Bob Saunders (Pa) Character Analysis

Bob Saunders is a Black man living in the South around the 1930s. He is the father of Dave Saunders and Dave’s younger brother as well as the husband of Mrs. Saunders. The whole family lives on a plantation owned by the white man Jim Hawkins, and Bob is an employee of Mr. Hawkins. Bob believes in imparting discipline through violence, and has beaten Dave on several occasions. He embodies the sort of masculine, physical power that Dave has come to believe is the only measure of a man. Even at the dinner table, Bob speaks harshly with his son, snapping at Dave for bringing a catalog from Joe’s store to the table and asking if Dave has been getting along well with Mr. Hawkins. Dave replies that things are going “swell,” but Bob still chastises him, telling him that he needs to keep his mind focused on what he’s doing. This single-minded focus defines Bob—after years of working for Mr. Hawkins, he has internalized the idea that his value as a person is directly connected to his productivity, and his primary focus is on maintaining a good relationship with his employer. When Dave is caught after having accidentally shot the mule Jenny, Bob doesn’t attempt to defend or comfort his son. His first priority is to settle the debt with Mr. Hawkins. At the end of the story, Bob promises to beat his son for what he’s done, and this threat is part of what spurs Dave to run away from home. In keeping with his old-fashioned masculine ideals, Bob doesn’t grow or change over the course of the story.