude toward relationships and his way of deflecting Aunt Hager's criticism.