Coalhouse Walker: Chapter Analysis

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One of the main characters is a black man who goes by the name of Coalhouse Walker. He is treated unfairly by the fire chief, the police, father, lawyers, and the rest of the town after an innocedent that was ultimately out of his control in chapter 22. When he went to the police for help, "He took Coalhouse aside. Listen, he said, we'll push your tin lizzie back on the road and you be on your way. There's no real damage. Scrape off the shit and forget the whole thing." After this Coalhouse was arrested when he became angry about the situation. Because Coalhouse is black, the attitude of the policeman is that Coalhouse should just be thankful he's getting his car back. This is the attitude that so many of the people of the town have. Fighting …show more content…

Lawyers around the town refuse to take the case, even though if he were white, it would be an easy win. He even looses his fiance because of this unfair treatment. She felt helpless and decided to try and help Coalhouse herself. "Sarah broke through the line and ran toward him calling, in her confusion, President! President! Her arm was extended and her black hand reached toward him. [...] A militiaman stepped forward and, with the deadly officiousness of armed men who protect the famous, brought the butt of of his Springfield against Sarah's chest as hard as he could." She was taken to the hostpistal where she then came down with pemonia and died. It's no surprise when this happens that Coalhouse commits to a plan that will ultimately lead to his death. The world now has no meaning for him. Had this happened to a white man, the whole town would have been on his side, but since this is not the case, he is faught against so much that he finally gives up. Father is a character that represents all of the white Americans that used to blindly belive that "there were no negros, there were no immigrants". When he left to go on his trip to the artic this was sort of how life seemed to be. However, when he came back he was bewildered to find the change that had set

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