The Black Ball Characters

James, a Black boy who is probably about four or five years old, is the protagonist of “Boy on a Train.” During the story, he is traveling from Oklahoma City to the rural town of… read analysis of James

In “Boy on a Train,” Lewis is James’s baby brother. He is capable of little more than looking out the window and copying different animals’ sounds. His complete innocence about the world makes him… read analysis of Lewis

Although not the story’s protagonist, James’s mother is arguably the central character in “Boy on a Train.” During the story, she rides in the segregated Black car of a train—which is also the… read analysis of Mama

In “Boy on a Train,” James’s father has recently died. James remembers him as attentive, kind, and intellectual, and Mama’s stories suggest that he worked as a construction worker to provide for his… read analysis of Daddy

The narrator of “Hymie’s Bull,” who never names himself in the story, is a young Black man who spends his time hopping freight trains throughout the U.S. during the Great Depression. In addition to recounting… read analysis of The Narrator of “Hymie’s Bull”

In “Hymie’s Bull,” Hymie is a white bum (freight-hopper) from Brooklyn whom the story’s narrator watches kill a railroad bull (security guard) in self-defense atop a moving train. Hymie’s actions disprove the racist stereotype… read analysis of Hymie

John, the protagonist of “The Black Ball,” is an honest, hardworking Black single father living in an unnamed city in the Southwestern U.S. He began working as a janitor in an upscale apartment building a… read analysis of John

In “The Black Ball,” the protagonist, John, is the sole parent to his unnamed four-year-old son. John’s son spends the whole day playing alone, as he is too young to go to school and… read analysis of John’s Son

In “The Black Ball,” the union organizer is a thin, red-faced Southern white man who approaches John while he is working and invites him to join a multiracial union for building service workers in the… read analysis of The White Union Organizer

In “The Black Ball,” Mr. Berry is the strict, humorless building manager who employs John. As Berry has been systematically firing his Black employees and replacing them with white people, John works especially hard… read analysis of Mr. Berry

In “The Black Ball,” the gardener’s son Jackie, who is white, is about the same age as John’s son, who is Black. Jackie taunts John’s son for his race and doesn’t face consequences for… read analysis of Jackie

In the story “In a Strange Country,” Mr. Parker is a Black American soldier who arrives in Wales during World War II. As soon as he arrives, a group of white American soldiers call him… read analysis of Mr. Parker

In the last story, “In a Strange Country,” Mr. Catti is the local man who graciously welcomes the Black American soldier Mr. Parker to Wales. He drinks with Parker, tells him how much he appreciates… read analysis of Mr. Catti