James

James

by

Percival Everett

Young George Character Analysis

Young George is an enslaved Black man who Jim meets after he is separated from Huck. He works alongside Josiah, Old George, and Pierre. At Jim’s request, Young George steals a pencil from his enslaver but is discovered and killed for the crime. Jim frequently draws on Young George’s memory when he uses the pencil to write.

Young George Quotes in James

The James quotes below are all either spoken by Young George or refer to Young George. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Chapter 16 Quotes

My name is James. I wish I could tell my story with a sense of history as much as industry. I was sold when I was born and then sold again. My mother’s mother was from someplace on the continent of Africa, I had been told or perhaps simply assumed. I cannot claim to any knowledge of that world or those people, whether my people were kings or beggars […] I can tell you that I am a man who is cognizant of his world, a man who has a family, who loves a family, who has been torn from his family, a man who can read and write, a man who will not let his story be self-related, but self-written.

With my pencil, I wrote myself into being. I wrote myself to here.

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Young George
Related Symbols: Pencil
Page Number: 93
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Chapter 26 Quotes

“White folks watch us work and forget how long we’re left alone in our heads. Working and waiting.”

I smiled. “If only they knew the danger in that.”

“I don’t believe they even know we talk to each other,” Easter said.

“They can’t accept it. They won’t accept it. And they’re always surprised.”

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Easter (speaker), Young George, Mr. Wiley
Related Symbols: Pencil
Page Number: 151
Explanation and Analysis:
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Young George Quotes in James

The James quotes below are all either spoken by Young George or refer to Young George. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Chapter 16 Quotes

My name is James. I wish I could tell my story with a sense of history as much as industry. I was sold when I was born and then sold again. My mother’s mother was from someplace on the continent of Africa, I had been told or perhaps simply assumed. I cannot claim to any knowledge of that world or those people, whether my people were kings or beggars […] I can tell you that I am a man who is cognizant of his world, a man who has a family, who loves a family, who has been torn from his family, a man who can read and write, a man who will not let his story be self-related, but self-written.

With my pencil, I wrote myself into being. I wrote myself to here.

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Young George
Related Symbols: Pencil
Page Number: 93
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Chapter 26 Quotes

“White folks watch us work and forget how long we’re left alone in our heads. Working and waiting.”

I smiled. “If only they knew the danger in that.”

“I don’t believe they even know we talk to each other,” Easter said.

“They can’t accept it. They won’t accept it. And they’re always surprised.”

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Easter (speaker), Young George, Mr. Wiley
Related Symbols: Pencil
Page Number: 151
Explanation and Analysis: