On Beauty

On Beauty

by

Zadie Smith

Chouchou Character Analysis

Chouchou (or “Choo” as he reluctantly lets Levi call him) is a Haitian street hawker who works with Felix. He speaks in monosyllables while he’s working, but he surprises Levi by speaking eloquently when he’s not working, reflecting his past in Haiti as a teacher of French Literature. Chouchou forces Levi to reexamine many of his ideas about Blackness, showing that it’s possible for a Black man to live in poverty but still take an interest in the arts.

Chouchou Quotes in On Beauty

The On Beauty quotes below are all either spoken by Chouchou or refer to Chouchou. 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:
The Nature of Beauty Theme Icon
).
The Anatomy Lesson: Chapter 9 Quotes

‘What’s your deal, man? Don’t take this strange, but . . . you don’t seem like the type of guy who would be doing this kind of thing. You know?’

‘How about this?’ said Choo quietly, again alarming Levi with his easy use of American idioms, albeit dipped in that exotic accent. ‘You leave me alone and I do my very best to leave you alone. You sell your movies. I sell these handbags. How would that be?’

Related Characters: Levi (speaker), Chouchou (speaker), Felix
Related Symbols: Hip-hop
Page Number: 247
Explanation and Analysis:
On Beauty and Being Wrong: Chapter 8 Quotes

Choo had been on his conscience. Because . . . because Choo wasn’t like the other guys in the team. He didn’t travel with the pack, didn’t screw around or go dancing, and he seemed, by contrast, lonely, isolated. Basically, Levi figured that Choo was just plain smarter than all the people around him, and Levi, who lived with people similarly cursed, felt that his own experience in this area (as a carer of smart folk) made him especially qualified to help Choo out.

Related Characters: Levi, Chouchou
Related Symbols: Hip-hop
Page Number: 357
Explanation and Analysis:
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Chouchou Quotes in On Beauty

The On Beauty quotes below are all either spoken by Chouchou or refer to Chouchou. 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:
The Nature of Beauty Theme Icon
).
The Anatomy Lesson: Chapter 9 Quotes

‘What’s your deal, man? Don’t take this strange, but . . . you don’t seem like the type of guy who would be doing this kind of thing. You know?’

‘How about this?’ said Choo quietly, again alarming Levi with his easy use of American idioms, albeit dipped in that exotic accent. ‘You leave me alone and I do my very best to leave you alone. You sell your movies. I sell these handbags. How would that be?’

Related Characters: Levi (speaker), Chouchou (speaker), Felix
Related Symbols: Hip-hop
Page Number: 247
Explanation and Analysis:
On Beauty and Being Wrong: Chapter 8 Quotes

Choo had been on his conscience. Because . . . because Choo wasn’t like the other guys in the team. He didn’t travel with the pack, didn’t screw around or go dancing, and he seemed, by contrast, lonely, isolated. Basically, Levi figured that Choo was just plain smarter than all the people around him, and Levi, who lived with people similarly cursed, felt that his own experience in this area (as a carer of smart folk) made him especially qualified to help Choo out.

Related Characters: Levi, Chouchou
Related Symbols: Hip-hop
Page Number: 357
Explanation and Analysis: