Exploring deeper into Coalhouse Walker Jr.'s mind
Coalhouse Walker Jr. is different from most other black people at the time. He could afford a car, dress properly, and talk to white people with confidence. This does not bode well to the people who meet him in society. He does not act like a "typical" black person, speaking with authority in his voice, no "yessah", or "nossah", and rich enough to dress like a upper-middle class white man, and purchase a car. Why does Coalhouse Walker Jr. act this way? And why did he go crazy when his car was destroyed by the firefighters, and started blowing up firehouses, and killing firemen?
Maybe Coalhouse was taught (presumably by a white person) how to live a successful live, how to speak with confidence, and how to work hard so you can afford to live like a middle-class American. There has been studies shown that the people who are successful in life are the children who are not afraid to criticize adults in a positive way, telling them that they believe that the adults are wrong, or being skeptical for what they are taught in class. This tends to be a upper-class thing, where most upper-class people are white, while lower-class citizens (predominantly black) never try question authority. Doctorow might have included a post-modernist study on trends of behavior among different social classes into his book, but I think it is true that successful people in life are the ones who are confident on what they are doing.
When Coalhouse's car was destroyed by the firefighters, he transformed from a respected ragtime pianist to a radical who forms his own government and threatens to blow up firehouses, and kill firemen until his conditions are met. The transformation you could say is radical itself, and I believe that there is more to "it's because he is black". He tries his best to be a respectable citizen in America, the supposed "land of the free", only to be treated like a second-class citizen, because he is not white. His fiance just died, and he has no money for the car repair/replacement. His reputation as a respectable citizen is also at stake here, and there is no justice for that. He has to force society to pay for the injustice upon him, restoring his pride as a respectable citizen.
Maybe Coalhouse was taught (presumably by a white person) how to live a successful live, how to speak with confidence, and how to work hard so you can afford to live like a middle-class American. There has been studies shown that the people who are successful in life are the children who are not afraid to criticize adults in a positive way, telling them that they believe that the adults are wrong, or being skeptical for what they are taught in class. This tends to be a upper-class thing, where most upper-class people are white, while lower-class citizens (predominantly black) never try question authority. Doctorow might have included a post-modernist study on trends of behavior among different social classes into his book, but I think it is true that successful people in life are the ones who are confident on what they are doing.
When Coalhouse's car was destroyed by the firefighters, he transformed from a respected ragtime pianist to a radical who forms his own government and threatens to blow up firehouses, and kill firemen until his conditions are met. The transformation you could say is radical itself, and I believe that there is more to "it's because he is black". He tries his best to be a respectable citizen in America, the supposed "land of the free", only to be treated like a second-class citizen, because he is not white. His fiance just died, and he has no money for the car repair/replacement. His reputation as a respectable citizen is also at stake here, and there is no justice for that. He has to force society to pay for the injustice upon him, restoring his pride as a respectable citizen.
I suggested in class that Coalhouse's controversial "pride"--which detractors insist he should "get over" and just let the car-issue go--maps pretty closely onto the story of the American Revolution: he asserts his independence (of mind, of style, of racist stereotypes) and pursues happiness (in the form of a Model-T), but is asked to pay an unjust and discriminatory "toll" (or "tax"). Upon his refusal to pay the tax, he is harassed and menaced by the powers that be, and after seeking legal redress of his legitimate grievances, he declares his independence and pursues a violent rebellion. The only problem, as you suggest, is that his "pride" and its manifestations (his clothes, his car) are seen as inappropriate to a man in his position--he "doesn't know his place." But it is possible to read his "anti-American" rebellion as in fact a quintessentially "American" story of idealistic rebellion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you say in this post, as Coalhouse seems like he is on track to integrate into the white upper/middle class society from the moment he is introduced in the novel. Additionally though, he enters the house with a seemingly inherent acknowledgement of his place - he enters through the back door, unlike white people who come in through the front. However, his entire character is about not acknowledging his race which pushes the idea of his desire to integrate, which I thought was interesting to see racial norms so instilled. I definitely thought that his rebellion was terrorism, but I also had somewhat of sympathy for him - as you note, he lost what/who he cared about, as well as symbols of his respectability that he has upheld for so long.
ReplyDeleteNice post Tri! I definitely agree with the points that you make. I think that the reason why the snapped was due to all the pressure that was building up. I'm sure that even before the firefighters destroyed his car, he was already suffering from discrimination. Its just that the destruction of the car was the tipping point. I can definitely sympathize with Coalhouse Walker. He tried so hard to fit in with everyone around him. If I found out that all my effort and years towards something had no payout, I would also get really mad.
ReplyDeleteI think that Coalhouse disagrees so much with Booker T. Washington for some reasons that you listed here: he's tried to be a non-objectionable person and it went badly for him. Coalhouse's idea of black people getting along with white people was basically destroyed along with that car, which is why he snapped.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Coalhouse was trying very hard to keep it peaceful but given the abuse he received he just couldn't. The oppression he faced for anything he did built up in his system. It had to have been in the back of his head that he had to go to the backdoor because he was "inferior," or things like that. It's become internalized and he holds in his feelings and lets loose by the end. Coalhouse's pride and emotional state is an interesting topic of discussion.
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