James Part One, Chapters 30–32 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Part One, Chapters 30–32

Part One, Chapter 30

Jim feels extremely uncomfortable as he marches down the street with the troupe while white people emerge from the buildings to hear them sing. He notices that they look at him differently because they believe him to be a white man, but he acknowledges that they still lack any sort of emotional depth. The group sings a song about Jim Crow before dispersing into the crowd. Jim looks around for some guidance, but since all the other members of the group are occupied, he ends up speaking with a young white woman named Polly. She flirts with him until her father arrives, instructing her not to associate with people in show business. He touches Jim’s hair and is surprised at the texture, and Emmett tells him that Jim is wearing a wig. Once they are finally alone, Jim expresses the terror he feels and tells Norman that he cannot possibly stay with the group and remain undetected. He acknowledges, however, that his feelings about his identity and interactions with others have grown more complex.

Part One, Chapter 31

Jim and the rest of the minstrel group prepare for bed, climbing into shared tents. Not long after lying down, Jim feels something brush against his ear, and he wakes up to discover that Polly’s father has snuck into his tent. Jim jumps up in fright, causing Emmett to come over to investigate. Polly’s father explains that he just needed to feel Jim’s wig again because of how authentic it seems. He and Emmett then get into an argument about his actions, and after he leaves, Emmett tells the group that they must travel elsewhere. To Jim’s surprise, Emmett apologizes to him for what happened. Jim goes on to ask for clarification about his position within the group and whether or not Emmett views him as a slave. Emmett explains that Jim does not belong to him, but since he paid two hundred dollars to hire him, he should pay back that money before he leaves the group. He offers to pay Jim a dollar a day, leading Jim to boldly ask Emmett if he sees any difference between chattel slavery and bonded slavery.

Part One, Chapter 32

The group arrives in a new town, and Jim immediately takes notice of the slaves sawing away at logs, whiplashes clearly present on their backs. With this unsettling image in his mind, Jim helps the other men set up camp while Emmett goes to arrange a performance. He announces upon his return that Jim will not perform with the group that evening as his life would likely be in danger if the people of the town were to find out the truth about his identity. Jim shares a look with Norman, both of them acknowledging that this offers Jim the perfect opportunity to run. Once the group leaves camp for their performance, Jim gathers his things, some food, and Emmett’s songbook, and runs as fast as he can.

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