A Summary Of Bob's Romantic Relationship With Alice?

Bob feels insecure in his romantic relationship with Alice because he feels that although there are certain expectations for a man that must be fulfilled, he cannot fulfill them. Alice, as a woman of color, ranks the lowest in social hierarchy. She is expected to have no autonomy whatsoever, while Bob is expected to financially provide for her. Both fail to meet their expectations. Alice is not just any “lowly” woman of color; she is a light-skinned African-American—most likely biracial—and she is light enough to pass as white. She comes from a wealthy, well-educated family, and lives on the “West Side,” of Los Angeles, which Bob describes that “[to Negroes], it was like the white folks giving a Beverly Hills address” (28). Alice is worlds
For example, after being demoted from his position as leaderman, Bob finds himself involved in a dispute over a game of Craps with some workers at the shipyard during lunch. When Bob tries to take his winnings and leave the scene, the others object, and the situation climaxes to a physical fight. Stoddard, one of the white workers, defeats Bob with a single punch to the head. When Bob awakens, he first feels scared and emasculated, having lost a test of physical strength. However, soon after, he “began thinking of how [he] ought to cut him. [Bob] wanted to kill [Stoddard]… in such a way that he’d know he didn’t have a chance. [He] wanted [Stoddard] to feel as scared and powerless and unprotected as [he] felt every goddamned morning [he] woke up” (21). Bob lacks control over both his skin color and how he is treated because of it. He seeks control elsewhere, and in this case, Bob finds control in its ultimate form: control over the life or death of someone else. Bob explains, “I was going to kill him if they hung me for it, I thought pleasantly. A white man, a supreme being... All the tightness that had been in my body, making my motions jerky, keeping my muscles taut, left me and I felt relaxed, confident, strong… I had never felt so strong in all my life” (22). Superior physical strength is valued as an ideal masculine trait by society. Since he is