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Mary Rambo
The Brief Case
The narrator’s brief case is his literal “baggage.” Presented in the first chapter after making his graduation speech, the brief case travels with the narrator throughout the novel, accumulating the signs of the narrator’s past… read analysis of The Brief Case
The Coin Bank
The coin bank represents an exaggerated black figure that is excited to eat the coins that a white man gives him. The coin bank first appears in Mary Rambo’s house, and the narrator is offended… read analysis of The Coin Bank
The Sambo Doll
When Tod Clifton abandons the Brotherhood, the narrator rediscovers him selling racist Sambo dolls. The dolls’ writhing is a grotesque play on the stereotype of African sensuality, and the dolls represent the servility of black… read analysis of The Sambo Doll
The Dark-Lensed Glasses
When the narrator puts on the dark-lensed glasses, the citizens of Harlem immediately begin to mistake him for a man named Rinehart. The glasses are a sign of the unexpected fluidity of identity. For instance… read analysis of The Dark-Lensed Glasses
