In Search of Respect Character Analysis

Philippe Bourgois

A prominent American anthropologist best known for his studies of inner-city America, including In Search of Respect, which is based on his ethnographic fieldwork in East Harlem, where he lived, hung out at… read analysis of Philippe Bourgois

Primo

Bourgois’s “closest friend on the streets” of East Harlem, the dealer who runs Ray’s Game Room crackhouse, and, arguably, the figure at the center of the book. Primo is Luis and… read analysis of Primo

Ray

The original leader of the network of dealers and crackhouses that Bourgois studies. He offers Bourgois both access to this world and protection from its dangers. They build a “close and privileged relationship,” but Bourgois… read analysis of Ray

Luis

Ray’s oldest friend and Felix’s cousin. Luis is a dealer and exceptionally violent crack addict who is married to Wanda before his long stint in jail—although he actually has 12 children with four… read analysis of Luis

Caesar

One of Bourgois’s most important confidants in El Barrio, aside Primo, who is Caesar’s best friend and employer. A violent and unstable crack addict, Caesar nevertheless ends up working at the Game… read analysis of Caesar

Candy

Wife to Felix and mother of Junior and Jackie, Candy is the only woman Bourgois truly befriends during his time in El Barrio and becomes his main source for his writings on gender and… read analysis of Candy

Felix

One of Ray’s oldest friends, Primo’s cousin, Candy’s abusive husband, Esperanza and Luis’s brother, and the founder of the Game Room. He ignores the business side of the Game Room… read analysis of Felix

Benzie

One of Primo’s lookouts (a nickname for Benito), who is so cruel to the Game Room’s customers that Primo fires him and replaces him with Caesar. Benzie actually has a legal job… read analysis of Benzie

Carmen

Caesar’s girlfriend and Maria’s sister (not to be confused with Bourgois’s briefly mentioned neighbor who is also named Carmen). Carmen and Caesar stay together much longer than Primo and Maria do, although… read analysis of Carmen

Maria

Primo’s girlfriend and sister to Carmen (Caesar’s girlfriend). When she gets pregnant, she is thrilled because it gives her “a romantic escape,” something to care and hope for when her life is… read analysis of Maria

Willie

A lookout at the Game Room, crack user, and close friend of Primo’s. He is the only person in Ray and Primo’s network who graduates high school, and he spends some time working… read analysis of Willie

Primo’s Mother

A woman who grows up in a small village on a Puerto Rican plantation and then moves to New York City, where she lives in a housing project in El Barrio and sews garments for… read analysis of Primo’s Mother

Gloria

Primo’s white liberal boss at the magazine where he briefly works in the mail room. She is worried about him answering the phone or interacting with customers because of his accent, which shows how… read analysis of Gloria

Papito

Primo and his ex-girlfriend Sandra’s young son (not to be confused with a dealer also named Papito who is briefly mentioned in Chapter 5). He loves and is always thrilled to see his father, who… read analysis of Papito

Little Pete

Another one of Ray’s dealers, and one of Primo’s close friends. Bourgois interviews him and Primo about their families, and Little Pete admits he is an absent and unsupportive father, but that he… read analysis of Little Pete

Junior

Felix and Candy’s son, and Jackie’s brother. During his research, Bourgois watches Junior switch from wanting to become a police officer to transporting drugs and working as a lookout for the Game Room… read analysis of Junior

Wanda

Luis’s wife, whom he abuses brutally and who falls deep into addiction after Luis goes to jail. This leads Wanda and Luis to lose their children, whom Felix and Candy subsequently adopt. She internalizes… read analysis of Wanda

Tony

A dealer who works at the Game Room. When Ray becomes suspicious of Primo and Caesar’s behavior, he hires Tony to run the Game Room part time and cuts Primo’s hours. Tony and… read analysis of Tony

Abraham

An elderly, one-eyed, alcoholic man whom Primo “adopts” as a surrogate grandfather and hires to work at the Game Room. Abraham cleans the Game Room and pretends to be senile and collect quarters from… read analysis of Abraham

Esperanza

Felix’s sister, whom Bourgois repeatedly interviews for the 2003 Epilogue to his book. She struggles with how to address the neighbors’ severe child abuse and tells Bourgois that the police are trying to use… read analysis of Esperanza

Minor Characters

Jackie

Felix and Candy’s daughter, and Junior’s sister. At age 13, her boyfriend and some of his friends kidnap and gang-rape her. The men in Jackie’s family have little sympathy for her. According to Bourgois, this exemplifies the depth of patriarchy and normalization of violence in El Barrio.

Eddie

Primo’s cousin, who went to school with him and experienced similarly adverse conditions there, in addition to abuse from his grandmother. In adulthood, he becomes a bus driver.

In Search of Respect Characters